It explains why bankers are touting their years of experience in the financial sector and, more importantly, their histories of starting new banks and managing the books in good times and bad, said Walter G. Moeling IV, an Atlanta banking attorney and a fixture in financial services in metro Atlanta for 40 years.

"The present crop of de novo applicants is composed substantially of bankers and directors in most cases who have done de novo banks before, have been through the process and have a clear understanding of marketplace conditions," said Moeling, co-chairman of the financial institutions practice at Powell Goldstein.