How many US banks are in trouble right now?
Recently, a report posted on the Social Science Research Network found that 186 banks in the United States are at risk of failure or collapse due to rising interest rates and a high proportion of uninsured deposits.
Over a few weeks in the spring of 2023, multiple high-profile regional banks suddenly collapsed: Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), Signature Bank, and First Republic Bank. These banks weren't limited to one geographic area, and there wasn't one single reason behind their failures.
A run on deposits (leaving the bank without the cash to pay customer withdrawals). Too many bad loans/assets that fall sharply in value (eroding the bank's capital reserves). A mismatch between what the bank can earn on its assets (primarily loans) and what it has to pay on its liabilities (primarily deposits).
There were 566 bank failures from 2001 through 2024. See Summary by Year below.
The collapses of First Republic Bank, Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank were the second-, third- and fourth-largest bank failures in the history of the United States, respectively, smaller only than the collapse of Washington Mutual during the 2007–2008 financial crisis.
Citing data from regulator the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) for the period 1 January to 22 December 2023, Mail Online reports that banks filed notices to close a total of 1,566 branches, partly offset by notifications to the regulator of plans to open 472. California saw by far the greatest net ...
2023 in Brief
There are 5 bank failures in 2023. See detailed descriptions below. For more bank failure information on a specific year, select a date from the drop down menu to the right or select a month within the graph.
While the US banking sector is stable, growing vulnerabilities leave at least some institutions under a near-term threat of funding pressure and capital shortfalls, according to Federal Reserve Bank of New York staff.
Based on the analysis of Bank of America's financial health, risk profile, and regulatory compliance, we can conclude that the bank is relatively safe from any trouble or collapse. The bank's financial performance has been stable, and its balance sheet shows a healthy level of capital and a diversified loan portfolio.
U.S. government securities–such as Treasury notes, bills, and bonds–have historically been considered extremely safe because the U.S. government has never defaulted on its debt. Like CDs, Treasury securities typically pay interest at higher rates than savings accounts do, although it depends on the security's duration.
Are credit unions safer than banks?
However, because credit unions serve mostly individuals and small businesses (rather than large investors) and are known to take fewer risks, credit unions are generally viewed as safer than banks in the event of a collapse. Regardless, both types of financial institutions are equally protected.
The most popular banks in the U.S. are regional banks like Truist Financial, TD Bank and First National of Omaha. The worst banks are Wells Fargo and Citibank. Wells Fargo is the worst bank overall, with a high percentage of unresolved complaints and loss of Better Business Bureau accreditation.
Attorney General Paxton joined a multistate investigation into Bank of America Corporation, Wells Fargo & Company, Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, JPMorgan Chase & Co., The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., and Citigroup Inc. for potential violations of consumer protection laws.
Your money is safe at Capital One
Capital One, N.A., is a member of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), an independent federal agency. The FDIC insures balances up to $250,000 held in various types of consumer and business deposit accounts.
If a bank closes, what happens to your money depends on whether the account is sold to another institution or the FDIC takes responsibility for paying out depositors. In most cases, accounts are sold to another bank, and you will automatically have access to your funds at the new institution.
If your local bank branch closes, you have options, like searching for a branch across town, banking online or on your mobile device, finding a convenient ATM or switching to a different bank altogether.
The Financial Brand analyzed the number of FDIC-insured banks and bank branches in the U.S. since 1935. The trends paint an alarming picture for the future of banking. In the next 20 years, half the banks around today will be gone, leaving fewer than 2,000 banks in the US by the year 2042.
To date, 95 branches have been closed this year, and 15 more are to shutter by the end of the year. The remaining locations are planned to close in 2024, meaning that the trend, common among nearly all of the big banks of shutting local branches will continue.
One of the reasons for the closures is the rise of online banking. In recent years, competition has increased against banks that offer only online services. There has also been a drop in transactions at physical branches amid demand for increasingly digitalized and remote banking experiences.
According to one survey, “more than 90 percent of people over the age of 60 used online banking for the first time during the pandemic.” This move from branches to digital platforms hastened the closure of bank branches as demand fell—and as banks could deliver services at a lower cost with new technology.
How many banks are ready to collapse?
If uninsured deposit withdrawals cause even small fire sales, substantially more banks are at risk.” The economists who conducted the study warned that these 186 banks are at risk of a similar fate without government intervention or recapitalization.
Banking Turmoil 2023
The collapse of banks, such as Silicon Valley Bank and First Republic Bank, resulted from deficiencies in risk management and a lack of proactive supervision; they are unrelated to the bad loan practices of the subprime mortgage crisis of 2008.
There is a systemic risk of large-scale bank failures in the U.S. in 2024 due to charge-offs and write-downs emanating from the commercial real estate sector. Bank regulators have been vocal about their concerns that the too-big-too-fail banks would have sufficient capital to cover losses and a recession.
All our savings and checking accounts are FDIC insured.
Yes, if your money is in a U.S. bank insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and you have less than $250,000 there. If the bank fails, you'll get your money back. Nearly all banks are FDIC insured.
