Regulators shut down 9 more banks, including California National Bank; total failed banks in '09 reach 115

Bank failures continue unabated as U.S. regulators on Friday closed down nine more banks, including California National Bank of Los Angeles. The failed banks were situated in California, Illinois, Texas and Arizona. This takes the total number to 115, compared to 25 in 2008 and 3 in 2007.

Besides California National Bank, the eight other banks were Bank USA N.A. of Phoenix, San Diego National Bank of San Diego, Pacific National Bank of San Francisco, Park National Bank of Chicago, Community Bank of Lemont in Lemont, Ill., North Houston Bank in Houston, Madisonville State Bank in Madisonville, Texas and Citizens National Bank of Teague, Texas.

The weak economy continues to weigh heavily on banks with a stream of loan defaults. As the industry has to tolerate bad loans that were made during the credit explosion, the trouble in the banking system goes even deeper, increasing the possibility of more failures. However, the regulators are trying to avoid panic by seizing banks slowly. Also, the slow seizing could be a strategy as it is hard to get buyers for so many failed banks.

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