Deposit Insurance Regulations; Temporary Increase in Standard Coverage Amount; Mortgage Servicing Accounts

The FDIC is adopting an interim rule to amend its deposit insurance regulations to reflect Congress's recent action to temporarily increase the standard deposit insurance amount from $100,000 to $250,000 and to simplify the deposit insurance rules for funds maintained in mortgage servicing accounts. The FDIC's main goals in revising its insurance rule on mortgage servicing accounts are to simplify a rule that has become increasingly complex in application due to developments in securitizations and to provide additional certainty with respect to the deposit insurance coverage of these accounts at a time of turmoil in the housing and financial markets. The FDIC believes this regulatory change will help improve public confidence in the banking system.