“The bank is dead.

For most bankers, determining where to put branches is primarily viewed as an “art” – something qualitative, often based on a “sense” of which markets are growing or the opportunity for available space that comes from a realtor telephone call (“You must see this wonderful new space that’s now on the market!”).

Branch consolidation is a major theme in retail banking this year as institutions pare back their branch networks to reduce expenses and increasingly rely on self-service channels to meet customer needs.

Recently, several banks have begun addressing branch distribution costs.

Banks face a real quandary as they consider what to do about their deposit portfolios.

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Do banks “get it right” when it comes to digital strategy? We recently posed that question to somebody eminently qualified to provide an answer: Aaron Dignan, CEO and founding partner of New York City-based Undercurrent, a digital strategy firm noted for working with some of the largest companies in corporate America.

The signs that credit remains tight abound.

Community banks are struggling in many areas of the country and there’s been much industry commentary on how this category of financial institution will have a difficult time competing with larger banks in the future.

“She has the words, but not the music,” said Mark Twain of his wife’s attempts at swearing.

In our currently tenuous economic environment, opinions about how to manage retail banking and, specifically, the branch system vary dramatically.

There’s no question that bankers “get it” when it comes to mobile banking and payments, considering that most major financial institutions now offer their customers some package of mobile banking services.

In an effort to be an obliging father, I recently took my daughter shopping for some new clothes.

Branch design is a hot topic these days with all the speculation about the “branch of the future” in the wake of gradual customer migration to electronic channels.

Consider a customer who approaches a bank or credit union seeking a small-dollar credit product.

Can “crowdsourcing” work in credit cards? UK-based Barclays Bank is trying to find out with its new Barclaycard Ring card.

At a time when retail banks are particularly hungry for growth, one of the brightest opportunities is the cross-sale of credit to depositors, including consumers and small businesses.

During my days coaching high school wrestling and softball, I learned an important lesson.

The traditional branch sales model was based on cross-selling to customers who used the branch for transactions.

There is intense debate right now about the future of the branch.