Feds seize Santa Fe bank SANTA FE (KSFR) -
Jan. 23, 8 a.m. -- Federal banking regulators have seized Santa Fe-based Charter Bank, calling its financial situation unsafe and unsound.

The official announcement:

Washington, D.C. The Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS) today closed Charter Bank of Santa Fe, New Mexico, and appointed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) as receiver.

Charter Bank was in an unsafe and unsound condition with significant asset quality problems and capital deficiencies.

Charter was established in 1986 as a federally chartered thrift. It had total assets of $1.3 billion, retail deposits of $774.5 million, eight branches and 246 employees.

Depositors' accounts are insured by the FDIC's Deposit Insurance Fund up to the statutory limits. Customers with questions about the institution or about federal deposit insurance can call the FDIC toll-free at 1-800-323-6111. The telephone line will be available tonight until 9:00 p.m.; Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; Sunday from noon to 6:00 p.m. and thereafter from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (all Mountain Standard Time).

The FDIC says New Mexicans who do business with Charter won't notice any difference. It says Charter Bank will reopen Monday as usual under the same name.


This is the 9th bank the feds have shut down in 2010. Last year, they closed down more than 140 banks nationwide.

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