10 Biggest Bank Failures Of All Time In US

Sagar Puri
May 02, 2023

Washington Mutual Bank (Assets $307 Billion)

The largest bank failure ever occurred was when Washington Mutual Bank went under in 2008. At the time, it had about $307 billion in assets.

Silicon Valley Bank (Assets $209 Billion)

Silicon Valley Bank failed after a bank run, marking the third-largest bank failure in US history and the largest since the 2007–2008 financial crisis.

Signature Bank (Assets $110 Billion)

Signature Bank was shut down on March 12, 2023, after depositors withdrew large sums of money on the heels of the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB).

Continental Illinois National Bank And Trust (Assets $40 Billion)

Continental Illinois was the largest bank failure in history at that time when it collapsed. The bank was shuttered after large depositors led a run on the bank, pulling $10 billion early on in May of that year.

First Republic Bank (Assets $32.5 Billion)

First Republic Bank is one of the largest bank failure in US history.

IndyMac (Assets $32 Billion)

IndyMac, a contraction of Independent National Mortgage Corporation, was an American bank that failed in 2008 and was seized by the United States Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).

American Savings And Loan (Assets $30.2 Billion)

It was the largest thrift failure and the federal government's costliest resolution during the savings and loan crisis at an estimated cost of $5.4 billion.

Colonial Bank (Assets $25 Billion)

Colonial Bank had become overly invested in Florida real estate and construction, and when owners began to default on those loans in large numbers, the losses were too huge for the bank to overcome.

Gibraltar Savings And Loan (Assets $15 Billion)

Mismanagement of real estate investments and mortgage-backed securities led to the downfall of the institution. Security Pacific Corporation bought Gibraltar Savings after it was seized.

Guaranty Bank (Assets: $13 Billion)

Guaranty Bank fell into trouble when real estate markets plummeted and borrowers defaulted on their loans. The bank was unable to recover the balances due from foreclosing on the homes.

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