Today's News

WASHINGTON

A.G. Edwards, a St. Louis brokerage, asked the OTS for permission to charter a federal thrift to offer trust services nationwide. Page 2

REGIONAL BANKING

IN A BID to shore up accountability, banks increasingly are rewarding outside directors with stock options and restricted stock. Page 5

community banking

Industry insiders know that the predictions of the death of local banking have not come true. For now, it appears that the community banks are winning. But will the pendulum swing again? Page 8

MORTGAGES

Bankers at a conference said Mexico offers an alternative source of loan growth as margins shrink in the United States but that it remains difficult to lend with confidence to Mexican borrowers. Page 9

A DALLAS entrepreneur has set aside his car wash business to clean up in a different area-charged-off consumer loans. Page 10

SPECIAL REPORT

CONSTANT flux characterizes the bank card business, widening the gap between the best and worst performers, but there is no shortage of executives who are recognized as leaders in an industry that is called the most profitable niche of banking. Pullout section

CORPORATE FINANCE

Bank of New York and Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette are co-arranging a $1 billion leveraged financing for Total Renal Care Holdings that features a bond and loan hybrid structure. Page 11

INVESTMENT PRODUCTS

Donaldson's new brokerage office in London could prove to be a boon to its trust company. Page 12

INSURANCE: The chief of Allmerica Financial's bank channel division is preparing to leave that post to take charge of seeking new distribution channels. Page 14

CREDIT/DEBIT/ATMs

Metris announced an agreement to buy $330 million of credit card loans from KeyCorp. Page 17

Welfare recipients can now get their cash benefits through the NYCE electronic banking network. Page 17

TECHNOLOGY

Fiserv is offering a single system for banking via personal computers, telephones, and the Internet. Page 18

IBM is championing Sun Microsystems' Java programming language. Page 19

MARKET MONITOR

shares of major southern banks have jumped since the announcement of NationsBank's agreement to buy Barnett Banks. Page 29