NORTH CAROLINA BANKING INSTITUTE Volume 15 | Issue 1 Article 19 2011 Banktown: Assessing Blame for the Near-Collapse of Charlotte's Biggest Banks Brian Choi Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarship.law.unc.edu/ncbi Part of the Banking and Finance Law Commons Recommended Citation Brian Choi, Banktown: Assessing Blame for the Near-Collapse of Charlotte's Biggest Banks, 15 N.C. Banking Inst. 423 (2011). Available at: http://scholarship.law.unc.edu/ncbi/vol15/iss1/19 This Notes is brought to you for free and open access by Carolina Law Scholarship Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in North Carolina Banking Institute by an authorized administrator of Carolina Law Scholarship Repository. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. Banktown: Assessing Blame for the Near-Collapse of Charlotte's Biggest Banks I. INTRODUCTION In Banktown: The Rise and Struggle of Charlotte's Big Banks, author and Charlotte Observer banking reporter Rick Rothacker tracks the remarkable growth of two Charlotte-based banks and their near-collapses amidst financial turmoil.' Delving into the history of North Carolina's banking industry, Rothacker highlights the expansion of Bank of America and Wachovia from their humble beginnings to their peak as financial powerhouses.2 Rothacker also sheds light on the recent struggles of the two banks during the financial crisis and the ensuing recession and highlights the root causes of their difficulties. Banktown recounts the near-collapse of both of Charlotte's iconic banks as a result of participating in one deal too many.4 Ill timed mergers by Bank of America with Countrywide Financial and Merrill Lynch and by Wachovia with Golden West Financial, brought along toxic assets for both banks.