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Physical branches still reign supreme during the purchase stage. For the second year in a row, nearby branches were the top factor, by a wide margin, that led consumers to buy a banking product. Branches are also where 74.1% of respondents bought a banking product or service in the past year.

The news: Bank mergers involve integrating computer systems, combining workforces, and dealing with branch overlaps鈥攐ften confusing and frustrating customers. By essentially abstaining from purchasing or merging with other financial institutions (FIs), Regions will avoid disruptions and lean into its stability, per Banking Dive.

Banking began similarly before it evolved into formal, centralized institutions with standardized products (credit cards, ATMs) distributed through controlled channels (bank branches). But when fintechs started to offer banking and payments products along with embedded finance, they were able to capitalize on the growing demand for unbundled banking.

They want to complete banking tasks on their own without having to escalate to a human customer service agent or go to a branch when they encounter difficulties. AI agents could empower financial institutions to provide this level of self-service. Our take: Agentic AI could enhance the customer experience鈥攂ut at a cost.

Should we just let the branch go extinct? The end of summer in the US led us to pause and reflect on how banking continues to evolve under the influence of digitization and whether the branch still should have a place in banks鈥� and credit unions鈥� go-to-market strategies. Today, we鈥檙e kicking off a multi-part series looking at the current state of the branch, what consumers think of it, and how some banks are attempting to reinvent their branch networks to strengthen customer relationships.

JPMorgan is opening more branches and launching AI-powered tools to woo new customers.

Rethinking the customer experience within the branch: Financial institutions can learn a lot from other verticals that maintain both an online and brick-and-mortar presence.

The news: Last year, we covered JPMorgan鈥檚 new 鈥渇inancial center鈥� branch concepts in New York City and San Francisco, aimed at attracting a mass affluent customer base鈥攖hose with over $750,000 in deposits and assets. And recently JPMorgan announced it鈥檒l open 14 new financial centers in targeted areas, and expand accessibility beyond those regions, per Business Insider.

An above-average proportion of baby boomers become aware of bank products and services through branches. Almost 60% cited physical branches as an awareness channel, versus 45.4% of consumers overall. The top three factors that boomers would consider before choosing a new bank are branches near them, customer service, and fees.

It may be an olive branch for Gen Zers and millennials who may be upset over its decision to stop accepting Amex. It鈥檚 a win for Venmo鈥檚 monetization journey

What鈥檚 all the fuss about headless banking? There's lots of buzz lately about banks that separate banking services from any branches, apps or user interfaces. We take a closer look at this variation on BaaS.

While over half of banking customers in Canada use bank branches at least once per year, the number and percentage of people who do so will start ticking down in 2026. This means traditional banks鈥� major differentiator of in-person service鈥攕omething digital-only banks can鈥檛 offer鈥攊s losing its power. Click here to view our full forecast for Canada traditional digital bank account openings.

On today鈥檚 podcast episode, we discuss the future of the bank branch. 鈥� In our 鈥淗eadlines鈥� segment, we chat about why banks are closing so many branches and how consumers want more digital experiences. 鈥� In 鈥淪tory by Numbers,鈥� we explain what Curinos defines as branch share and why it used to account for more primary new accounts than it does today. We also discuss the value of closing a branch in order to save operating expenses in a low-rate versus high-rate environment. 鈥� In 鈥淧retend CEO,鈥� we look at regional banks and their deposit portfolios in a high-rate environment. Listen to the discussion with host Rob Rubin and Curinos director Andrew Hovet.

Building and renovating branches to align with their new vision is bringing them new business.

Sen. Brown wants the OCC to discuss the consequences of branch closures with affected communities. But that might not be enough to reverse the trend.

42.4% of US Gen Z banking consumers would consider their proximity to ATMs as a factor before choosing a new bank, while 28.8% would consider their distance to a branch, according to our survey. By contrast, 39.6% would consider the bank鈥檚 reputation.

The bank expects to roll out more luxury experiences at 30 new financial center branches by 2026.

But don鈥檛 forget: If banks take that route, their claims about their branches鈥攁nd about competitors鈥� branches鈥攎ust be completely accurate, or they could risk regulatory enforcement.

The bank operates exclusively within the US through its network of 1,928 branches. 9. Capital One 鈥� $487.2 billion. McLean, VA-based Capital One ranks ninth with $487.2 billion in consolidated assets. Nearly all of these assets ($486.7 billion) are domestic. The bank maintains a focused branch network of 257 US locations and one foreign branch. 10. TD Bank 鈥� $372.8 billion.

If TikTok gets banned (and it鈥檚 a very big 鈥渋f鈥�), advertisers need to know where consumers will go. Instagram and YouTube would be likely beneficiaries, but OTT TV like Netflix could also see gains. Advertisers may even branch out to other categories entirely, like retail media. Here are five charts showing what could happen.

If it gets the green light, it would create the 10th largest credit union in the US鈥攚ith nearly 90 branch locations across Colorado, Minnesota, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, and Wisconsin. According to KKTV, the two credit unions will operate independently while seeking all necessary approvals, which could take until early next year. Can it work?

Consumers in rural areas: This group is more likely to visit bank branches at smaller community banks or credit unions than at national chains, per the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Rural households often have fewer retail options and rely more on imported durable goods (e.g., farm equipment) than urban households.