US regulators close 3 small banks
NEW YORK — Regulators have shut down three more small banks, pushing this year’s tally of failed banks to 40.
One bank closed Friday was in North Carolina, another in Georgia, and the third was in Kansas. The wave of bank failures is expected to continue throughout the year as the weak housing market and rising unemployment rate cause more borrowers to default on their loans.
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. was appointed receiver of Cooperative Bank of Wilmington, N.C., Southern Community Bank of Fayetteville, Ga., and First National Bank of Anthony in Anthony, Kan.
The FDIC agreed to have First Bank of Troy, N.C., take over Cooperative Bank’s 24 branches and nearly all of its assets. Cooperative Bank had total assets of $970 million and total deposits of $774 million.
United Community Bank of Blairsville, Ga., will assume Southern Community bank’s five branches, its $307 million in deposits, and nearly all of its $377 million in assets.
And Bank of Kansas of South Hutchinson, Kan., will acquire First National Bank of Anthony’s six branches, its $142.5 million in deposits, and nearly all of its $156.9 million in assets.
The FDIC will retain the remaining unacquired assets of all three failed banks to sell later. And with all three acquirers, the FDIC has entered into loss-sharing agreements to maximize returns on the assets and minimize disruptions for loan customers.
The FDIC said it estimates that Cooperative Bank’s failure will cost the deposit insurance fund $217 million. Southern Community Bank’s will cost $114 million, and First National Bank of Anthony’s will cost $32.2 million.
The number of banks on the FDIC’s list of “problem” institutions leaped to 305 in the first quarter — the highest number since 1994, during the savings and loan crisis — from 252 in the fourth quarter. The combined assets of those banks rose to $220 billion from $159 billion.
To be sure, most “problem” institutions don’t fail, but the pace of failures has been much higher this year than in past years. The 40 institutions that have closed this year compare with 25 in all of 2008 and just three in 2007.
One silver lining is that while more banks are being shuttered this year than last, the size of the banks has tended to be smaller.
The largest U.S. bank failure ever was last year: Seattle-based thrift Washington Mutual Inc. fell in September, with about $307 billion in assets. It was acquired by JPMorgan Chase & Co. for $1.9 billion in a deal brokered by the FDIC.
The costliest bank failure was also in 2008, when the big California lender IndyMac Bank got seized and cost the FDIC’s insurance fund an estimated $10.7 billion.
The FDIC expects U.S. bank failures to cost the deposit insurance fund around $70 billion through 2013.
Related News
Regulators close Michigan bank, small banks in Colorado, Minnesota; marks 98 US bank failuresOctober 2nd, 2009 Regulators close banks in Colorado, Mich., Minn.NEW YORK — Regulators have shut Warren Bank in Warren, Mich., and two small banks in Colorado and Minnesota, boosting the number of failed U.S. banks this year to 98 as loan defaults rise in the worst financial climate in decades.
Regulators close Michigan bank, small bank in Minnesota; marks 97 US bank failures this yearOctober 2nd, 2009 Regulators close banks in Michigan, MinnesotaNEW YORK — Regulators have shut down Warren Bank in Warren, Mich., and a small bank in Minnesota, boosting the number of failed U.S. banks this year to 97 as loan defaults rise in the worst financial climate in decades.
Regulators close banks in Illinois and Minnesota; 91 bank failures so far this yearSeptember 11th, 2009 MB Financial to take over Corus Bank branchesCHARLOTTE, N.C. — Federal regulators on Friday said they seized Corus Bancshares Inc., a Chicago lender to condominium, office and hotel projects, adding it to the long list of banks that have succumbed this year to the recession and waves of loan defaults.
Regulators shut Bradford Bank in Maryland; 82nd US bank failure this yearAugust 29th, 2009 Regulators shut Bradford Bank in MarylandWASHINGTON — Regulators on Friday shut down Bradford Bank, a small bank in Maryland, marking the 82nd U.S. bank failure this year amid the soured economy and rising loan defaults.
Regulators shut Dwelling House S&L in Pittsburgh; 73rd US bank failure this yearAugust 14th, 2009 Small thrift in Pennsylvania shut by regulatorsWASHINGTON — Regulators on Friday shut down Dwelling House Savings and Loan Association, a small bank in Pennsylvania, boosting to 73 the number of federally insured banks that have failed this year. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.
Regulators close 2 banks in Florida, marking 71 US bank failures this yearAugust 8th, 2009 Regulators close 2 banks in FloridaNEW YORK — Regulators on Friday shut down two banks in Florida, bringing to 71 the number of federally insured banks to fail this year under the weight of the weak economy and rising loan losses. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.
Regulators shut Waterford Village Bank in NY state; 58th US bank to fail this yearJuly 25th, 2009 Regulators shut small bank in NYWASHINGTON — Regulators have shut Waterford Village Bank, a small bank in New York state, boosting to 58 the number of federally insured banks to fail this year. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.
Regulators shut First Piedmont Bank in Georgia; 54th US bank to fail this yearJuly 18th, 2009 Regulators shut small Georgia bank; 54th this yearWASHINGTON — Regulators have shut down First Piedmont Bank in Georgia, the 54th federally insured bank to fail this year. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.
Regulators shutter small Wyoming bank, bringing this year's failed bank tally to 53July 11th, 2009 Regulators shut small Wyoming bankNEW YORK — Regulators on Friday shut Bank of Wyoming, marking the 53rd failure this year of a federally insured bank. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.
FDIC looks for ways to draw private equity buyers into auctions for failed banksJuly 2nd, 2009 FDIC seeks more investor interest in failed banksWASHINGTON — The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. proposed new guidelines Thursday for potential buyers of failed banks as the government seeks to sell a growing number of closed financial institutions.
Regulators shut Community Bank of West Georgia; 41st bank failure this yearJune 26th, 2009 Regulators shut Ga. bank; 41st to fail this yearWASHINGTON — Regulators have shut down Community Bank of West Georgia, marking the 41st failure this year of a federally insured bank.
Regulators shut down 2 small Southern banks, bringing this year's failed bank tally to 39June 20th, 2009 Regulators close 2 small Southern banksNEW YORK — Regulators on Friday shut down a small bank in Wilmington, N.C. and another small bank in Fayetteville, Ga., pushing this year's tally of failed banks up to 39.
Westsound Bank of Wash. becomes 33rd bank to fail in 2009; Kitsap Bank will take over depositsMay 9th, 2009 US regulators shut down 33rd bank this yearNEW YORK — Federal regulators on Friday shut down Westsound Bank of Bremerton, Wash., making it the 33rd bank to fail this year. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.
Regulators close Silverton Bank in Georgia, set up temporary bank; 30th bank failure this yearMay 1st, 2009 Silverton Bank in Georgia shut down by regulatorsWASHINGTON — Regulators have shut down Silverton Bank in Georgia and set up a temporary government-controlled bank until a buyer can be found. It was the 30th bank failure this year in the U.S.
Regulators shut failed American Southern Bank in Ga.; 26th failure this year beats 2008 totalApril 24th, 2009 Regulators shut American Southern Bank in GeorgiaCHARLOTTE, N.C. — Regulators on Friday shut down American Southern Bank in Georgia, boosting the number of failures this year to 26 — more bank closures than in all of last year.