Another Premium Cut? And Maybe a Refund? The government is expected to reduce banks' deposit insurance premiums Tuesday, for the second time in four months. What's more, a deal struck in Congress would force the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. to return $440 million in premiums paid by banks in the second half. November 10 19734 The thrift industry will owe at least $600 million less than expected for the rescue of the Savings Association Insurance Fund, according to government statistics. Third-quarter figures show the thrift fund is growing faster than FDIC officials predicted earlier this year. November 6 19392 Consumer loan underwriting standards have deteriorated slightly at some of the largest national banks, according to a survey released Wednesday by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. The primary easing was reported in home equity lending, followed by such indirect consumer credits as auto loans bought by banks. November 9 19673 A congressional compromise to redistribute the $300 million-a-year bill that the Federal Home Loan banks pay for thrift bailout bonds has collapsed. November 9 19671 Gay H. Evans of the International Swaps and Derivatives Association praised the Fed's plan to let bank's decide how much capital to set aside for trading operations. But some banks had some reservations. November 8 19596 REGIONAL BANKING First Interstate Finds a White Knight First Interstate Bancorp, rejecting an unsolicited takeover offer from California rival Wells Fargo & Co., has agreed to be acquired by Minneapolis-based First Bank System Inc. for about $10.3 billion. Wells immediately blasted the agreement as unfair to First Interstate shareholders. November 7 19594 U.S. Bancorp's deal to buy out West One was a coup for their chairmen - Gerry Cameron, right, and Daniel Nelson - and initially critical analysts have pretty much come around. But smiles are few among the hundreds of West One employees slated to lose their jobs. November 8 19600 HSBC Holdings, the London-based parent of Marine Midland Bank in Buffalo, is hunting for big banks in the United States. "Our long-term aim is to be a much bigger institution," says James H. Cleave, chief executive of HSBC Americas Inc. November 6 19370 First Interstate convened its top executives, the mayor of Los Angeles, and hundreds of employees in an outdoor rally in support of its merger agreement with First Bank System. Meanwhile the spurned Wells Fargo hired a proxy solicitation firm. November 9 19685 Creditanstalt-Bankverein, Austria's biggest bank, is transferring the bulk of its New York City operations to Connecticut as part of an effort to $2 million a year in rent and taxes. November 10 19724 COMMUNITY BANKING Texas Merger Roundup Becoming a Stampede Mergers and acquisitions have been rampant throughout Texas in the last couple of years, but the more recent pace is surprising even longtime observers. "I've got investment bankers telling me that they've got 20 buyers for every bank for sale, so it's a real sellers' market," a researcher says. "It's the darnedest thing I've ever seen - a real feeding frenzy." November 9 19667 Missouri's Midland Bank, near death in 1993, is finally looking forward instead of digging itself out. And everyone involved praises Thomas H. Brouster, the career bank fix-it man turned chairman and CEO. November 10 19712 Advertising claims have reignited a seven-year rivalry between two banking schools in Connecticut and sparked a war of words in the state's newspapers. November 10 19727 Patrick J. Coyne of First Financial Corporation of Western Maryland is just one of several small-thrift executives facing challenges from hostile shareholders. November 6 19343 One bank director had to be fetched from a nursing home for each meeting. To help ease out senior members, most boards now have established retirement-age policies, a survey suggests. November 8 19598 COMPLIANCE Flood Insurance Is One Tough Sell In a Maryland high school gym, as heavy rains fell outside, seven compliance officers from local banks struggled to educate local people about flood insurance. The basic problem, one banker said, is that people think flooding is something that happens to other people. November 9 19665 Strapped for time and understaffed, many thrifts can't devote staff to finding innovative ways of serving their communities. Enter Sonja White and Lynn Bedard, community affairs liaisons with the Office of Thrift Supervision. November 9 19678 The government might exempt 2,000 of the nation's largest companies from currency transaction reports. That's because the Treasury Department is having so much trouble identifying the companies that banks can assume are not laundering money. November 9 19666 CREDIT UNIONS Ousted CUNA Leader Seen as Fall Guy Ralph Swoboda spent 20 years at the Credit Union National Association, eight of them very publicly as president. But it all ended quietly in a single closed-door meeting. Most credit union officials interviewed said
