No Lines, No Fears in Downey Takeover

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U.S. Bancorp’s weekend takeovers of failed Downey Savings & Loan and PFF Bank appear to have gone smoothly for customers and bank employees, a contrast to July’s collapse of IndyMac Bank.

Federal regulators, who seized the two Southern California thrifts Friday night, already had lined up U.S. Bancorp as the new owner. U.S. Bancorp pledged to honor all deposits, including uninsured funds, and said it would not close any branches. On Monday, the branches opened for business as usual, and customers took the change in stride.

The lack of panic Monday was a reversal from the chaos that reigned when the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. took over IndyMac without finding a buyer first. Depositors queued up for hours in the summer sun to pull deposits out of the Pasadena thrift.

About the only difference customers and employees noted at a former Downey branch in Burbank were U.S. Bank leaflets promising: “The future looks brighter with US” and touting its “prudent approach to banking, strong balance sheet and solid capital position.”


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