> Missing: Q: "So can I just walk into one of those zillion bank branches you've set up in the last 10 years, squatting on all that storefront real estate that could be used for real businesses that sell me something, attract tourists, or whatever?"

> A: "No, they're just for show. We don't actually do any business there...

This is what I don't get about BECU being the most popular credit union in Puget Sound. Every time there's a thread on Reddit asking about the credit unions people use or if there's a newcomer who's at a social gathering or just on Twitter, BECU is always the recommended place. I don't understand, since their branches are solely there to sell you a mortgage.

Yet everyone is mad that Chase is opening branches all over town where you can do actual banking with an actual human.

(I'm neither a Chase nor BECU customer, for what it's worth.)