US banks close 28 branches in just one week - is yours affected?
US banks closed 28 branches across the country in just one week in July. Wells Fargo, Bank of America and US Bank each closed eight locations in the last week. The remaining locations were closed by Greenville Fed, Chase and Schaumberg Bank & Trust, who each closed one branch.
In the week of July 9 to July 16, banks informed the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) that a total of 28 branches across sixteen states will be shuttered. Ohio was the worst affected state, losing four branches, followed by California which saw three closures.
It comes as banks closed 539 local branches across the country in the first half of the year - leaving more and more Americans without access to basic financial services. If the rate continues for the rest of 2024, it will mean more than 1,000 branches wiped from malls, and town and city centers.
Bank of America has closed the most branches this year, a total of 98 locations to date. US Bank has also made substantial closures, shuttering 73 of its locations. The closures, which banks must report to federal regulator, represent a trend as major banks move away from expensive brick-and-mortar branches in favor of online services.
'The majority of Americans, from Gen Z to boomers, are in less need of a traditional bank, which may explain the rising number of physical branches that have been closing over the past year' Andrew Murray, lead data researcher at GOBankingRates told DailyMail.com. A recent survey by GOBankingRates found that even retirees prefer online banking to in-branch services.
Overall 78 percent of Americans prefer using mobile and online banking and almost one in four did not visit their bank in the past year. 'Our survey of more than 1,000 adults clearly shows that demand for in-person banking is low across all generations, even boomers 65 and older,' Murray explained. 'It's likely that overhead costs (rent, maintenance, supplies and staff salaries) are a large factor especially given that our survey shows how infrequently people visit brick and mortar banks.'
Indeed closures can lead to significant savings since the average freestanding bank branch costs around $2.6 million a year to run. The worst hit state was California which saw 72 closures from national banks in the first half of the year. New York followed in second, seeing 51 closures, followed by Pennsylvania which had 40.
'Over the last several years, we have rightsized our branch network, and we may continue to combine two older existing branches into one better situated location' Wells Fargo told DailyMail.com in a statement. 'Doing so does not take away the importance of our customers and the communities we serve.' Bank of America also said they tend to consolidate two branches into one when there is a close.
'These shifts in our branch network reflect that, more and more, our clients are using digital banking for their everyday financial needs and coming into financial centers for more significant needs or to have conversations about their finances,' the corporation explained. US bank also highlighted clients' migration towards online banking and 'desire for greater simplicity' as reasons for their mass closures. 'As we evolve along with our clients, we are reevaluating our physical footprint, and in some instances, consolidating branch locations in select markets,' the bank said in a statement.
