The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) on Tuesday said it expected its insurance fund to move into positive territory by the end of 2011, the first time since the financial crisis.

The deposit insurer said after seven quarters of declines, its deposit insurance fund balance had increased for four consecutive quarters and should become positive later this year. The insurance fund balance stood at negative $7.4 billion at year-end 2010, compared to negative $20.9 billion at the end of