In Brief: SouthTrust Renames Its Proprietary Funds

SouthTrust Bank has dropped the "Vulcan" moniker from its mutual fund family.

The change to SouthTrust Funds "helps to solidify the SouthTrust name in the marketplace," a spokeswoman said. The funds, renamed on Friday, consist of four portfolios, with $1.2 billion of assets under management.

Several years ago banks adopted image-clad names to ward off potential complaints from regulators. But in 1992 NationsBank Corp. broke the name barrier by merging two fund families under the name of NationsFunds.

"SouthTrust is such a recognized name," the spokeswoman said. "Of course the fund would want to be more closely affiliated."

Introduced in 1992, SouthTrust Vulcan Funds were named for the Roman god of fire and metalworking, evoking memories of the steel mills that once dominated Birmingham, Ala., where the bank is located.

SouthTrust Bank has more than 600 branches in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Its parent, SouthTrust Corp., has $34.7 billion of assets.

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