Have many of you seen more bought up and merged

[Kootenai]

banks and credit unions in your state?

We have seen this here in Western Montana.

This has happened more in the last year or so not just since the Bush2/Obama bail outs.

I used to post the weekly bank and credit union failures in all states right before and after 2008.

Most people did not pay attention or really care about those things as long as it did not hit their own bank or credit union.

Anyway, this is happening here in our community.

Do you notice this where you live stateside? What about where some of you live overseas?

Cate

[Talon]

This is how "too big to fail" came along.

banks and credit unions in your state?

We have seen this here in Western Montana.

This has happened more in the last year or so not just since the Bush2/Obama bail outs.

I used to post the weekly bank and credit union failures in all states right before and after 2008.

Most people did not pay attention or really care about those things as long as it did not hit their own bank or credit union.

Anyway, this is happening here in our community.

Do you notice this where you live stateside? What about where some of you live overseas?

Cate

[Kootenai]

^^^
True!

Cate

[Night]

I haven't noticed it here. Just lots and lots of empty strip malls, office buildings, etc.
there's one community in the well to do county that's been trying to put together a plan for an empty mall area. Every time they think they have an anchor store and announce plans, the anchor pulls out. This has gone on five years now.

Wages very depressed here and I think they realize all the ten dollar an hour (or less) jobs mean people don't shop for shit anymore

[Skully]

My son has been in banking for a while, and has seen the closure of smaller branches. This is due mainly to a great evil called the Internet. I have not been in a bank for a couple of years. I do all my banking online.

I do hit the ATM on occasion and have noticed the people going in and out are mainly old people, i.e. the demographic with the least computer literacy.

That being said, the closures and mergers are also due to the economy and the inept dicks in Washington.

[UnderTheStars]

Banking is business. The large swallow up the small.

I was a branch manager until just before "the crisis" when I decided it was time to get the hell out. On the local level I saw slipshod practices, lending mortgage money to people who shouldn't even have a $100 JCPenney card.. AIG was all of the sudden coming into play at our little bank. I had to google them at the time, and remember shaking my head at where were going.

So then the pendulum swung the other way. Stricter lending practices, etc.. Now you need to get by on volume. In my state, I've seen larger banks gaining headway and assuming smaller branches, banks and credit unions.

It's like Amazon. I now have to drive one hour to get to a bookstore. They swallowed up the brick & mortars. Now I see Amazon is opening up a brick & mortar. Lovely.

Do yourselves and communities a favor and use smaller, local banks. I say banks because credit unions don't pay taxes to help fuel your local economy. While you're at it shop locally when you can, across the board. We depend on you.

[Absolutely!]

The invisible hand will save you all.....