An Important Message from Bank of Clarke

In the wake of recent news regarding the closure of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, I wanted to take a moment to provide some information on what has occurred and how these banks (and others that may also fail in the coming days) are so significantly and fundamentally different than the Bank of Clarke.

Since 1881, through the Great Depression, the Great Recession, and a host of other periods of economic uncertainty in our 141-year history, the Bank of Clarke has been committed to serving our customers and our communities, and this period is no different. The Bank remains well-capitalized, diversified, and well-positioned to weather economic turmoil.

What has happened: 

  • Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), the nation’s 16thlargest bank, failed due to a lack of liquidity and the FDIC was named the receiver. With assets at the time of failure of over $200B, this was the largest bank failure since the 2008 financial crisis. Two days later, Signature Bank in New York was also closed. 
  • Both banks had a unique market niche and high-risk profiles that were very different from that of community banks like ours. SVB largely served tech startups and the venture capital firms that fund them. Signature Bank had a specialization in cryptocurrency lending. 
  • Fortunately, the government agencies (Fed, FDIC, and administration) have decided to step in and backstop both banks so that both insured AND uninsured depositors will not lose any money. 
  • The Federal Reserve is also creating the Bank Term Funding Program, which will be made available to all eligible institutions to meet any extraordinary liquidity needs. 

The Bank of Clarke does not participate in any crypto-currency programs, and we do not lend in the start-up and venture capital markets. Furthermore, the Bank is a profitable organization that just reported record earnings and growth in 2022 and is well positioned to continue that trend in the coming years.

As we have been over the past 141 years of our very strong history, the Bank of Clarke remains focused on serving our customers, communities, and shareholders and will continue to do so in a safe, sound, and relationship-based manner. If you do have any questions regarding the Bank and/or your specific relationships, please reach out to us online at www.bankofclarke.bank, through our call center at 800-650-8723, or visit one of our branch locations.

As always, thank you for your support of the institution as we are only as strong as the communities we serve, and we do so at your pleasure.

Brandon Lorey

President & CEO