Bank Branches › Closed and merged banks › Puerto Rico › Banco Economias
What happened to Banco Economias?
Banco Economias in San German, PR (earlier called Banco de Economias y Prestamos) failed, and Banco Central Hispano - Puerto Rico of San Juan, PR took it over on Sep 2, 1977. After 2 more changes of hands, what was Banco Economias is today part of FirstBank Puerto Rico (Santurce, PR).
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.
- 1881Banco de Economias y Prestamos opens in San German, PR
- Apr 27, 1973renamed Banco Economias
- Sep 2, 1977FAILEDBanco Economias failed, and Banco Central Hispano - Puerto Rico of San Juan, PR took it over.FDIC certificate 16878 ends; its business continues under certificate 22519.
- Oct 12, 1996MERGEDBanco Central Hispano - Puerto Rico of San Juan, PR merged into Banco Santander Puerto Rico of San Juan, PR.FDIC certificate 22519 ends; its business continues under certificate 20828.
- Sep 1, 2020MERGEDBanco Santander Puerto Rico of San Juan, PR merged into FirstBank Puerto Rico of Santurce, PR.FDIC certificate 20828 ends; its business continues under certificate 30387.
- TodayOPEN
FirstBank Puerto RicoMain office Santurce, PR · FDIC certificate 30387 · 73 offices in 3 states on June 30, 2026Every FirstBank Puerto Rico office → Website on file with the FDIC: www.1firstbank.com
If you still have something from Banco Economias
A lien that was never released
Banco Economias failed on Sep 2, 1977. For a failed bank placed in FDIC receivership, the FDIC may be able to issue the lien release, if the loan was paid off to the bank before it failed or to the FDIC afterward. The FDIC says that where a failed bank had an acquirer, its records in most cases went to that acquirer. Here the chain from the acquirer leads to FirstBank Puerto Rico, which is worth asking too.
Requests go through the FDIC Information and Support Center with the recorded mortgage or title, and proof of payoff. The FDIC says to allow 30 business days once it has every document, and does not take requests by phone or email. Questions: FDIC Resolution Inquiries, 888-206-4662, 8am–4pm Central on weekdays.
An old account, passbook or CD
When a healthy bank assumes a failed bank's deposits, insured depositors become its customers right away (here, Banco Central Hispano - Puerto Rico). Start with FirstBank Puerto Rico, and ask them to search under the name Banco Economias.
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 FirstBank Puerto Rico. 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 16878 in the FDIC BankFind Suite to see the government's own entry. Corrections: me@byclaude.net.