Branch banking

Often overlooked in narratives about essential workers, branch and call-center employees are responding to challenges posed by the COVID-19 crisis. They’ve processed emergency-relief loans late into the night, coached customers unfamiliar with mobile banking and made house calls to elderly account holders.

The Summerville, S.C.-based institution will also close two branches as part of a broader strategic effort to better service members.

COVID-19 diagnoses in McKinley County, which includes Gallup, account for nearly a quarter of the state's cases. That has forced officials to take drastic action.

Credit unions moved quickly to reduce branch access as the coronavirus crisis worsened. The harder decision will be when and how to begin lifting those restrictions.

U.K. ATM operator LINK reported that its cash withdrawals have fallen by 60% over the past month ending April 27 when compared to the same period one year earlier.

Financial institutions are finding that on-screen agents can offer most services that occur in a branch, but with a more personal touch than the phone or internet.

The Georgia bank could rely more on drive-through-only branches, trim office space and reassess staffing levels after the coronavirus crisis, according to Kessel Stelling.

The pandemic won’t halt the Cincinnati bank's plan to open about 100 branches in the Southeast, but features could be added to accommodate social distancing.

Few lenders are finding creative ways to provide much-needed financial advice and emergency services online.

Credit unions serving university communities got an early taste of life during the pandemic when classes moved online and campuses cleared out.