
Where to Keep Business Cash Above the $250,000 FDIC Limit
Business deposits above $250,000 per bank are uninsured. Split cash across banks, use ICS or CDARS sweeps, or hold T-bills to close the gap.
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Track CDs, maturity dates, and interest earnings

Business deposits above $250,000 per bank are uninsured. Split cash across banks, use ICS or CDARS sweeps, or hold T-bills to close the gap.

FDIC insurance covers $250,000 per depositor, per bank, per ownership category — so an $800,000 business account leaves $550,000 uninsured. Reciprocal deposit networks like IntraFi's ICS and CDARS split a large balance into under-limit chunks across thousands of member banks while you keep one relationship and one statement. Here are the mechanics, the costs, ICS vs. CDARS, the overlap trap that quietly leaves money uninsured, and the bookkeeping that proves your coverage.

As of mid-2026, competitive business savings accounts pay roughly 3.5%–3.75% APY while the national average sits near 0.4% — a $150,000 idle balance in a 0.01% checking account forgoes about $5,000 a year. A timeline-based framework for placing tax reserves, operating buffers, and balances above the $250,000 FDIC limit into high-yield savings, CD ladders, ICS/CDARS sweep programs, and Treasury money market funds.

A practical breakdown of the 6 types of business bank accounts — checking, savings, money market, CDs, merchant, and trust — with a stage-by-stage framework for structuring your banking as your small business grows.

Understand the key differences between high-yield savings accounts and certificates of deposit for your small business cash reserves. Learn how to effectively manage your funds with practical Beancount examples.