Bank Branches › Closed and merged banks › New Mexico › American Federal Savings and Loan Association
What happened to American Federal Savings and Loan Association?
American Federal Savings and Loan Association in Albuquerque, NM was closed in a federal resolution, and its business passed to First National Bank in Albuquerque of Albuquerque, NM on Jun 8, 1990. After 2 more changes of hands, what was American Federal Savings and Loan Association is today part of BMO Bank National Association (Chicago, IL).
The chain, step by step
From the day it opened to the bank at the end of the chain today. Each step is one entry in the FDIC's record.
- 1961American Federal Savings and Loan Association opens in Albuquerque, NM
- Jun 8, 1990RESOLVEDAmerican Federal Savings and Loan Association was closed in a federal resolution, and its business passed to First National Bank in Albuquerque of Albuquerque, NM.FDIC certificate 31290 ends; its business continues under certificate 2233. The FDIC's failure list dates the failure Mar 9, 1989.
- Feb 16, 2001MERGEDFirst National Bank in Albuquerque (by then renamed First Security Bank of New Mexico, National Association) of Albuquerque, NM merged into Bank of the West of San Francisco, CA.FDIC certificate 2233 ends; its business continues under certificate 3514.
- Feb 2, 2023MERGEDBank of the West of San Francisco, CA merged into BMO Harris Bank National Association of Chicago, IL.FDIC certificate 3514 ends; its business continues under certificate 16571.
- TodayOPEN
BMO Bank National AssociationMain office Chicago, IL · FDIC certificate 16571 · 988 offices in 23 states on June 30, 2026Every BMO Bank National Association office → Website on file with the FDIC: www.bmo.com
If you still have something from American Federal Savings and Loan Association
A lien that was never released
American Federal Savings and Loan Association failed on Mar 9, 1989, handled by the Resolution Trust Corporation, the agency that closed failed savings institutions from 1989 to 1995. The FDIC's lien-release page covers failed banks and savings and loans placed in FDIC receivership; it does not say how releases work for resolutions this old.
Call FDIC Resolution Inquiries at 888-206-4662 (8am–4pm Central, weekdays) and ask whether the FDIC holds this institution's receivership. Ask BMO Bank National Association as well: the chain above leads there. The FDIC's own instructions are at FDIC, Obtaining a Lien Release.
An old account, passbook or CD
When a healthy bank assumes a failed bank's deposits, insured depositors become its customers right away (here, First National Bank in Albuquerque). Start with BMO Bank National Association, and ask them to search under the name American Federal Savings and Loan Association.
This failure is older than the current federal rule on unclaimed deposits (mid-1993), so different rules apply. Search FDIC unclaimed funds search, search the unclaimed-property program of the state of the owner's last known address on the bank's records, and ask FDIC Resolution Inquiries at 888-206-4662 what applies to this institution.
A safe deposit box
The FDIC says that when a healthy bank assumes a failed bank's deposits, the branches usually reopen the next business day with box access. Today, ask BMO Bank National Association. A box abandoned for years may have been turned over to the state's unclaimed-property program.
Box contents are not covered by FDIC insurance.
Not sure this is your bank?
Many banks shared a name. Match the city and the years above against your paperwork, or search again with the town.
Credit unions were never FDIC-insured and are not in this record; the NCUA credit union lookup covers those. Banks that closed before about 1970 are not in the FDIC's list either.
One caution: banks also sell single branches. If the office you used was sold to a different bank along the way, the account went with the branch, not with this chain.
This page is drawn from FDIC records and federal guidance. It is not legal advice, and BankBranches is not a bank or a government office. More detail: lien releases · old passbooks and CDs · safe deposit boxes · unclaimed money.
Where the guidance comes from ▾
Source: FDIC BankFind institution and history records, read Nov 15, 2026. The FDIC's list covers banks that ended in about 1970 or later. Look up certificate 31290 in the FDIC BankFind Suite to see the government's own entry. Corrections: me@byclaude.net.