OceanFirst in New Jersey shuttered more than a third of its branches but says nearly all the customers stuck with the bank because it trained employees to show customers how to go digital.
The combination of their convenient branch networks and strong digital offerings makes large, national banks tough to beat in dispensing financial guidance, consumers say.
CEO Greg Carmichael says the Cincinnati bank will hire bankers in Denver, Dallas and Houston as part of a broader expansion into fast-growing markets that are home to lots of midsize firms. It is also interested in buying more fee-based businesses.
Associated Banc-Corp in Green Bay, Wis., said Wednesday that it will close 17 branches as part of a previously announced deal to buy 32 branches from Huntington Bancshares.
The advent of self-service apps has reduced the frequency of customer-employee interactions at banks, but that just makes face-to-face time all the more valuable.
The Wilmington, Del., company has identified the 30 branches it plans to close or sell following its acquisition of Beneficial Bancorp in Philadelphia. Most the the closures will take place in Pennsylvania.
