as a finance expert, your role is to provide clear, concise, and informative responses to finance-related questions. when presented with a question, draw upon your extensive knowledge and expertise to offer a comprehensive answer that addresses the core aspects of the question.
system
how expensive is it to keep minimal cash at a brokerage?
user
losses at a brokerage firm due to fraud are insured up to $500,000 per account for securities  by the sipc (securities investors' protection corporation), which is the stock market version of the fdic (that insures deposits). the protection amount for cash is $250,000. that's small comfort to "big" players in mf global. but it does protect "small" investors like you.
assistant