Branch banking

As banks change layouts to focus more on customer experience, the ATM company is leaning into AI-powered management and simplified technology sales to keep self-service kiosks relevant.

While many may roll their eyes at the idea, the practice of decorating a bank branch for the holidays, or otherwise changing up its outward presentation, has a real impact on customers' attention.

The megabank laid out a series of changes, including the impending departure of its chief financial officer and other executive shifts related to a revamp of its U.S. personal banking line of business.

The West Reading-based bank has opened three offices in California and two in Nevada, continuing its strategy of establishing a presence in high-growth markets around the country, CEO Sam Sidhu said.

The Pittsburgh-based bank said Friday that it will focus on building 300 branches in high-growth markets by 2030. It also minimized the prospects for another acquisition on the heels of its recent deal for Colorado-based FirstBank.

The Richmond, Virginia-based bank expects to build 10 branches in Raleigh and Wilmington, North Carolina, over the next three years. M&A is on the back burner as the company also works to capitalize on its recent acquisition of Sandy Spring Bank in Maryland, CEO John Asbury said.

Prosecutors say Daryl Heller lured 2,700 investors with promises of safe ATM profits but misappropriated $185 million.

The Columbus, Ohio-based regional bank announced plans to acquire Dallas-based Veritex Financial in July. On Monday, a Huntington executive called the deal a "springboard" for additional organic growth.

The Pittsburgh-based bank is bolstering its Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic footprint by adding almost 30 new branches. But is the market already too crowded?

Aron Levine, the Canadian bank's new U.S. president, said BMO intends to invest in technology and spend more on branches. The company's moves, which also include the recent combination of its U.S. businesses, are part of a plan to boost its return on equity.

The Charlotte, North Carolina-based bank, which is focusing its growth push in the Southeast, is also planning to renovate 300 existing offices as part of an effort to attract more mass-affluent customers.

Washington Trust Bank is executing a slow-but-steady de novo expansion inside the I-5 corridor on the western side of its home state. Its newest branch is slated to open this fall in Tacoma.

The Ohio-based bank opened its first branch in Alabama, with plans to open 14 more over the next three years.

Last year, scammers tricked 11,000 people — many elderly — to send them money through ATMs for Bitcoin and other crypto. The payments are often irreversible.

A threat group used physical implants and evasive malware to infiltrate ATM networks and attempt fraudulent withdrawals. Here are their tactics and techniques.

The San Antonio-based company plans to remain in state borders, but sees opportunity for growth in major markets.

The continued investment in branches is a continued investment in bankers. A well-trained, motivated banker turns a physical location into a relationship hub.

Kate Luft, a former chief of staff for Citi CEO Jane Fraser, is now running the company's U.S. retail banking business. In her first interview since getting the job, Luft discussed what banks can learn from airlines and the advantages that incumbents have over fintechs.

CEO Brian Moynihan plans to keep directing some of the bank's excess capital into new market expansions, he said Wednesday. "Organic growth is the reality," given the bank's already dominant U.S. market share, he said.

The modern bank branch is not a museum piece. It is a platform. And in the hands of forward-thinking leaders, it is ready to lead the next era of the banking industry's evolution.