Have mutual funds helped you to bring new money and new customers to the bank?

Yes, we have seen increases. That's been by design. We've developed our mutual fund products and services based on the needs of our customers.

If developed we, they should attract customers, and they have.

A year ago, we had 11 funds in our PNC family, with about $900 mill in assets under management. Now, we're going on 20 funds and have $2.7 billion in assets under management.

We have a number of tax-free funds for customers in the different states that we operate in. And we're helped by the fact that our funds have been solid performers.

We also offer other companies' mutual funds and that helps strengthen our relationships. Customers know we're not going to force PNC funds on them if they want something different.

GEORGE BERNARD Vice president PNC Securities Corp. Pittsburgh

As we're rolling into the retail market, the focus initially is to provide funds to existing customers. But the fact you have another arrow in your quiver can help bring customers to your organization.

We have mine of our own Laurel funds with about $2.5 billion in assets under management. A year ago, we had nine portfolios with about $2.1 billion.

We also have 19 Boston Company funds with about $1.4 billion in assets. Mellon acquired the Boston Company in May. To a minor degree, we are selling them to customers now, but we do want to make them broadly available to customers, just as we want to make the Laurel funds broadly available to Boston customers.

Our mutual funds were originally focused on trust, capital markets, and corporate banking clients.

If the customers needed a mutual fund, they didn't have to leave to get it. It also brought in new customers through children of trust customers. Their parents could have set up a gift to minors account or made an outright gift.

DAVID MILLS Marketing manager Mellon Bank Pittsburgh

In the past, retail sales haven't been the biggest source of sales for us. But I would say we've gotten some new institutional customers since we began offering the Harris Insight Funds.

That was in February 1988, and now we have about $900 million under management in six funds. We have three money market funds, and equity, taxable bond, and convertible securities funds.

We have sweep accounts where we'll sweep excess cash from checking accounts or securities that pay dividends into a Harris money market fund.

And we are starting an asset allocation program using out mutual funds and others. We hope that will be a significant source of new money for us.

JUDY RUDNICK Product manager Harris Bankcorp Chicago

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