With all the financial worries the average person has these days--stocks falling, companies in trouble--a lot of people are probably just worried about whether their money is safe.

And you can make it safe, at least in some places. But this is as good a time as any to double-check.

Here’s a guide to Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. insurance, so at the very least you can make sure your savings are insured in case your bank fails. Plus, there’s a great way to maximize the amount that you can have insured--even up to about $50 million.

Keep in mind that the chairman of the FDIC, Sheila Bair, reminded us on Monday that 98% of banks are “well-capitalized,” which is the government’s highest capital category, so your money is probably safe anyway. But a backstop doesn’t hurt.

Check to Make Sure Your Bank Is FDIC-Insured

You can use this handy tool to make sure you’re the money you have at that institution would be eligible for FDIC insurance.

Basic Insurance Amount

The basic level of insurance is $100,000 per depositor per insured bank. If you have $100,000 or less at an institution, your deposits are fully insured. That’s in total, though. If you have, for example, a savings account and a CD at one bank, you have to add those together.

Joint Accounts

Joint accounts are insured up to the $100,000 level per account holder. If a husband and wife have a joint account at an FDIC-insured institution, that account would be insured for both up to the $100,000 limit – meaning it would be insured for $200,000 in total.

Some Retirement Accounts Have Higher Limits

Certain retirement accounts such as traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs and self-directed defined-contribution plans are insured up to $250,000. All retirement accounts an individual has at one institution are added together to get that $250,000 limit, and naming beneficiaries does not increase the insurance limit.

Revocable Trust Accounts

Trusts such as payable-on-death accounts and living trusts are insured up to $100,000 per beneficiary. So, for instance, if a husband and wife each have a POD account naming the other as a beneficiary, as well naming their two children beneficiaries, each of those accounts would be insured up to $300,000 (three beneficiaries times $100,000).

POD accounts and living trusts are added together for the $100,000 limit.

This can get complicated, so make sure you understand what’s covered for your specific situation.

How to Contact the FDIC

As you can tell, there’s a lot of complexity in these rules, even though on the surface it might seem simple. If your situation doesn’t fit easily into these categories, you might be well-served to contact the FDIC itself for more information.

The FDIC can be reached at 877-ASK-FDIC (877-275-3342) or on the Web.

How to Maximize Your FDIC Insurance

The Certificate of Deposit Account Registry Service, or CDARS, can get you access to around $50 million in FDIC insurance by spreading out CD accounts among FDIC insurance-eligible institutions.

The service can be used by individuals, businesses – or even by people who want to do socially responsible investing.

You can find more information on the CDARS Web site, including a tool to find which institutions participate in the network.

If the Worst Happens

If your bank fails, the FDIC has a tool online to help you figure out whether your deposits in that bank are fully insured.