Today's News

REGIONAL BANKING: EDWARD A. O'NEAL, Bank of Boston's vice chairman, said the acquisition of the loan portfolio and 46 branches of Century Acceptance Corp., a Kansas City, Mo.-based finance company, "will help us continue to expand our consumer lending throughout the country." Page 5 FIRST NATIONWIDE Bank, one of the country's largest thrifts, has agreed to work with a California advocacy group to help low-income people and minorities get banking services. Page 5 WASHINGTON: THE PRESIDENT of the Student Loan Marketing Association is closing in on his goal of shedding the federal charter that confines his company to the business of buying and servicing student loans originated by banks. Page 4 SMALL BANKS gained a major ally in their quest for an exemption from the Community Reinvestment Act when House Banking Committee Chairman Jim Leach joined the battle. Page 2 COMMUNITY BANKING: A BATTLE over interstate branching is raging in, of all places, California. Page 7 INVESTMENT PRODUCTS: RESPONDING to a decline in sales through banks, a leading mutual fund company has developed a program to help bank brokers develop leads from branch managers and loan officers. Page 8 AN INSURANCE FIRM is taking steps to market annuities to Asians and Hispanics in an effort to get a toehold in these growing ethnic communities. Page 8 COMPLIANCE: NEWLY FORMED Vista Information Solutions is based on the philosophy that knowledge is power. Page 10 ONE SMALL BANK that has tested a new Comptroller's office exam praised it as simpler and faster. Page 11 MORTGAGES: WITH LENDERS searching for untapped markets, several speakers at a national real estate lending conference focused on how to lend to minorities and people with lower incomes. Page 12 TECHNOLOGY: CFI PROSERVICES and the Bisys Group have signed an interface and marketing agreement that will let them benefit from each other's market positions, products, and expertise. Page 17