Branch banking

When big banks trim their branch networks, community banks operating in the same markets see a chance to pounce.

A $28 billion agreement with the National Community Reinvestment Coalition could help win regulatory approval for the acquisition of Michigan-based Flagstar Bancorp. The deal was originally expected to close last year.

The number of U.S. bank branches dropped by a record 2,927 last year as lenders both large and small sought ways to cut costs and keep pace with a digital transformation sweeping the finance industry.

The branches will provide services in clients’ preferred languages and employ local residents. Executives say the strategy will help M&T pull in new customers at a time when nonwhite populations are expanding.

The last three months of 2021 were strong for most lenders, which will report results soon. But the outlook for the coming months has been clouded by the spread of the newest coronavirus variant, which has many banks grappling with staffing shortages and branch restrictions.

Branches across the country have closed temporarily, or switched to drive-thru service, as infections and quarantine rules have forced many bank workers to stay home.

First Premier Bank in South Dakota revamped its online sign-up process to allow customers to name the banker who referred them. This helps bankers overcome their reluctance about digital accounts and lets them start relationships with new customers.

The $6.7 billion-asset Byline Bancorp plans to invest most of the savings into digital banking.

A new survey of industry executives finds substantial interest in cryptocurrencies and mergers but anxiety about competition from large technology companies.

For the third time since the start of the pandemic, the Richmond, Virginia, company will close branches to contain costs in what it calls a “challenging macroeconomic environment.”