Small US bank becomes 14th bank to fail in ’09

[Naveed Yaseen]

NEW YORK: Regulators on Friday closed Silver Falls Bank in Silverton, Oregon, the 14th federally insured institution to fail this year, and the second based in Oregon.

Silver Falls Bank, a community bank that opened in May 2000, had $131.4 million in assets and $116.3 million in deposits as of Feb 9. The last Oregon-based bank to close was Beaverton-based Pinnacle Bank last week. Citizens Bank of Corvallis, Oregon, is assuming Silver Falls Bank’s deposits. It also is taking over its three branches and buying about $13 million in assets, including cash, securities and overdraft loans. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp, appointed receiver of Silver Falls Bank, will retain the bank’s remaining assets.

The FDIC estimated that the cost of Silver Falls Bank’s failure to the federal deposit insurance fund will be $50 million. Regular deposit accounts are insured up to $250,000. The bank failure wave began last year, when 25 US banks were seized by regulators, more than in the previous five years combined.

As home prices plunge and layoffs escalate, banks have seen loan defaults soar. And the trend has only been worsening as the recession deepens.

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