Record Level Enforcement Actions in 2009

Excerpts from American Banker: Regulatory Actions Hit a Record Level in '09:

"Bank regulators issued 1,143 formal enforcement actions against banks and their holding companies last year, a new record and more than double the 2008 tally."

"Informal actions by the agencies, which are not made public and often go untracked, also doubled during that time, reaching 1,099 last year, according to data provided to American Banker."

According to the FDIC quarterly banking profile, there were 8,012 insured banks at the end of 2009. Some of these actions are double counts since regulators might issue a Memorandum Of Understanding and then a formal Cease & Desist action against the same bank (or multiple formal actions), so the exact percentage of banks operating under enforcement actions (either formal or informal) can't be determined, but it could be in the 20% to 25% range.