From This Collection

You can protect more than $250,000 at a bank. But beware the “moral hazard.”

Mar 17, 2023
The FDIC allows coverage of different types of accounts at the same bank. There are also services that help you spread your money around.
Depositors are covered by the FDIC for up to $250,000, but there are ways to skirt the limit.
Karen Bleier/AFP via Getty Images

The banking crisis: What you actually need to know

Mar 17, 2023
Even if you don’t bank with Silicon Valley Bank or Signature Bank, the fallout from their collapses has probably grabbed your attention.
Given that the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank marked one of the largest bank failures since 2008, it can feel easy to draw comparisons to the start of the Great Recession.
Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images

Behind SVB's collapse were a whole lot of texts on messaging groups

Mar 17, 2023
Chatter among the bank's depositors on social media and texting groups may have exacerbated its demise.
Bank runs of the 1930s happened slowly, because we banked and communicated differently then.
Hulton Archive/Getty Images

How freaked out are consumers these days?

Mar 17, 2023
Consumer sentiment isn't as gloomy as the failure of Silicon Valley Bank might lead you to expect.
According to a University of Michigan survey, consumer sentiment fell this month. But people seem to be more worried about their grocery bills and dwindling savings than about tremors in the financial system.
Mario Tama/Getty Images

What is "duration risk"? (And how did it get Silicon Valley Bank into trouble?)

Mar 16, 2023
Investing in long-term government bonds and mortgage-backed securities hurt the bank as interest rates rose and bond prices plummeted.
Some bonds are more sensitive to interest rates than others, depending on how long they take to mature. That “duration risk” hurt SVB financially.
Noah Berger/AFP via Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

Silicon Valley Bank's collapse reveals deeper flaws in the venture capital industry

Mar 16, 2023
VCs have been among the loudest voices calling for government insurance amidst SVB’s collapse, after pulling their funds out of the struggling bank.
Prominent venture capitalists were quick to call for government insurance of all Silicon Valley Bank's deposits after its collapse Friday.
Michael Cohen/Getty Images

Increased scrutiny on banks raises specter of tightening credit

Mar 16, 2023
Banks may get stingier and more selective with loans, and that could hurt businesses that need them.
Smaller businesses often turn to small and midsize banks to help expand their operations. But those banks may be getting more selective with loans.
Drazen Zigic/Getty Images