Bank of America opens branches without employees

Like many U.S. banks in recent years, Bank of America has been reducing its overall branch count to cut costs even as it opens new branches in select markets. New branches are typically smaller, employ more technology, and are aimed at selling mortgages, credit cards and auto loans rather than simple transactions such as cashing checks. The new branches were mentioned briefly Tuesday by Dean Athanasia, co-head of Bank of America's consumer banking unit, during a question and answer session at an