Bank Failures Watch
                                   
                              Your one-stop resource for the banking crisis

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News headlines
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RATINGS FOR SAFETY & FINANCIAL STRENGTH

BankRate.com's Safe & Sound ratings >>>
Bank Ratings for Thrift, Credit Union and National Banks--One- to five-star ratings based on 22 criteria, searchable by name of bank.

Bauer Financial >>>
One- to five-star ratings, searchable by state and bank name.

DepositAccount.com ratings >>> One- to five-star ratings, searchable by name of bank, also Texas Ratio rankings of banks nationally and by state.

Weiss Ratings >>>
A to E ratings, searchable by state.


CONSUMER SATISFACTION SURVEYS

The American Customer Satisfaction Index (University of Michigan) >>>

J.D. Power and Associates 2011 U.S. Retail Banking Satisfaction Study >>>


BANKING DATA, STATISTICS, RANKINGS

Rankings of the world's largest banks by size of assets, from BankersAlmanac.com. Additional data available by subscription.

American Banker data available by subscription: A comprehensive database of banking and financial services rankings, league tables, and vital statistics >>>


Since early 2007
490 US banks have "imploded*"

> Bank failures in 2011: 76; 2010: 157; 2009: 140
> Credit Unions liquidated, purchased, or assumed in 2011: 12; 2010: 19; 2009: 15
> Tracking the nation's bank failures >>>
>  Interactive map of bank failures  >>>

2010 worst year for bank failures since 1992 >>>

More than 1000 small banks are listed for potential failure in the next 12 months (8.11)


Troubled Bank List (unofficial) as of 09/30/2010
>>> (See also Bank Ratings sites below)
> FDIC Failed Banks >>>
> FDIC Failed Banks official list >>>
> FDIC Bank Failures in Brief >>>
> Bank failure postings from DepositAccounts.com >>>
> General Implodes >>>
> Failed Credit Unions >>>
> NCAU list of failed Credit Unions >>>
> Credit Union Conservatorships >>>
> Writedown-Rundown & General Distress >>>
> Is your bank FDIC-insured? Search tool: >>>
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(Some of the above links from BankImplode.com)
*"Imploded" Banks: The "imploded" list contains banks which have gone through some sort of permanent adverse change. This of course includes regulator-declared "failures" and conservatorships/receiverships, as well as private sector events such as "fire sale" buyouts. While the financial entity may continue to operate, we post them here if they would not otherwise continue without some sort of "rescue." We've focused on 'implosions' since 2006. (from BankImplode.com)


Bank Ratings
Two Small Banks in Minnesota & Missouri Closed by Regulators >>>

Two small banks were closed by regulators this Friday which brings the 2011 number of bank failures to 76. At this time last year there had been 129 bank failures for 2010.

The two banks that failed were in Minnesota and Missouri. Before this Friday, there had been just one bank failure in these two states. Last year at this time there had been 11 bank closures (7 in Minnesota and 4 in Missouri).

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Two closures in October so far, following six in September.


Latest bank closings...
What to do when your bank is shut down?
The first best thing to do is the visit the FDIC website. You will find a press release about any closed banks on the front page of the FDIC website near the top. On the press release, you will find a link that will allow you to verify the insurance status of each of your accounts. This link will be available for use no later than the first business day after bank failure.
                                     More > (1) (2) (3) 
GOOD--FDIC insurance fund in the black: On July 26, acting FDIC Chairman Martin Gruenberg told the Senate Banking Committee that the balance of the insurance fund the FDIC uses to cover the cost of failed banks headed into positive territory in June after going negative during the financial crisis.

GOOD--The rate of bank closures has slowed in 2011. FDIC: Fewer Banks on Problem List  >>>

BAD--More than 1000 small banks are listed for potential failure in the next 12 months, according to CBS News. Many small banks are struggling to survive. And the cost to bail out the insured depositors of these failing banks, according to the FDIC, could run more than $100 billion. But more importantly, these banks are mired with loan defaults and are not making new loans.  >>>

BAD--Teetering European economy is a threat to the US financial structure. US banks are exposed to conceivable European bank failures and the Fed will be under pressure to aid the European Central Bank (ECB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

BAD--Money in smaller banks unprotected: smaller banks are vulnerable to attacks from hackers and fraudulent transfers, leaving the account holder liable. Smaller banks are lagging in cybersecurity. >>>


Good News / Bad News


News archive >>>

ISSUES ?!?!?!
What are the ramifications of the shrinking number of physical bank locations and growth of electronic banking? (1) (2)

Are the large US banks turning into zombies? (Zombie banks, strongly identified as a European condition, have little net worth and backed by the government) (1) (2) (3)

Business: Are you protected against cyberfraud? If hackers steal your money, are you left holding the bag? (1)  (2)

Is there a looming European bank downfall and how will it impact US banks and Fed? European sovereign defaults and resulting bank failures will damage US banks as well as require massive US aid to European Central Bank and IMF. Will the US be able to afford to bail out the European banks? >>>
Among the world’s biggest banks, 9 of the 10 perceived as the most likely to default are European, according to Bloomberg. >>>
Bank investing and
market outlooks
> KBW Bank Sector Index (BKX) daily quotes from Yahoo! >>>
> BKW Bank Sector Index (BKX) daily chart  from Google Finance >>>
> BKW Bank Sector Index (BKX) daily chart from CNN Money >>>
> KBW Bank Sector Index (BKX) daily quotes from KBW.com >>>

Banking sector growth outlook subdued according to Sterne Agee >>>

A challenging road ahead by Novantas. >>>

Despite banks' struggles and economic uncertainty, Zacks outlook for banks is positive. Buy and Sell recommendations. >>>

Should you buy a bank based on Its book value? >>>

10 regional banks the government loves >>>
Economic review
Recent economic pronouncements predominantly negative

US credit rating downgrade from AAA to AA Plus, by S&P, preceded by Egan-Jones.

FOMC: Economic recovery is stagnating; federal fund rates to remain exceptionally low through 2013. >>>

Consumer sentiment survey hits historic three-decade low, although retail sales remain strong. >>>

August was pessimistic reports and projections

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and President's Mid-Session Review (MSR) pronouncements were  on the gloomy side.

There was little to cheer about in terms of budget deficits, GDP growth, unemployment, and the like. >>>

Bank Failures 101 >>>
Is your bank among the "safest elite"?
Banking cybersecurity: what you need to know >>>
A
Moody's downgrades big US banks >>>
(Reuters) - Moody's Investors Service lowered debt ratings for Bank of America Corp, Citigroup Inc and Wells Fargo & Co on Wednesday, saying the U.S. government is getting less comfortable with bailing out large troubled lenders.

The government is "more likely now than during the financial crisis to allow a large bank to fail should it become financially troubled," said the rating agency, a unit of Moody's Corp.
"This is crystallizing the fact we're in a new political reality," said Jason Ware, equity analyst with Salt Lake City-based Albion Financial Group. More...
12 Giant Banks Vulnerable to Disaster  >>>
by Martin D. Weiss, Ph.D.

Bank of America merits a Weiss Rating of D (weak). But it’s clearly not the only one. Also getting a D grade are two other giants — JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo.

Nor is this weakness restricted to the nation’s largest banks. Major regional institutions — SunTrust Bank, Regions Bank, Compass Bank, Huntington National Bank, and others — are also vulnerable.

All told, 2,553 U.S. banks and thrifts now get a Weiss Rating of D+ (weak) or lower, implying widespread vulnerability to the consequences of sovereign debt defaults in Europe and to a  double-dip recession in the U.S.  More...
Issues