WASHINGTON
The Supreme Court appeared likely to uphold lower-court victories for banking on the issues of regulatory goodwill and whether states can impose limit late charges and other fees assessed by out-of-state banks. Page 2
The Consumer Federation of America Wednesday accused an insurance trade group of undermining efforts to make state regulation of the business more uniform. Page 3
REGIONAL BANKING
A new study by First Manhattan Consulting suggests that banks lack coherent strategies as they race to develop alternative distribution and customer-knowledge systems. Page 4
First Union has introduced a system for export-related documentation that lets a company use First Union as its primary bank for all its export collections, regardless of how the sales were made. Page 5
MORTGAGES
Residential lenders have been seeking new paths to profit in a hotly competitive business. In home equity, First Finance of Bloomfield Hills, Mich., run by Randall Sage, is one of a new breed that is giving the established specialists a run for their money. The angle: costly TV ads and very low overhead. Page 1.
Also pursuing the low-overhead route is Fidelity Federal Bank, Glendale, Calif., which has turned its branches into sales offices for products supplied by others. Page 10
COMMUNITY BANKING
Illinois banks and newspapers have reached a compromise in their battle over the publication of bank call reports. But nobody's too thrilled with the outcome. Page 6
INVESTMENT PRODUCTS
Chase Manhattan has dropped the minimum account size in its private bank from $5 million to $1 million. Page 8
COMPLIANCE
With little fanfare, the Federal Reserve Board approved a new rule that will free bank broker-dealers to extend credit on securities options. Page 12
A former thrift examiner who is now an executive at Glendale Federal Bank was preaching the value of internal audits and no-nonesense compliance management at a conference in San Diego. Page 12
TECHNOLOGY
Alex Sheshunoff's reassurances for small-town bankers bewildered by technology helped draw more than 250 to a pricey electronic money forum in Dallas last week. Page 16
In an effort to beef up its financial services and technology consulting services, Boston's Dove Associates hired two executives from a prominent competitors. Page 16
FINANCE
Money-center banks shook off the effects of rising interest rates in February and March, posting a solid rebound in trading revenues during the first quarter. Back page
