Among the big banks, Wells Fargo & Co. has earned a reputation for being just a bit more clued in. From reaching out to gay and lesbian consumers to giving customers a special birthday greeting at the ATM and highlighting the buttons they have used most in the past, to offering customers a free credit score, the bank seems determined to cast off its stodgy image. It announced its large-scale expansion into the New York market in 2011 by organizing flash mobs. The so-called Oracle of Omaha, Warren Buffet, just upped his ownership stake to 8.7% late in 2012 from 7.6%. The stagecoach is rolling into the 21st Century and it ain’t slowing down.

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