The ‘too big to fail’ scam is about to get a $5 million upgrade

Published September 12, 2026 10:00am ET



It’s been three years since regulators came to the rescue of Silicon Valley Bank’s beleaguered depositors.

Fearing losses from the bank’s troubles would set off runs elsewhere, the Federal Reserve, along with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, bailed out every account, including those with balances far exceeding the usual $250,000 insurance limit. This intervention may have contained the panic, but it was also a reminder of a long-held suspicion: Money held at a bank Washington considers important will always be safe.

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