Bartow County Bank in Cartersville was closed today by the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance, which appointed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation as receiver, according to FDIC. To protect the depositors, the FDIC entered into a purchase and assumption agreement with Hamilton State Bank, Hoschton, Georgia, to assume all of the deposits of Bartow County Bank.

The four branches of Bartow County Bank will reopen during their normal business hours beginning Saturday as branches of Hamilton State Bank. Depositors of Bartow County Bank will automatically become depositors of Hamilton State Bank. Deposits will continue to be insured by the FDIC, so there is no need for customers to change their banking relationship in order to retain their deposit insurance coverage up to applicable limits. Customers of Bartow County Bank should continue to use their existing branch until they receive notice from Hamilton State Bank that it has completed systems changes to allow other Hamilton State Bank branches to process their accounts as well.

This evening and over the weekend, depositors of Bartow County Bank can access their money by writing checks or using ATM or debit cards. Checks drawn on the bank will continue to be processed. Loan customers should continue to make their payments as usual.

As of December 31, 2010, Bartow County Bank had approximately $330.2 million in total assets and $304.1 million in total deposits. Hamilton State Bank will pay the FDIC a premium of 1.0 percent to assume all of the deposits of Bartow County Bank. In addition to assuming all of the deposits of the failed bank, Hamilton State Bank agreed to purchase essentially all of the assets.

The FDIC and Hamilton State Bank entered into a loss-share transaction on $247.5 million of Bartow County Bank's assets. Hamilton State Bank will share in the losses on the asset pools covered under the loss-share agreement. The loss-share transaction is projected to maximize returns on the assets covered by keeping them in the private sector. The transaction also is expected to minimize disruptions for loan customers. For more information on loss share, please visit: http://www.fdic.gov/bank/individual/failed/lossshare/index.html.

Customers who have questions about today's transaction can call the FDIC toll-free at 1-800-930-6827. The phone number will be operational this evening until 9:00 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time (EDT); on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., EDT; on Sunday from noon to 6:00 p.m., EDT; and thereafter from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., EDT. Interested parties also can visit the FDIC's Web site at http://www.fdic.gov/bank/individual/failed/bartow.html.

The FDIC estimates that the cost to the Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF) will be $69.5 million. Compared to other alternatives, Hamilton State Bank's acquisition was the least costly resolution for the FDIC's DIF. Bartow County Bank is the 29th FDIC-insured institution to fail in the nation this year, and the seventh in Georgia. The last FDIC-insured institution closed in the state was Citizens Bank of Effingham, Springfield, on February 18, 2011.