Small Banks Did Not See Disruption Following Recent SVB, Signature Failures

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May 03, 2023, 12:47 ET

ARLINGTON, Va., May 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Most community banks experienced little residual fallout from the failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, according to a new survey released today by fintech IntraFi.

The survey of more than 550 unique banks found that 77% of the institutions surveyed saw no change in deposits in the immediate aftermath of the two March failures. During that time, only 14% of banks surveyed reported outflows of deposits of at least 2%, while 9% instead saw deposits rise. The survey was conducted prior to the May 1 failure of First Republic Bank.

"It has been mostly business as usual for community banks," said Mark Jacobsen, Cofounder and CEO of IntraFi. "The survey shows just how unique some of these banks' business models were, with a heavy reliance on uninsured deposits."

The vast majority of banks hold less than 35% of uninsured deposits, according to the survey, compared with Silicon Valley Bank, which had 94% of its deposits uninsured, and Signature, which had 89%. First Republic Bank had 67% of its total deposits uninsured at yearend.

Following the two March failures, sixty-eight percent of banks surveyed reported an increase in customer calls about the safety of their deposits, but bankers were able to reassure them. Sixty-two percent of banks said they are working to educate customers on how to access greater levels of deposit insurance.

The Federal Reserve launched a new funding program designed to alleviate liquidity concerns at banks following the failures of SVB and Signature, but the survey found that only 18% of banks took advantage of it.

Other Highlights

Funding Costs—Ninety-six percent of banks experienced higher funding costs during the past 12 months, the highest number ever recorded since the survey was launched.
Deposit Competition—Deposit competition remains stiff, with 87% of bankers responding that it had increased over the past year. Seventy-three percent said they expect it to worsen in the year ahead.
Loan Demand—Loan demand remains on the decline according to most banks, and 43% see a moderate or significant drop in the 12 months ahead.
Access to Capital—Roughly three quarters of banks surveyed have not seen any significant change in access to capital. This number has remained in the same range since the 3rd quarter of 2021.

IntraFi's Q1 2023 Bank Executive Business Outlook Survey garnered responses from CEOs, presidents, CFOs, and COOs at 567 unique banks across the country. Download the full report.

About IntraFi

A trusted partner chosen by more than 3,000 financial services companies, we define success not by the volume of transactions we enable, but by the quality of relationships we form. Our network, established over 20 years ago, connects institutions of all sizes to help participants build stronger relationships with their customers, fund more loans, seamlessly manage their liquidity needs, and earn fee income. The network brings scale, giving each participant access to tens of billions of dollars in funding, the highest per-depositor and per-bank capacity, and the peace of mind of being able to make large-dollar placements.

SOURCE IntraFi