Why are bank runs bad?
Why Is a Bank Run Bad? Bank runs can bring down banks and cause a more systemic financial crisis. A bank usually only has a limited amount of cash on hand that is not the same as its overall deposits. So, if too many customers demand their money, the bank simply won't have enough to return to their depositors.
In 2023, America saw its highest amount of bank closings since the 2008 recession. The increase in mobile banking use, inflation and interest rates, and real-estate struggles all contributed to why 2023 experienced so many banks shutting their doors.
Bank failures can have severe consequences, including the loss of people's savings and investments, the erosion of trust in the financial system, and even broader economic downturns.
1 Bank runs occur when a large number of people race to withdraw their deposits from a bank because they believe the bank will not be able to pay back the money to depositors. Bank runs reflect a lack of trust in financial institutions.
Not surprisingly, adverse selection is what causes bank runs to trigger panics. When depositors in one bank observe a run on another bank, they naturally question the solvency of their own bank. They cannot be sure because their bank is like a black box: they cannot costlessly observe the value of its assets.
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).
As the Federal Reserve began raising interest rates in 2022 in response to the 2021–2023 inflation surge, bond prices declined, decreasing the market value of bank capital reserves, causing some banks to incur unrealized losses; to maintain liquidity, Silicon Valley Bank sold its bonds to realize steep losses.
2024 in Brief
There are no bank failures in 2024. 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.
- HomeStreet (HMST) little girl holding a stock chart with athumbs down. ...
- Western Alliance (WAL) a frustrated man with a white board behind him that features a black downward arrow. ...
- ECB Bancorp (ECBK) ...
- PacWest Bancorp (PACW) ...
- First Foundation (FFWM)
Bank NameBank | CityCity | Closing DateClosing |
---|---|---|
Citizens Bank | Sac City | November 3, 2023 |
Heartland Tri-State Bank | Elkhart | July 28, 2023 |
First Republic Bank | San Francisco | May 1, 2023 |
Signature Bank | New York | March 12, 2023 |
Why is a bank run a problem?
Why Is a Bank Run Bad? Bank runs can bring down banks and cause a more systemic financial crisis. A bank usually only has a limited amount of cash on hand that is not the same as its overall deposits. So, if too many customers demand their money, the bank simply won't have enough to return to their depositors.
Bank runs occur when a bank faces a loss of confidence, sparking many customers to withdraw their deposits. Massive withdrawals happening simultaneously put the bank's existence at risk. This creates fears and contagion can spread from one institution to another, undermining the banking system as a whole.
This can lead to a loss of confidence in the bank and potentially trigger financial instability or even a bank failure. Encouraging or organizing a "run on the banks" is typically considered illegal or at least highly unethical.
These banks were brought down by customers withdrawing deposits en masse, both because many were tech or crypto businesses that needed money to cover losses, and because there were better savings rates available elsewhere.
In conclusion, banks cannot seize your money without your permission or a court order. However, there are scenarios where banks can freeze your account and hold your funds temporarily.
Two major California banks — Silicon Valley Bank and First Republic — have failed. While some banking industry leaders have said the immediate crisis is over, stock prices for other regional banks, including PacWest and Western Alliance, fell this week.
Generally, credit unions are viewed as safer than banks, although deposits at both types of financial institutions are usually insured at the same dollar amounts. The FDIC insures deposits at most banks, and the NCUA insures deposits at most credit unions.
Signature Bank
Signature failed just two days after Silicon Valley Bank went down. It, too, had suffered a run on deposits. The failure was announced shortly before Asian markets opened on a Monday morning , as panic was spreading in the wake of SVB's collapse.
In the event of a bank failure, insured deposits are guaranteed to be returned within two business days by the FDIC.
- First Republic Bank (FRC) . Above average liquidity risk and high capital risk.
- Huntington Bancshares (HBAN) . Above average capital risk.
- KeyCorp (KEY) . Above average capital risk.
- Comerica (CMA) . ...
- Truist Financial (TFC) . ...
- Cullen/Frost Bankers (CFR) . ...
- Zions Bancorporation (ZION) .
Are banks running out of cash?
Overall U.S. banks' cash assets were $3.26 trillion as of Aug. 23, up 5.4% from the end of 2022. That was well above typical pre-pandemic levels, though down from the weeks immediately following the bank failures in March, Federal Reserve data shows.
The most prevalent trend in the financial services industry today is the shift to digital, specifically mobile and online banking (more on each of those in a bit). In today's era of unprecedented convenience and speed, consumers don't want to have to trek to a physical bank branch to handle their transactions.
Overall, Bank of America appears to be in a relatively healthy financial position and is not currently in imminent danger of collapse.
Bank of Scotland, Halifax and Lloyds, which are all part of the Lloyds Banking Group, will shut at least 176 of their bank branches in 2024 and 2025, after the Group announced a further 53 closures. The banks had a combined total of 1,154 branches as of Thursday 14 March.
JPMorgan Chase, or Chase Bank, is the biggest bank in America with nearly $3.4 trillion in assets. It boasts a vast network of over 4,800 physical branches and more than 15,000 ATMs. With generous bonuses and promotions and a variety of products, Chase is a popular choice for consumers across the country.
References
- https://www.quora.com/Is-it-illegal-to-organize-a-run-on-the-banks
- https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/us-banks-hold-33-trillion-cash-amid-banking-crisis-slowdown-worries-2023-09-05/
- https://theconversation.com/why-economists-are-warning-of-another-us-banking-crisis-224092
- https://quizlet.com/460510773/econ-module-5-flash-cards/
- https://www.thestreet.com/personal-finance/banks-most-at-risk-morningstar
- https://www.americanbullion.com/can-banks-seize-your-money/
- https://www.fdic.gov/resources/resolutions/bank-failures/in-brief/bfb2024.html
- https://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/bankrun.asp
- https://www.ssctech.com/blog/why-do-banks-fail-and-whats-next-2023-lessons-and-predictions
- https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2024/03/lloyds-halifax-bank-of-scotland-branch-closures/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_United_States_banking_crisis
- https://www.emarketer.com/insights/banking-industry-trends/
- https://www.usnews.com/banking/articles/credit-union-vs-a-bank
- https://www.veem.com/library/the-anatomy-of-bank-failure-understanding-the-root-causes/
- https://finance.yahoo.com/news/7-banks-dump-now-bust-234758659.html
- https://www.noradarealestate.com/blog/is-bank-of-america-in-trouble/
- https://integratedcashlogistics.com/bank-closures-news/
- https://www.forbes.com/advisor/banking/largest-banks-in-the-us/
- https://www.bankrate.com/banking/what-happens-when-a-bank-fails/
- https://calmatters.org/economy/2023/05/first-republic-bank-collapse/
- https://www.americanbanker.com/list/dramatic-collapses-made-2023-the-biggest-year-ever-for-bank-failures
- https://www.moneyandbanking.com/commentary/2020/3/1/bank-runs-and-panics-a-primer
- https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/03/bank-run-silicon-valley-panic/
- https://www.fdic.gov/resources/resolutions/bank-failures/failed-bank-list/