Branch network

When she was growing up, Thasunda Duckett's family used crates as furniture and struggled to buy groceries. Now she's become one of JPMorgan Chase's most visible executives, using the lessons of her past to help guide the company's massive branch expansion.

The once-acquisitive company is not interested in a "roll-up strategy" in Texas's biggest city, said CEO Phil Green. In a Q&A, he also explained why loan competition is intensifying and what's really keeping business customers up at night.

The Spokane-based CU had planned a co-location strategy with a local coffee company. While that deal fell through, the credit union is still looking for another coffee vendor to partner with.

Academy Bank in Kansas City, Mo., which shuttered nearly a quarter of its branches between 2015 and 2018, is now in expansion mode. Its CEO explains his renewed affinity for brick and mortar.

Other banks have made splashy acquisitions there, but PSB Holdings is getting ready to open a branch after making inroads in the market for three years. Its next step could be M&A.

The Pittsburgh company will take a de novo approach to growth around Washington.

CDCUs provide essential financial services in underserved communities but these institutions can struggle to keep up with compliance and technology demands.

LA Financial's planned merger into Ventura County Credit Union is expected to be completed in early 2020.

Credit unions will be covering a range of important issues, including community development and enterprise risk management, as they review their operations.

Locations with a welcoming atmosphere and the latest technology can be a key part of a credit union’s marketing strategy.

While executives at the Buffalo, N.Y., bank said they would take a closer look at spending, especially given the potential for interest rate cuts, they described investments in tech talent as an essential cost of doing business.

Pierre Habis, president of PurePoint Financial, explains how the digital bank and small network of paperless branches are meeting consumers’ needs.

Despite declining foot traffic, consumers still say they want access to a branch, and credit unions can make these spaces attractive with new twists.

Community banks need to focus more on how their employees talk about the bank and less on new competition moving in.

As the industry continues to consolidate, operating branches in states far removed from headquarters could move from the exception to the rule.

Besides the Iowa branch deal, First American Bank is also selling certain assets and liabilities in Florida in a previously announced transaction.

At the recent Digital Banking conference, a pair of credit union executives offered insights into how the shift toward digital services has impacted their branching strategy and vice versa.

Kashuba, who heads design and innovation at Fifth Third Bank, says looks matter even to the common credit card.

The Tampa-based institution says it is poised for growth, but the new asset class also opens it up to additional scrutiny from the CFPB.

Paramount Financial Technologies says its software can help banks answer key questions about their branch networks, including when it makes sense to expand them.