Bank of America Opens First Wisconsin Branches, Targets 19 Statewide by 2030

Bank of America opened its first Wisconsin retail branch Wednesday in Madison, followed by a second Thursday in Milwaukee, part of a plan to open 19 branches statewide through 2030. The expansion will create roughly 130 jobs, adding to the 170 employees already working in the state across the bank's Merrill Lynch, business banking and global corporate banking units. The openings advance Bank of America's $5 billion branch expansion plan launched in 2016. The bank will enter Louisiana and Alabama next year, with 10 branches planned for the Birmingham and Huntsville areas starting in early 2027 and eight in greater New Orleans in the second half of the year. The move comes as competitors including JPMorgan Chase, PNC and TD expand their physical footprints. Banks opened more branches than they closed for three consecutive quarters for the first time since 2009, according to the National Community Reinvestment Coalition. Bank of America said more than 95% of client transactions occur on its app, but clients made roughly 10 million specialist appointments this year. The bank has renovated about 400 locations in 2026 and plans 300 more in coming months.