Yes, you were supposed to go bankrupt. That's how our economy works. Some people win, some people lose. I personally don't enjoy life in this type of economy, but people such as yourself are very loud advocates of it (typically). Except when the loss lands at your doorstop. The fact that your very first reaction is "$250k is a joke" suggests to me that you only see this issue through one lens which is that you don't like losing money. Should we guarantee more than $250K for everyone in the country, or just you and SVB? If not, why not?