by Calculated Risk on 12/14/2009 12:03:00 PM

On Saturday I wrote that I'd take the "over" - more bank failures in 2010 than 2009. This is primarily because many FDIC insured banks are overly exposed to Construction & Development (C&D) and Commercial Real Estate (CRE) loans.

FDIC Chairwoman Sheila Bair is also taking the "over".

From CNBC: Worst of Bank Failures Isn't Over Yet: FDIC's Bair

Bank failures will continue to accelerate into next year despite "some encouraging signs" that things are turning around for the battered industry, FDIC Chair Sheila Bair told CNBC.

... Bair did not quantify how bad the failures would get but said the worst isn't over yet for institutions that will suffer even as the economy improves.

"There's a lag generally with bank recovery from the overall economy," she said. "We do think bank failures will continue to go up next year but will peak. Even at higher levels than we have this year, it's still far below where we were during the S&L days."
...
"Even though the insured depository institutions are having their share of problems, it's really much lower than it was during the S&L days simply because most of this occurred outside the insured banks," Bair said.

Amid the problems for the industry, Bair said the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp's financial standing remains solid. She said the FDIC will head into 2010 with about $60 billion in cash reserves.

A industry contact told me this weekend that they expect 400 bank failures in 2010.