WASHINGTON
Treasury Under Secretary John D. Hawke Jr. panned House leaders' plans to attach regulatory relief legislation to a budget bill that must be enacted by April 24. Page 2
Undaunted by past failures, House Banking Committee Chairman Jim Leach said he will unveil yet another plan to end interindustry disputes now stalling his financial modernization bill. Page 2
REGIONAL BANKING
Change and technology spending were dominant themes at an investment conference in Atlanta. "It's almost a daily revolution taking place out there," said James H. Blanchard, CEO of Georgia's Synovus Financial. Page 5
Comerica introduced checking accounts with attractive rates for customers who agree never to set foot inside a branch. Page 7
INVESTMENT PRODUCTS
Chase Manhattan plans a series of so-called lifestyle funds, which automatically shift their assets from risky to safer investments over time. Page 8
Comerica has regrouped its private bankers into teams that look at what services wealthy clients want, rather than how much money they have. Page 8
CREDIT/DEBIT/ATMs
Terisa Systems will incorporate SET, the new MasterCard-Visa payment standard for the Internet, in its line of security products. Terisa was among the companies that helped develop the standard. Page 13
COMMUNITY BANKING
Mississippi has taken an unusual step to polish its image for interstate banks. Under a new law, a job created in a bank that had been involved in an interstate merger would earn a $1,500 tax credit in the first year and smaller credits for the next four. Page 14
A loan conduit set up by New York-based ValuExpress lets community banks originate commercial real estate loans well beyond their legal lending limits for immediate sale on the secondary market. Page 14
MORTGAGES
Chicago's LaSalle National Bank is plunging back into the mortgage securities business. The broker-dealer division of the ABN Amro unit is stockpiling inventory and hiring traders to get the effort off the ground. Page 16
Fannie Mae's chief financial officer sought to reassure investors that its double-digit portfolio growth would not sputter now that mortgage rates are rising. Page 17
TECHNOLOGY
text here. Page 18
Olin Broadway, a founder of one banking software firm and co-founder of another, has now formed a third. His new venture will update community bank branch software it bought from an earlier one. Page 18
FINANCE
MBNA's stock rose on news of an upgrade from PaineWebber and a rally in the bond market that lifted the stocks of all major credit card specialists. Back page
