Today's News

REGIONAL BANKING Northeast banks and thrifts kept costs down and asset quality high, and made investments in their businesses to post strong fourth-quarter earnings results. Page 5 COMMUNITY BANKING An activist shareholder that wanted an Indiana thrift to convert into a national bank is pulling up its stake. Page 7 MORTGAGES Harbourton Financial Services' subsidiary is selling its wholesale branch operations to Crossland Mortgage as part of its parent company's liquidation plan. Page 8 The mortgage industry has been conducting an all-out search for profitability for years. Now some companies appear to be finding it through outsourcing. Page 9 WASHINGTON The FDIC proposed a rule that explains how the agency would decide if a thrift is illegally shifting deposits to an affiliated bank. Page 4 The uproar over the comptroller of the currency should not derail legislation updating financial laws, House Banking Committee Chairman Jim Leach said. "There is no credible reason a constructive result cannot be achieved in this Congress," he told the Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers. Page 2 INVESTMENT PRODUCTS JAMES W. ZEIGON, Chase Manhattan's private banking chief, was named global services executive, triggering other changes. Page10 U.S. Clearing, a securities clearing firm bent on winning banking clients, said it will offer smaller banks software to give their customers Internet access to portfolios. Page11 CREDIT/DEBIT/ATMs PNC is closer to its goal of acquiring all existing credit card accounts tied to the American Automobile Association. Page 14 TECHNOLOGY Checkfree, Intuit, and Microsoft are receiving widespread support for a plan to create a joint technical standard for home banking. Page 15 THE MERCURY MESS Mercury Finance is seeking to sell off some of its assets to raise cash. Page 22 CORPORATE FINANCE Arranging a large leveraged loan doesn't always help boost a bank's junk bond shop. Just ask BankAmerica. Page 22 MARKET MONITOR BankAmerica is increasing and extending its stock repurchase program in a continuing effort to manage excess capital. Back page