Bank failures are nothing new. Through most of post-war history banks have continued to fail, particularly in the United States where banking has been a fragmented and ultra competitive market. As we write, Silicon Valley Bank (SIVB) seems to be getting the government support that is in place for situations like this. That is why the US$250k deposit insurance scheme is set up in the first place. Deposit holders will be protected while stockholders and other unsecured creditors take a hair cut.