A prominent banking analyst said on Sunday that 150 to 200 more U.S. banks will fail in the current banking crisis, and the industry's payments to keep the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp afloat could eat up 25 percent of pretax income in 2010.

Richard Bove of Rochdale Securities said this will likely force the FDIC, which insures deposits, to turn increasingly to non-U.S. banks and private equity funds to shore up the banking system.

Bove said "perhaps another 150 to 200 banks will fail," on top of 81 so far in 2009, adding stress to the FDIC's deposit insurance fund.

Here’s what consumers need to know.

What does FDIC insurance cover?

Concerned consumers should confirm that accounts at their bank are FDIC-insured. That way, even if the bank fails, you won’t lose your money.

Use the online estimator tool at MyFDICinsurance.gov or call 1-877-ASK-FDIC.

In 2008, the FDIC increased the amount of money it insures per individual per bank from $100,000 to $250,000 until Dec. 31, 2013. That means that account holders can have up to $250,000 insured in a checking or savings account, certificate of deposit or money-market account, collectively in one bank. In addition, you can have a joint account with a spouse for up to $250,000.

If you have more than $250,000 in deposits, consider signing up for a Certificate of Deposit Account Registry Service (CDARS), a program in which you can deposit more than the insured limit with one participating bank, says JimChessen, the chief economist at the American Bankers Association. Your bank will swap the amount in excess of $250,000 to another bank so that you maintain full FDIC protection on your investment. The money is at multiple banks, but you sign one agreement with the participating bank of your choice, earn one interest rate on all your accounts, and receive a regular statement. To locate a bank that offers this program in your region, click here.

Courtesy of Smart Money.com