Online is the way to go
 

Everything I do is online. I have about 5 banking institutions that I deal with. All my bills are on autopilot. I could leave for a month and come home and call up my accounts and everything is paid for. All my income accounts are auto deposited. I can go online and see all my accounts anywhere in the world. I never write a check except for the occasional gift to kids and grandkids. I use a credit card for all my groceries and other purchases and get points for travel. I pay off all my credit accounts and never carry a balance. That is on autopay too. I have been doing this for over 25 years. I appreciate the multi factor authentication but it is a nuisance. Can’t wait for 10 factor authentication.

Hometown brick and mortar bank, 4.50 for 59 months. I’m not against online banking or Fidelity it’s just that we like laddering our own CDs and it’s very convenient. And we never have to call our advisor. ;-)

Here in UK many banks have closed branch services in smaller communities, and usually have one outlet in larger towns.
My bank has stopped handling cash, you can get cash only from machine, and is now fully automated.
No tellers, just a couple of greeters who help those not familiar with the different machine points.
Nearly all banks seem to be doing their best to phase out cash, and use online and card transactions.
My opinion is cash transactions will be gone in another decade.

Are loan/mortgage applications and safe deposit access automated too? :$:

online banking
 

We have used Synchrony Bank. Pretty highly rated on business pages. Good rates and good service.

We autopay/ACH everything also but contractors won’t always take a check. We have never, in all our married life, carried a credit balance and do not patronize businesses utilizing a credit card usage fee.

I have had the same experience, my credit is frozen and I can still open checking accounts, and sometimes I can find one that has a bonus of over $300, and they still don't check my credit. I have in the past unfrozen the credit reports it is pain, and even more of a pain to reinstate the credit freeze. Sometimes they ask you for a password and username, other times they just want to verify who you are by only using your Social Security number. I have been freezing my credit reports for about four years, and a have never had a identity theft problem, so I think it's worth the trouble to do that.

If a contractor will not take a check or a credit card, another option is to use Zelle to send money to an email address. I use my Truist account to make Zelle transfers. It is especially convenient for sending money to people who are out of town.

Safe deposit is not a big thing in UK except for those with something to hide, or jewelry they are frightened to wear!
Haven't had a mortgage/loan for years, but our kids always arrange theirs online.
Go online, research best rates, make application, send any docs as attachments, no face to face contact needed.
Simple.

Zelle was hacked not that long ago and we’re reluctant to use it.

We haven’t had a loan/mortgage since our early fifties but there is another world out there besides old people.

Safe deposit is excellent for important documents, holding valuables when traveling, etc. You can’t hide much in a safe deposit box and who needs jewelry when traveling?

I understand. As a trustee, I need to make several monthly payments to individuals who are out of state. I don't know of a more convenient way to do that. They cannot accept a credit card and sending paper checks is a hassle and takes too long, and I don't want to link our accounts. Zelle has been very convenient, and there are daily limits on the amount you can send. Also, if any money is removed from my account I get an immediate alert.

My financial advisor has me keeping a small amount in a low-paying savings account. But the bulk of my fixed income holdings are in U.S. Treasuries paying between 4.5% and 4.7%.

The alerts are a great implement but is the money that might have been stolen refunded to people by Zelle? I know our kids use Zelle.

I signed up for Zelle through my Truist bank account. I don't have a Zelle account number and Zelle has none of my money on deposit. I log in to my Truist account and request a Zelle transfer to a specific email address. So, I don't understand how someone could hack Zelle and access my money without knowing my Truist log in information. I really don't know the answer to your question, but it seems like a pretty safe way to transfer money. My Zelle transfers are reported on my Truist statement, and I expect Truist to safeguard my log in information. I have no direct dealings with Zelle.