I've always been a fan of another week coming to an end -- marking Friday's showing with a salutatory TGIF. It's a day that most Americans spend getting comfy for the weekend, hitting a club, taking a road trip, etc. But before you rush to the ATM to withdraw cash for your weekend rendezvous, you might want to pay close attention to whether your bank will still be in business by Monday morning.

Nearly 10 banks have failed so far this year and as financial institutions struggle with billions of dollars worth of sour mortgage portfolios, you can best believe that more failures will soon follow. And after analyzing recent collapses, a pattern seems to be developing.

Recent Bank Closures:

• IndyMac Bancorp., seized on July 11 -- a Friday.
• 1st National Bank of Nevada and First Heritage Bank, both seized on July 25 -- another Friday
• And on Aug. 1, First Priority Bank of Bradenton, Fla., seized on -- you guessed it -- a Friday.

Is it just a coincidence or are bank regulators being slick about shutting them down after the close of business Friday when the public is less likely to be watching? I've wondered about this fact and have seen others express the same concern on message boards. Or how about trying to to avoid a panic, which led to the run on IndyMac?

Whatever your pick, be forewarned. Mind your assets -- it's OK to be fashionably late for the party. Cheers!