Bank transaction counts—the number of people going into banks to make a deposit, cash a check or
conduct some other form of business—have declined in recent years with the increased popularity
of direct deposit, online banking and easy ATM accessibility. So why add branches?
Old National’s purchase of 65 Charter One branches deepens its foothold in Indy.
At least 35 new bank branches have sprouted in Hamilton County in the last three years, and more are on the way. Familiar
names like Charter One and Chase have added eight and seven branches, respectively. Other institutions are entering the market.
Bank mergers have proven lucrative for local sign companies over the years. A string of mergers in the late 1980s and early
1990s wiped out the city’s three big national banks–American Fletcher, Merchants National and Indiana National. In the years
since, the industry has continued to consolidate, spawning a flurry of additional name changes.
