This, from the American Banker (subscription required), merits notice:
Barring the unexpected in the next three weeks, this will be the first year without a bank failure in the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s history.
And the 18-month stretch since the last failure, back in June 2004, is the longest since 1945.
Credit quality, low interest rates, a growing economy, high capital, and consolidation are all considered factors behind the trend.
That raises an intriguing question: Is zero the right number of bank failures? More specifically, is insufficient investment and risk taking another explanation for the "happy" news?