Check Your Bank’s Troubled Asset Ratio

The number of banks with risky levels of bad loans rose only slightly in the last quarter of 2009, partly because the FDIC closed many of the failing banks, according to federal data analyzed by the Investigative Reporting Workshop at American Univer-sity in Washington.

A total of 389 banks had “troubled asset ratios” above 100 at the end of December, up slightly from 369 banks in September, according to the analysis. A ratio above 100 means a bank had more troubled loans than money set aside to cover potential losses. To check your financial institution go to: banktracker.msnbc.msn.com/banks/.