1.   Earnings at some major regional banks suffered from higher-than-expected provisions for problem loans.

2.   To be sure, investors should keep a close eye on indicators of problem loans, analysts said.

3.   Analysts and investors said that eventually problem loans are going to eat into the earnings of Money Store and its competitors.

4.   And banking stocks fell on concern about the fate of a government plan to deal with problem loans at bank-affiliated housing lenders, traders said.

5.   And because Commerzbank is substantially smaller than the two German giants, its exposure to problem loans is more dangerous.

6.   And with land prices starting to stabilize, investors are less concerned that more banks could fail because of their problem loans, he said.

7.   As part of those changes, banks began this year using a new criteria to classify problem loans.

8.   At Bank of America, problem loans are typically moved to a subsidiary, but once there, they remain on the balance sheet.

9.   Banks, insurers and other financial companies also dragged down the market, hurt by fears of accelerating losses on problem loans.

10.   Bank stock analysts and traders in distressed securities have speculated about other potential problem loans that could hit Bank of America, First Union and other lenders.