By The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp said it became receiver of MagnetBank in Utah because it could not find a buyer for the banking operations.
MagnetBank had assets of $292.9 million and deposits of $282.8 million, the FDIC said.
Regulators also closed Ocala National Bank in Ocala, Florida. Its deposits were assumed by CenterState Bank of Florida Inc
The third bank failure was Suburban Federal Savings Bank in Crofton, Maryland, the FDIC said. Its deposits were assumed by Bank of Essex in Tappahannock, Virginia, and its seven offices will reopen on Saturday as branches of Bank of Essex.
The Florida and Maryland bank failures will cost the FDIC's insurance fund $99.6 million and $126 million, respectively, the agency said.
In 2008, 25 banks were seized by officials, up from only 3 in 2007.
During the current financial crisis, Seattle-based lender Washington Mutual became the biggest bank to fail in U.S. history. It failed in September after suffering from losses from soured mortgages and liquidity problems.
The FDIC will insure up to $250,000 per account through 2009 and in individual retirement accounts at insured banks.
The agency also has been running a tally of problem banks that its examiners closely monitor. At the end of the third quarter, 171 undisclosed institutions were on that list.
(Reporting by John Poirier and Karey Wutkowski; Editing by Bernard Orr and Andre Grenon)
