Branch banking

Michigan State University Federal Credit Union and its peers are streamlining branch design and staffing to improve customer service while managing the rising costs of real estate and construction.

Byline Bancorp completed its acquisition of Inland Bancorp on time, avoiding the kind of regulatory delays that have dampened bank M&A activity for the past 18 months.

The San Antonio bank says it will open 17 new financial centers in the Austin region by 2026. It's the latest step in a physical expansion strategy that has led to dozens of new branches in Houston and Dallas.

The payments and bank technology firm says its stand-alone NCR ATMCo will focus on "ATM-as-a-service."

Wise bank managers make sure that they are training employees for their next roles, and creating a deep bench of versatile talent.

Bank of America says it will extend its branch footprint to Omaha, Dayton and Huntsville. The moves are part of an ongoing strategy to enter new markets even as the bank reduces its total branch count.

Bank of America is also planning to expand into Madison, Wisconsin; Boise, Idaho; and Birmingham, Alabama, a company executive said. The goal is to find growth opportunities that don't require operating a large number of branches, the executive indicated.

The Dallas-based institution has hired Dan Sheehan, a veteran banker and the former CEO of Professional Bank, to head the effort that will include opening a branch in Palm Beach County later this year.

Local Government Federal Credit Union is postponing its separation from State Employees Credit Union, which has shared its technology and footprint for decades, to establish its own physical presence.

Paulding County, northwest of Atlanta, is Georgia's second-fastest growing county, but after years of consolidation just one community bank has a branch there.