Today's News

WASHINGTON

Visa U.S.A. predicted consumer bankruptcy filings, which hit an all-time high of 1.3 million last year, will rise nearly 69% by 2001. Page 2

REGIONAL

AN UNEXAMINED career may not be worth pursuing, says Catherine A. Allen. The CEO of the Banking Industry Technology Secretariat is coauthor of a book, "The Artist's Way at Work." Page 8

COMMUNITY

California Gov. Pete Wilson has selected Walter J. Mix 3d to head the state's Department of Financial Institutions. Page 10

INVESTMENT PRODUCTS

A Pennsylvania thrift that went looking for help in setting up an investment products program found the answer close to home. Page 13

CARDS

Triton Systems has just made it a little easier for banks to include its cash dispensers in their ATM networks. Page 14

MORTGAGES

Economic turmoil abroad is taking a toll on the U.S. market for mortgage-backed securities. Overseas and domestic invest-ors have taken shelter in Treasuries in recent months, shunning higher-yielding mortgage- backed securities and driving the yield spread even higher. Page 18

DIGITAL FRONTIERS

ELECTRONIC COMMERCE: MasterCard veteran Arthur D. Kranzley has returned as senior vice president to promote the card association's SET Internet security protocol and other e-commerce initiatives. Page 16

TECHNOLOGY

The wholesale and retail sides of banks have much to gain from Internet billing-and a lot to lose if it is not approached properly, writes Richard K. Crone of Cybercash. Page 17

CORPORATE FINANCE

The new CEO of ABN Amro's U.S. securities subsidiary wants to consolidate the growth the company had under his predecessor. Page 29

MARKETS

One-third of bank chief financial officers expect their institutions to step up merger and acquisition activity in the coming year, a survey found. Page 30

The directors of Long Island Bancorp turned down a higher offer from North Fork Bancorp because shareholders would own a majority of the company they agreed to sell to, Astoria Financial. Back page

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