Banks Branching Out

Industry observers predicted that technological advances would render branch banking nearly obsolete. But that hasn't happened. The number of bank branches keeps on growing despite the high cost to build, maintain, and staff them. In the cover story of the Winter 2005 issue of Region Focus, Doug Campbell looks at the staying power of branch banks and the role location plays in collecting deposits. Also in this issue:

--  The Conference Shuffle: The Atlantic Coast Conference has set off a
    wave of collegiate athletic league swaps
--  Shame and Bankruptcy: The number of Americans filing for bankruptcy
    protection has surged fivefold in two decades -- but is declining stigma
    really a factor?
--  Sink or Swim: Fifth District coastal ports must continue to expand to
    remain competitive
--  Hard Times: North Carolina's northeast counties are among the poorest
    in the nation. Can they reverse course?
--  Federal Reserve: Should the Fed adopt an inflation targeting regime?
--  Economic History: The economics of municipal annexation
    

Region Focus, a quarterly business magazine published by the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, covers the economy and business activities of the District of Columbia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and most of West Virginia.

For free copies of Region Focus, contact the Bank's Public Affairs Department at 804.697.8109. The articles are available online at http://www.rich.frb.org/pubs/regionfocus

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