Today's News

WASHINGTON

The Fed gave Electronic Payment Service permission to provide software and telecommunications channels for ATMs to dispense fund shares, insurance policies, prepaid phone cards, and tickets for concerts and public transportation. Five big regional banks own EPS. Page 2

The Supreme Court's decision in the so-called goodwill case will benefit thrifts in the short run and the government in the long term. Page 3

CREDIT/DEBIT/ATMs

Lenders can expect consumer demand for credit to diminish over the next 15 years because of demographic shifts, according to research presented at the International Credit Association conference in New Orleans. Page 6

MORTGAGES

Why have mortgage delinquencies been rising despite five years of growth in disposable personal income? Dress-down Fridays may be to blame, new research suggests. Page 11

Norwest Mortgage says it has broken the $200 billion mark for servicing, becoming the first home lender to amass such a huge portfolio. Page 12

COMMUNITY BANKING

First Carolina. Carolina First. Two names similar enough to fight about? Page 14

Boston's UST Corp. hopes its planned acquisition of 20 Bank of Boston branches will boost its market share and its stature among the region's giants. USTrust had "languished without a focused strategy" for several years," an analyst says. "This certainly responds to their critics." Page 14

INVESTMENT PRODUCTS

A New York investment bank is getting out of servicing bank mutual funds. Furman Selz, several of whose big accounts are being lost to mergers, will refer clients to the industry leader, Bisys Group. Page 16

TECHNOLOGY

The banking industry is lagging use of the private computer networks known as intranets. Only 21% of financial companies have them, according to a new study. Page 8

Wells Fargo, which processes about two billion checks a day, has signed for Fiserv to do part of the job. The processor said the deal would help Wells mesh newly acquired First Interstate. Page 10

FINANCE

Amid fears of rising consumer credit problems, analysts are starting to search for bargains among banking companies with little exposure to the business. First Tennessee National is one such company, says Lehman Brothers. Back page

NationBank filed to issue up to $3 billion commerical paper, but it dismissed the idea that it might be preparing for acquisitions - and so did debt analysts. Back page

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