Mar. 17--TAMPA -- The number of Florida banks at risk of folding has more than doubled in the last few months, according to a Coral Gables rating agency.

Bauer Financial Inc., which has a five-star ranking system for banks and credit unions, gave a zero-star rating to 19 Florida banks after reviewing lenders' performance for the quarter ending Dec. 31. Only nine state banks received zeros the previous quarter.

First Commercial Bank of Tampa Bay is the only lender in the Bay area to get zero, dropping from two-stars the previous quarter.

The 20-year-old bank has more than $153 million in assets, but lost $3.3 million for the year. The bank had more than $16 million in delinquent loans for the quarter, nearly 12 percent of its total assets.

The bank's president and chief executive said First Commercial has healthy reserves and is in no danger of closing.

"We have got some toxic loans, no doubt about it," said Albert Salem Jr. "But we are not the only ones."

In Bauer's rankings, five-star is superior, three-star is adequate and one-star means the lender has problems.

Bay Gulf Credit Union, with $160 million in assets, dropped to a one-star rating from a two-star rating in June. It had about $4.8 million in delinquent loans by the end of 2008.

Suncoast Schools Federal Credit Union retained its two-star rating from the previous quarter. The Tampa-based credit union is the largest in Florida, with $5.9 billion in assets. About 3 percent of its loans are delinquent.

Suncoast Schools and GTE Federal Credit Union are discussing a merger.

"Our members have no concerns about the safety and security of our organization," said Tom Dorety, Suncoast School's president and CEO.

Dorety said the credit union's financial problems are limited to delinquent loans of its members, and has no connection to the nation's subprime mortgage meltdown.

Consumer deposits are not at risk if they stay below the Federal Deposit Insurance Corps.' insurance limits, which Congress increased from $100,000 to $250,000 through Dec. 31 for each depositor.

Insurance doesn't always put consumers at ease, so Bauer publishes its rankings to let consumers gauge for themselves the strength of various banks and credit unions. It uses data filed with the FDIC to assess the institutions.

Karen Dorway, Bauer's president, said the deterioration in Florida's banks should not have been a surprise, considering the state's tanking housing market. Banks in California, Nevada and Georgia face similarly tough times due to heavy exposure to losses in construction lending, she said.

NorthStar Bank is a beacon of optimism at 400 North Ashley Drive.