In an alarming new look at banking across America, 145 bank branches have closed in only a few weeks.
Mitrade is reporting that between February 7 and March 14, several banks notified the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) of plans to close branches within just five weeks.
That’s an insane amount of bank closures in such a short amount of time. It seems as if the retail and restaurant industries aren’t the only ones struggling to keep the lights on.
Flagstar Bank topps the list of banks slated for closure with 44 branches, followed by TD Bank with 38 locations.
A little further down the list is Chase with 9 closures.
Bank of America, who closed the most bank branches in 2024, 168, registered plans to close 9 more locations from February 7 to March 14 of this year.
This period of lights off isn’t only alarming, it’s a sign of what’s been happening already in 2025 and what might be to come for the rest of the year.
Experts are saying that this doesn’t mean that the banks themselves are going under, but rather the foot traffic that is coming into physical locations is slowing — drastically. Instead of paying several people to sit at a branch and twiddle their thumbs all day, the banking heavies are shutting down the underperforming locations in favor of online banking.
But in small cities and more rural parts of the country with fewer physical banks, this will be a challenge, as their physical banking options will be greatly impacted.
Put that with the fact that more than 200 million Americans still make cash deposits, experts predict longer wait times in banks and a potentially lower overall customer experience to come.
Of all of the side hustles country artists could partake in, opening a bar or restaurant is the most fitting — and very common. After all, many of these stars got their start on a barstool, tip jar nearby, playing their music for anyone who would listen.
These places feel like home for many of these singers. Over the years, several artists have gotten into the bar or restaurant game, and for a select few, brands have turned into franchises with several locations and/or concepts — we’re looking at you, Jimmy Buffett!
Let’s take a look at the country star food and entertainment venues that have opened over the years.
Gallery Credit: Jess
These country singers had so much more to give. See 40 country singers who died much too soon: Keith Whitley, Mindy McCready, Troy Gentry and more.
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes