Money in failed bank is safe, US government says

US authorities took emergency measures on Sunday to shore up the banking system after Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Signature Bank collapsed.

People and businesses who have money deposited with SVB would be able to access all their cash from Monday, the government said.

Regulators also closed New York-based Signature Bank after mounting pressure.

President Joe Biden will address the dramatic weekend in the financial sector later on Monday.

In a statement, he promised to hold “those responsible for this mess fully accountable”.

SVB – which specialised in lending to technology companies – was shut down by regulators who seized its assets on Friday. It was the largest failure of a US bank since the financial crisis in 2008.

A statement from the US Treasury, the Federal Reserve and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) said depositors would be fully protected. The taxpayer will not bear any losses from the move, it said.

SVB was scrambling to raise money to plug a loss from the sale of assets affected by higher interest rates.

“The US banking system remains resilient and on a solid foundation, in large part due to reforms that were made after the financial crisis that ensured better safeguards for the banking industry,” the authorities’ joint statement said.

“Those reforms combined with today’s actions demonstrate our commitment to take the necessary steps to ensure that depositors’ savings remain safe.”

Those actions also apply to Signature Bank of New York, seen as the most vulnerable institution after SVB, which came under regulatory control on Sunday.

As part of their moves to restore confidence, regulators also unveiled a new way to give banks access to emergency funds.

The Federal Reserve said it would offer assistance through a new Bank Term Funding Program, making it easier for banks to borrow from it in a crisis.

SVB was seen as a crucial lender for early-stage businesses in the tech sector. It was the banking partner for nearly half of US venture-backed technology and healthcare companies that listed on stock markets last year.

Source: BBC