It's been an ugly summer for banks in the United States. Of 88 banks that have failed this year, 47 collapsed since the first day of summer in mid-June.

As the banking industry prepares for yet another bank holiday on Monday, the blood-letting continued as the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation announced the closure of four banks today in Iowa, Illinois and Missouri.

Given that California is the most populous state in the nation, it's remarkable that only seven of banks to fail so far in 2009 have been based in the state. Yet some of the toppling financial dominoes have fallen here in the central San Joaquin Valley -- most notably Merced-based County Bank, which was shut down in February and its branches taken over by Westamerica Bank, and Guaranty Bank, based in Texas but with branches in Fresno, Clovis, Merced and Atwater.

The pace at which banks are being shut down by federal or state banking regulators is breathtaking if you consider that the FDIC reported 52 bank failures for the preceeding eight years -- including 26 last year as the wheels appeared to be on the verge of falling off the country's financial wagon.

Bank customers are only at risk if they have more than $250,000 -- the FDIC's insurance limit -- in their account. But each bank failure digs deeper into the pot from which FDIC covers that risk.

So here's the $250,000 question: How worried are you about your bank and your money? With all the headlines over the past year about bank bailouts, bank failures and the continuing recession, are you getting nervous? Tempted to move your accounts somewhere else? Or content to sit tight and ride out the storm? Use the comment link below to give us your two cents worth (maybe a nickel now, adjusted for inflation). Thanks.

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Update, 6:22 p.m.: About 10 minutes after I filed this, the FDIC sent out a notice about a fifth bank closure today, in Arizona. That raises the year's tally to 89 banks and counting. Yikes! -- ts