Banks employ some of the best cost accountants in the USA . Every major decision with respect to their sales network [ what consumers refer to as branches ] is analyzed to the Nth degree .

Households with at least one person over the age of 55 control over 66% of the savings balances in the US . The Sales Network IE Branch System exists in any bank primarily to gather deposits and not primarily to generate loans .

Today banks use more direct channels to acquire loans such as marketing directly to Realty Firms , auto dealers , home improvement firms and the like .

Yes , the number of new branch offices in this community is unlike anything you will see anywhere else . However the experts used or employed by these banks know pretty much exactly how many dollars of deposit balances are held by households in the Villages . And they know exactly what % of those dollars they need to attract to financially justify the build-out and operation of a new branch office .

New projects such as a new banking office are subject to intense analysis back at Head Quarters [ HQ] using sophisticated tried and true mathamatical computer modeling . Each bank tests the expected 5 year cumulative return of a new Branch against what is referred to as the " internal hurdle rate of return " . Usually the " Hurdle Rate " is a cumulative Return on Capital of at least 15% per annum over the first 5 years of operation .
Some institutions set much higher " Hurdle Rates " such as 20% or even as high as 25% . Nothing today is as simple as it may seem on the surface . Over the past 30+ years the major decision makers employed by even Mid-sized Banks are highly educated MBA`s with prior career experience .

Within the HQs of financial institutions there is no such thing as so called " Bankers' Hours. These people work at least 60 hour weeks and the internal competition among this highly educated and career focused work force is " dog eat dog ". One saying often proudly employed by the Managers of these MBAs that the public never sees or hears about is : " WE EAT OUR YOUNG " .

Meaning only the smartest and hardest working survive the internal culture . For these MBAs it`s " move up or move out ".
Usually the folks the public meets and deals with at the local Bank Office level are not even aware of the decision process methodology or the unique internal culture in which these usually young braniacs compete .
The same corporation but completely different cultures .:024:

It could have been a Dr. Office

I am sorry I was not more detailed. I am a current banker in a small community bank located in the suburbs of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

They offer personal service cause they want your money in their bank. Remember it's your money that they make money on? When they loose your money they expect someone (the Feds or you to bail them out). I like the small town personal banking instead of texting at stop light holding up others at the light. When the old money dead and gone then bitcon's can take over.

This just reinforces my opinion that the ethics of most investment bankers are only slightly above loan sharks and con artists.

I agree . However there is a huge difference between " Commercial Banks / Commercial Bankers " and Investment Banks / Investment Bankers " .

NONE of the banks you will find doing business with the general public are Investment Banks .

Investment Banks do not have large networks of local branch services . They operate in an entirely different realm .

Investment Banks offer very unique services to large corporations , State , City and National Governments and the Mega-Wealthy .

They were originally created to take corporations public by marketing their shares . Commercial Banks are not allowed to perform those types of activities .
Investment Banks were in effect the " Realtors " of Corporations .
Don`t confuse the two . Investment Bankers primarily are found only in NY City , Boston , London , Paris et al and are paid 10 to 20 times more than even a senior manager at a Commercial Bank .
As I stated previously . The subject is much more complex than the average person might be inclined to believe .:wave::024:

I don't mind all the "Bank" options in The Villages, but I do wish they would not have lumped them all together in one strip mall area, which I think is the OP's point.

Wow Buffalo, you sure are a wealth of information and thanks for clearing that all up for me.

I'm sticking with my understanding of it though...it's "The death of common sense!"

I need to go to a bank building to do personal banking for our out-of-the-country son. I need to go to a safety deposit box. International wire transfers are done in person. I'm sure there are other reasons, but those are mine.

Why are they renting space to all those banks? Well because they have commercial property to rent and they are builders and when they rent property they get money.. Those banks employ people and make Sumter County the lowest in unemployment in the state of Florida at just five percent.

The Morses are pretty smart and pretty darn concerned with us Villagers too, even though they have made a lot of money on us. I think we get a lot of good stuff from the fairly good planning around here, sometimes perfect planning around here.

Banks are a needed part of the framework, please note they don't rent to adult bookstores.

I am defending the Morses again because I love free enterprise and I love how they do it.

It is NOT the death of common sense. It is just not what you wanted.

ANOTHER title for your thread could have been. "I long for a good bakery."

I don't need all six but I do use four:

Chase: From when we lived in Ohio handles all of our retirement accounts

Bank Of America: From when we lived (still do until September 2015) in Georgia handles our mortgage and local checking

Wells Fargo: Was my mother's bank in New Jersey handles the final transactions for her estate

Citizens First: Handles our local TV checking and TV closing

Well, I sure stirred up the hornet's nest on this one. First, I didn't say I disliked banks, the Morses or The Villages! I love it here!

All I said was that it just doesn't seem very logical to put 6 banks on one corner.

Another responder said that she was glad to see all the banks so some of the older folks could get some social interaction and some cookies and now it makes sense to build them to improve the unemployment situation in Sumter County? This is where this "logic" goes off the rails?

As far as "perfect planning" and "free enterprise" is concerned in the Villages...well I'm not so sure about that.

Why does every town square have the same shops and restaurants (with a few exceptions) and every plaza the same?

I think the Morses have done a great job here, but THEY control everything, THEY decide what commercial entities will be here and THEY decide what THEY think is good for you and me!

That's about as far from "free enterprise" as you can get. Most of which I like which is why I live here, but some of it lacks logic, like 6 banks on one corner!

You're right. I do long for a good bakery. But when I take off my rose colored glasses, my title is correct...it still is: "the death of common sense!"

The Morses can keep businesses out by not renting space to them, but they cannot force businesses to move to The Villages. A better question would be; why are so many businesses, restaurants, and stores reluctant to move to The Villages.

free enterprise




NOUN
noun: free enterprise

1. an economic system in which private business operates in competition and largely free of state control.

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The private business is The Villages itself, an enterprise designed and run by a developer. It isn't in competiton with itself, but with other like businesses, other senior developments, like Sun City.

And the Commercial sales part rent to the best of those businesses who present themselves and can prove they have good credit for the lease. I am sure that the Commercial folks would like to have more choices but the demographers who give information to businesses who are looking to expand,aren't keeping up with the growth here, and we have just finished a major economic downturn where most businesses were not expanding. So they build buildings and rent to the best choices that are presented.

This is a choice to live here, but that is how it's run.

I guess the fact Morse won't allow any MLS realty offices within The Villages, even if he has space available, meets his definition of "free enterprise". In addition, MLS agents can't show Villages Realty homes which certainly doesn't help the residents who are selling their homes. His sole purpose of creating Villages Realty is to maximize his profits and minimize competition.

In The Villages, Morse is the "state" and he controls how things are run and who he choses to compete with. The limited definition doesn't take into account CDD types of government.