U.S. Banks Closed 3,000 Branches Last Year: The Kiplinger Letter

U.S. Banks continue to shut down branches, in numbers not seen since the initial wave of bank closures in 2008, while allocating funds for new online technology. To help you understand what is going on in the banking and the financial sector, and what we expect to happen in the future, our highly experienced Kiplinger Letter team will keep you abreast of the latest developments and forecasts (Get a free issue of The Kiplinger Letter or subscribe). You'll get all the latest news first by subscribing, but we will publish many (but not all) of the forecasts a few days afterward online. Here’s the latest…

Banks are closing branches faster than they’re opening new ones. U.S. banks closed over 3,000 branches last year while opening just 1,000. JPMorgan Chase led in branch closures last year, shuttering 144 branches, while opening 133. The trend will likely continue as banks face staunch competition for deposits and younger customers from online banks, fintech firms and Big Tech.

Note that the number of bank closures varies widely by area. Between 2017 and 2021, more than 7,000 branches were closed in the U.S., which represents 9% of all locations. One-third of these closures have been in areas with large minority populations.

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The initial wave of closures was sparked by mergers and acquisitions in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. More recently, changing consumer preferences and improved banking tech are the reasons given for ditching brick-and-mortar locations. It shows that big-bank investment in tech is paying off, as new apps and websites with an expanding array of services have lured more customers.

This first appeared in The Kiplinger Letter, which has been running since 1923 and is a collection of concise weekly forecasts on business and economic trends, as well as what to expect from Washington, to help you understand what’s coming up to make the most of your investments and your money. Subscribe to The Kiplinger Letter. 

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