WASHINGTON
Republican leaders are trying to resolve a legislative logjam that has held up consideration of $3 billion in tax breaks for thrifts. Page 2
Congress has requested reams of documents in its probe of alleged mismanagement at the National Credit Union Administration. Page 4
REGIONAL BANKING
Wells Fargo, which plans 70 supermarket branches in Arizona, has one of the industry's most aggressive in-store branching plans. Page 5
Bank of America Illinois says "blitzing" individual markets, as in its recent Minnesota foray, has expanded its commercial lending 20% a year. Page 7
MORTGAGES
Home building continues to gain steam, perplexing economists who had predicted a significant drop due to rising interest rates. Page 12
Some small banks are deftly using Wall Street to craft modest securitizations that serve specific asset-management purposes. Page 13
COMMUNITY BANKING
USTrust is making a play for Boston's marketing spotlight by slamming big banks' fees in an effort to beef up its own consumer business. Capitalizing on recent merger activity, USTrust is taking aim at pricing, particularly automated teller machine fees, checking and savings account charges, and rates on home equity loans. Page 8
Vallicorp Holdings' acquisition program hit a bump when the California bank said merger talks with Sunrise Bancorp had ended with no deal. Page 9
CREDIT/DEBIT/ATMs
First USA in Wilmington, Del., has made a cobranding deal with Rolling Stone magazine. Page 16
INVESTMENT PRODUCTS
The Internal Revenue Service will break ground by auditing the books of as many as 50 mutual funds. Page 18
Eaton Vance is promoting a "tax-efficient" equity fund to feed investors' hunger for stock portfolios. Page 20
TECHNOLOGY
First Virginia Banks is installing a computer network based on an International Business Machines operating system. Page 22
FINANCE
Better earnings than expected and a planned dividend increase have prompted an analyst to upgrade her recommendation on Pennsylvania's USBancorp. Back page
Initial reaction to a surprise legal opinion filed in the Procter & Gamble-Bankers Trust derivatives litigation was that Bankers Trust had won most key legal issues. However, the issue it lost may have greater impact on markets, writes Warren Davis. Page 30
