Definitions

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun finance, banking A bank that is insolvent but is propped up by government intervention

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

First used in reference to the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997, possibly coined by the economist Edward Kane.

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Comments

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  • A bank whose debts are greater than its assets but that continues to operate due to an infusion of government capital--the walking dead of financial institutions. CitiBank is currently in that category, as are a few others. See this article for a reference.

    March 2, 2009

  • Doesn't the current crisis throw up some lovely phrases?

    March 2, 2009

  • "Throw up" being a highly appropriate phrase here....

    March 3, 2009

  • I'd like to close my account and withdraw all my zombies, plus interest of course.

    March 6, 2009

  • I'm afraid there won't be much interest.

    March 9, 2009

  • Ha!

    March 9, 2009