BankFailure

A surge in earnings by the biggest banks at the end of last year made 2011 the most profitable time for the industry in five years. More earnings and fewer troubled banks suggest the industry has healed since the 2008 financial crisis.

Recent bank failures have required the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation to make payments to depositors. The FDIC is called in when a bank fails and can't give depositors the cash in their bank accounts. A lot of focus has been on the limits of FDIC insurance, so that depositors are protected....

In keeping with the trend of shutting down banks late on Friday afternoon, the tenth shutdown of the year occurred on Friday. Integrity Bank of Alpharetta was closed by the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance. Why Fridays? It gives officials a couple of days to assess things and prepare for...