Analysts estimate that 50 out of the nation’s 7,500 small and midsize banks will fail in the next 12 to 18 month, due to defaults on commercial real estate loans. The best quote in this NYT article comes from Timothy W. Long, head of supervision for midsize and community banks at the office of the comptroller, “I would tell you a lot of bankers out there have never had a loan charged off…The last time we went through this, the loan officers were in junior high.”

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