Question

Difficulty: MediumSIPC vs. FDIC Protection and Coverage Limits

A financial advisor is reviewing regulatory protection rules for a client maintaining accounts at both a SIPC-member broker-dealer and an FDIC-insured commercial bank. Which of the following statements accurately describe the scope and coverage limits of SIPC and FDIC protection? (Select ALL that apply.)

  1. SIPC provides coverage up to 500,000totalperseparatecustomercapacityintheeventofbrokerdealerinsolvency,ofwhichamaximumof500,000 total per separate customer capacity in the event of broker-dealer insolvency, of which a maximum of 250,000 may be applied toward claims for uninvested cash.Answer
  2. FDIC deposit insurance covers bank deposit accounts up to $250,000 per depositor per insured bank, but does not cover non-deposit investment products such as stocks, bonds, or mutual funds.Answer
  3. C
    SIPC indemnifies investors against net portfolio valuation losses caused by sudden market declines prior to a firm entering bankruptcy.
  4. D
    Commodity futures contracts and fixed annuity products held inside a brokerage account are fully covered under standard SIPC equity limits.

Answer

The correct statements are that SIPC covers up to 500,000totalperseparatecustomercapacity(witha500,000 total per separate customer capacity (with a 250,000 cash claim limit) upon broker-dealer liquidation, and FDIC insures bank deposits up to $250,000 per depositor per insured institution while excluding securities.
SIPC coverage provides up to 500,000netprotectionperseparatecustomercapacity(includingupto500,000 net protection per separate customer capacity (including up to 250,000 for cash claims) during broker-dealer liquidation. In addition, FDIC insurance guarantees bank deposits up to $250,000 per depositor per insured institution while excluding investment securities like equities and mutual funds.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze SIPC protection limits and eligible claims.
SIPC covers securities and cash up to 500,000totalperseparatecustomer,withcashcoveragelimitedtoamaximumof500,000 total per separate customer, with cash coverage limited to a maximum of 250,000.
This establishes the statutory limits for SIPC member firm liquidations.
2
Analyze FDIC protection scope and limits.
FDIC covers traditional deposit accounts up to $250,000 per depositor per bank, but excludes investment products.
This establishes the statutory scope and limits for commercial bank failures.
3
Evaluate exclusions for SIPC and FDIC coverage.
Market losses, commodity futures, and fixed annuities are excluded from SIPC coverage.
Identifying non-covered events and assets eliminates inaccurate statements.

Key Concept

SIPC protects against broker-dealer insolvency up to 500,000(500,000 ( 250,000 cash cap) excluding market losses and commodities; FDIC protects bank deposits up to $250,000 excluding securities.
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