The bankruptcy of three big private banks (Econômico, Nacional and Bamerindus) in the beginning of the Plano Real has been attributed to the fast and intense growth of loan after the fall of inflation. The three banks balance sheet data, however, show a decrease in credit amount or a very small growth from July 1994 to the bankruptcy. The article defends that the problems of the three banks came from the past and were aggravated by difficulties to face the new problems created by the end of high inflation and by the restrictive economic politics in 1995.