In the view of most policymakers and economists, competition in retail banking takes place in local markets the size of a single county or metropolitan area. This article presents evidence that the locus of banking competition has in recent years shifted to larger geographic arenas. The author's...

Although many people believe that the payments area is a fairly minor business function within the banking sector, an increasing share of banks' revenue comes from fee services. To understand the full scope of the payments area, the author develops a broad definition of this business line and...

The author explains that two steps being taken by banks to restructure their branch systems--the substitution of supermarket branches for traditional offices and the expansion of telephone banking through twenty-four-hour phone centers--may adversely affect employment in New York State as well...