Associated Bank closes EIGHT bank branches in just a week while Bank of America shutters three – is YOUR local affected?

US banks last week applied to close 18 branches – and open eight – as part of the ongoing elimination of expensive brick-and-mortar locations across the country.

Midwest-based Associated Bank has filed to close eight locations – five in Wisconsin and three in Illinois, according to a weekly bulletin published by regulator the Office of the Comptroller of the currency (OCC).

Bank of America has applied to close three branches between November 26 and December 2: in Florida, Georgia and Pennsylvania.

Valley Bank had two locations on the cutting board, while First American Trust, JPMorgan Chase and U.S. Bank filed to close one branch each.

It's the latest wave of planned closures amid an increasing move toward online banking, leaving some Americans without access to essential services.

Associated Bank has more than 200 branches in Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

The bank filed a request to close eight branches but did not announce plans to open any.

DailyMail.com approached Associated Bank for comment but did not immediately hear back.

However, JP Morgan Chase and Bank of America led the way in branch openings, notifying the OCC of four and two, respectively.

Bank First and Citizens each said they planned to open one new branch.

Bank of America also filed to close seven branches during the week between Nov. 19 and 25, according to the OCC.

According to BankRegData, the company had 5,400 branches in 2013 and about 3,800 this year.

A spokesperson for Bank of America told DailyMail.com that it was closing certain branches in response to declining customer traffic.

“What we're seeing across the industry is our customers using digital banking for more of their everyday needs. “They only come to our financial centers when they want to have a conversation about their finances or something a little more complex,” they said.

As consumer habits change, the way banks are structured will also change, the spokesperson said.

In the past, Bank of America branches were arranged so that the counter was at the front. That line is now often located at the back of the branch to make room for customers to meet private bank employees closer to the entrance.

Although the majority of consumer banks have closed branches in recent years, the scale of the reduction may be leveling off, the spokesperson suggested.

In the first half of the year – between January 1 and July 31 – a total of 1,144 national and regional banks closed, according to S&P data reviewed by DailyMail.com.

An exclusive DailyMail.com poll earlier this year found that 51 percent of consumers said they were very or somewhat concerned about the declining number of bank branches.

It also found that physical services were less accessible to Black Americans. While 14 percent of black Americans said they don't have a local chapter, only 8 percent of white Americans did.

Are you affected by the closure of bank branches or can you arrange your financial affairs online? Write us an email at money@dailymail.com.