What is the biggest bank failure in US history?

Written by Editorial Team | Last Updated: August 2026

Washington Mutual (WaMu) holds the historic record for the biggest bank failure in United States history. In September 2008, amid the severe subprime mortgage meltdown and a catastrophic run on deposits, federal regulators seized the thrift institution. Its banking operations were subsequently sold to JPMorgan Chase in a multi-billion-dollar transaction, marking an unprecedented milestone in American financial history and underscoring systemic vulnerabilities during the global credit crisis.

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