Ryan Hollingsworth, 26, has never balanced a checkbook, and it’s been more than a month since he last visited a bank branch.

He’s not a financial deadbeat. On the contrary, Hollingsworth, a graphic designer, manages three accounts at Wachovia. Plus, he recently mortgaged a new home, and he keeps a close eye on his long-term investments.

“I just manage everything online,” he says.

Hollingsworth visits a Wachovia branch no more than once a month, and only if he needs to deposit a check or talk to a lender. But he routinely gets cash at ATMs, pays bills online and tracks his checking account and personal budget on a free Web site. He bought an iPhone last week and plans to use the mobile-banking application from Wells Fargo & Co. as soon as it’s available to Wachovia customers.

“I try to avoid the bank as much as possible,” Hollingsworth says.

He’s just one example of the changing nature of bank customers. And banks across America are taking notice as they look to streamline their operations to do business in a post-recession, digital age.

As consumers continue to migrate online for their financial services, the corner bank branch is headed the way of the passbook.

It’s a reversal from a couple of years ago, when banks were flush and it seemed like a new branch was opening on every corner. And it’s an indication of a new cost-consciousness among banks nationally, as well as a recognition that a significant number of customers have gone digital.

BofA leads the way

Charlotte, North Carolina-based Bank of America Corp. is one of the first national banks to indicate it’s already preparing for such a migration. BofA recently told analysts it was considering closing some of its branches as customers move to mobile devices and online.

BofA’s announcement sparked a wave of analyst opinions about the future of branch banking. The consensus is that corner branches won’t be needed much longer.

“The fact is that an increasing number of consumers, especially younger ones, and businesses rarely go to branches anyway,” says Red Gillen, a senior analyst with Boston-based financial research and consulting firm Celent.

BofA already operates 30 fewer bank branches than it did in 2008. Some reports suggest the company plans to shutter 10 percent of its 6,109 branches. But bank officials aren’t publicly committing to a specific number.