I remember quite clearly the day I decided to open my first checking account. I had just started college. Being on my own and relatively clueless, I looked in the Yellow Pages for inspiration as to which bank to choose. According to The Book, there were numerous banks within walking distance of the University of Washington. I remember it took quite a while to sort through the dozens of pages of bank ads to find which ones were closest to school (and I didn’t even go through the pages and pages of credit unions).
Fast forward 15 years, and I’ve relocated to Arizona. Once again, I’m on the lookout for a bank. Once again, I consult my handy dandy Yellow Pages. But surprise! This time it takes mere minutes to find a bank, because there are only two pages of bank ads. (And for my “convenience,” I can call a centrally located number and wait ten minutes on hold to find the branch closest to my house.)