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The Rise and Fall of Silver State Bank

July 1, 1996
Silver State Bank opens in the City of Henderson, a suburb of Las Vegas, at the outset of a period of enormous growth in the local economy. Total staffing at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation: 9,151.

Jan. 1, 2003
Total FDIC staffing at the beginning of the year: 5,430. Silver State reported total assets for the bank at $380 million as of Dec. 31, 2002.

Tod Little (CNN's Lou Dobbs Tonight)Jan. 9, 2006
Tod W. Little, Silver State's founder, chairman and executive officer, resigns. Little says he stepped down after receiving pressure from the board and subordinates over the conservative course he had charted for the bank.

Sept. 6, 2006
Silver State Bancorp announces acquisition of Choice Bank of Scottsdale, Ariz., subject to regulatory approval.

Dec. 12, 2006
Worried by a surge in commercial real estate loans made by small- to mid-sized banks like Silver State, federal banking regulatory agencies release "Guidance on Concentrations in Commercial Real Estate Lending, Sound Risk Management Practices." The new guidelines don't put hard limits on such lending, but encourage banks to do business in a "safe and sound manner."

June 2007
The FDIC issues no public sanctions after its annual examination of Silver State.

June 30, 2007
Silver State reports $1.51 billion in assets; $1.25 billion in deposits; and $1.13 billion in loans. At the time of Little's departure, six months earlier, the bank had about $1 billion in assets.

July 17, 2007
Silver State begins trading on Nasdaq stock exchange.

July 18, 2007
Silver State shares close at a high of $20 but soon slump.

Dec. 19, 2007
In addition to increasing executive salaries, the Silver State board awards the bank's five top managers a combined $1.39 million in bonuses.

Dec. 31, 2007
Non-performing loans -- those overdue by 90 days or more -- are at $13.1 million, up from $119,000 at the end of June. According to regulators, the bank is "well-capitalized," a measure of financial stability used by the FDIC. Total FDIC staffing at year end: 4,532. Total bank failures for the year: 3.

Jan. 30, 2008
Silver State releases its earnings report. While net income is flat, Corey Johnson is upbeat.

March 31, 2008
Silver State reports that non-performing loans have risen to $78 million.

Doug French (CNN's Lou Dobbs Tonight)May 23, 2008
Douglas French, executive vice-president of commercial real estate lending for Silver State, resigns for personal reasons, according to a bank press release. French later tells ProPublica and CNN that he was fired for "mismanagement."

June 2008
The FDIC examines the bank and finds "unsafe and unsound practices and conditions."

June 10, 2008
The FDIC releases a supervisory letter to all banks on interest reserves that "examines the risks that this underwriting practice presents."

July 26, 2008
Andrew K. McCain resigns from the board after five months for "personal reasons."

July 29, 2008
Silver State's stock closes at $1.18 per share.

Aug. 14, 2008
The bank reports $252 million in non-performing loans.

Aug. 26, 2008
Corey L. Johnson resigns as CEO but remains on the board.

Sept. 5, 2008
State of Nevada Department of Business and Industry Financial Institutions Division issues a summary order to revoke charter of Silver State Bank. Silver State is the 11th bank to fail in 2008.

Sept. 8, 2008
Silver State Bancorp's stock falls to 5.3 cents on the Nasdaq.

Sept. 10, 2008
Nasdaq delists Silver State.

Dec. 31, 2008
Total bank failures for the year: 25

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