Short takes: First Interstate Offering Retail Sweep Account

First Interstate Bancorp is marketing a sweep program that links its traditional checking accounts with its money market mutual funds.

The retail sweep account, dubbed the Wealth Accumulation Account, can be opened with $5,000, but the sweep feature is not activated until the account has $10,100.

In sweep accounts - which are commonly used by institutional corporate cash management accounts - money is transferred overnight out of one account and invested in a money market fund.

The nondeposit portion of the interest-bearing checking account in not FDIC insured. "The fact that the money market product is not FDIC insured is clearly stated in the prospectus and the customer account form," a bank spokesman said.

"We have another form called a disclosure statement; they sign that and it's clearly stated there. And it's also disclosed in the brochure. We make it amply clear that the money market funds are not insured," he added.

The Los Angeles-based banking company began offering the account in branches in 13 states on Dec. 1 after introducing the program in October at branches in Arizona, Texas, California, Washington, and Oregon.

Retail checking customers have a choice between two First Interstate proprietary funds for the investments, the Pacifica Government Money Market Fund and the Pacifica Money Market Fund.

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