Banks close with calm customer reaction

? Customers of two banks closed by federal regulators were assured that every penny of their money was protected, preventing lines of angry accountholders from forming Saturday.

The calm response was a stark contrast to the hundreds of angry customers who waited for hours earlier this month in Southern California to demand their money after IndyMac Bank’s assets were seized.

The 28 branches of the 1st National Bank of Nevada and First Heritage Bank N.A. – owned by Scottsdale, Ariz.-based First National Bank Holding Co. – were closed Friday by the FDIC. First National Bank of Nevada also operates as First National Bank of Arizona.

But Mutual of Omaha Bank bought all the two banks’ deposits, even those over the amount protected by FDIC insurance limits. IndyMac customers had to take a loss on whatever amount they had in the bank over the insurance limits.

One 1st National Bank of Arizona in downtown Phoenix didn’t even have a note outside to tell customers about the trouble Saturday. But there were no customers outside to tell.