Santander Bank Is Closing More Massachusetts Branches

There are businesses you never expect to post a "going out of business" sign in the window. Gas stations, liquor stores and bank branches are among them, but it does happen.

When I moved back to New Bedford close to 30 years ago, I opened a bank account at Compass Bank. I liked that Compass was a local bank, not a big corporate-type bank. Being an employee of the City of New Bedford, my wife stashed her millions in New Bedford Credit Union, also a local entity.

When my wife and I decided to buy a home in New Bedford in 1995, we secured a mortgage with Compass Bank. Not long after, Compass was acquired by another larger bank, and then Santander took over.

I am still with Santander, and despite some initial misgivings about the acquisition, I remained a happy camper – or at least I was until they closed my branch on Ashley Boulevard, and then the one on Phillips Road near the New Bedford Business Park.

Santander explained that with a reduction in foot traffic due to the increasing popularity of online banking, it made sense to close some less-busy branch offices.

While I bank online, I also like entering the lobby of my bank to make sure things are okay. It's like reading or listening to music. I'd prefer to read a book or the liner notes from an album than download a file.

Maybe that sounds old school to you, but it's who I am.

I've become accustomed to the Santander at the Dartmouth Mall but still miss Ashley Boulevard.

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Santander has announced the closing of 19 additional branch banks; fortunately, the Dartmouth Mall location is not among them.

This time folks in Ayre, Bedford, Braintree, Chestnut Hill, Dracut, Holliston, Lawrence, Marlboro, Needham, Attleboro and Weston will be looking for new bank branches.

I can't help but wonder if only I had deposited more money, they would have kept my branch on Ashley Boulevard open.

Oh well, times change, and I guess so does banking.