NEW YORK (Nov. 26) - Non-banks will soon be able to bid for banks on the verge of collapse -- a change that should not only keep more troubled banks from failing, but also benefit companies looking to get funding through deposits and the government. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. said Wednesday it is establishing a "modified bidder qualification process" to "allow interested parties that do not currently have a bank charter to participate in the bid process through which failing depository institutions are resolved." As long as an investor has a compliant business plan, enough capital available, and managers that meet strict standards, the FDIC said, that investor can quickly get a bank charter and deposit insurance and bid for a failing bank -- without having an established bank already in place, a requirement of the past. With 22 bank failures so far this year and 171 banks on the FDIC's troubled bank list, the government is worried about more collapses. When a bank fails, it uses up taxpayer dollars. So expanding the list of potential bidders to non-banks could help stanch that tide. But there are advantages to non-banks, too. The desire to become a bank might seem counterintuitive to outsiders watching the companies take massive losses quarter after quarter from their risky loans. But it's the chance to gather deposits -- a good source of funding right now -- and possibly get an investment through the government's Temporary Assets Relief Program, which at this point is only available to commercial banks.