The 2021 credit union branch: To be or not to be 18SHARES Call this the credit union Hamlet moment: To be or not to be, that is the 2021 question around the future of branches. Suddenly, amid the pandemic, with many branches closed, many others open fewer hours, some credit unions requiring appointments for branch visits, and most credit unions reporting a surge in member use of digital banking tools, a question is getting asked that few expected. “Some credit unions are asking if they need branches,” said Doug Brown, a senior vice president and GM of Digital Banking at NCR. Brown acknowledged that only a few credit unions are seriously contemplating a digital only future. But the simple fact that the question is getting asked in credit union c-suites – and asked not by propellerheads – illustrates how profoundly the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted thinking about branches.