First quarter slightly less bad for banks

If down is the new up, then banks, both nationally and in Northern Colorado, were off to good start this year.

In general, not much has changed in the banking world. Loan losses and past dues continue to mount, putting a strain on capital levels and often resulting in net losses. Not all banks are following such trends, but the data show the vast majority still working through the sluggish economy.

Nationally, year-over-year loan losses were up for the 13th consecutive quarter with a total of $52.4 billion in net charge-offs – up 38.4 percent from the first quarter…