It is a reaction many other policymakers and investors would now echo - not just in relation to last month's demise of WaMu, the largest US savings and loans association, but also to the wider financial crisis that is convulsing the global economy. After all, when the credit turmoil began just over a year ago, many bankers and policymakers maintained it would be over in a matter of months, since the losses could be easily "contained".

While this view proved overoptimistic, a few months ago it did seem as if the worst of the financial panic might be ebbing away. More specifically, when Bear Stearns, a large US stockbroker, imploded back in March, some thought that might be the biggest upheaval the crisis would bring - not least because the markets rallied after Bear was acquired by JPMorgan Chase.

Instead, the sense of panic has escalated in the past few weeks, creating a fresh wave of bank failures. Consequently, as global leaders scramble to introduce emergency measures - including the prospect of governments taking direct stakes in banks - the question many non-bankers such as Ms Naud might ask is: why has all this become necessary? What has caused the resurgence in financial panic, in a manner that has apparently left global leaders so scared?