Today's News

WASHINGTON

Signaling that a rate hike is not imminent, Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan testified that Asia's financial woes will cause U.S. economic growth to slow by spring. Page 2

COMMUNITY BANKING

Shareholders at Damen Financial barely defeated a measure that could have led to sale of the beleaguered Chicago-area banking company. Page 5

MORTGAGES

Charter One has built a $130 million subprime portfolio in less than a year. John D. Koch, executive vice president of the Cleveland thrift, says it has taken a cautious approach. Page 6

Since Triad Guaranty went public in 1993 its stock has risen nearly 600% - success it attributes to an analytical tool known as EVA. And it thinks its mortgage lender customers could profit from the example. Page 6

INVESTMENT PRODUCTS

Timothy J. Leach, who helped build U.S. Bancorp's mutual fund business, has been hired to run the ABN Amro's lagging U.S. asset management operation. The Dutch bank has unsuccessfully courted many U.S. money managers that have been on the auction block in recent years. Page 7

Chase fund managers are reexamining the fast-changing utilities sector - and putting more money into it. Page 7

CORPORATE FINANCE

Even among the biggest banks, significant differences remain in how well credit risk is measured and managed, according to a new study. Page 8

Credit Suisse First Boston is teaming up with the Related Cos., a New York-based real estate merchant bank, to securitize loans for affordable housing. Page 8

TECHNOLOGY

Electronic bill payment traffic increased 138% last year, to 270 million transactions, Coopers & Lybrand estimates. Page 9

CREDIT/DEBIT/ATMs

Visa is lacing its skates for the 1998 Winter Olympics in Japan. Its two top rivals will spend most of the time sitting on the sidelines. Page 10

To pep up its card business Mellon has hired the former head of Signet's program and signed on with a card marketing and management firm led by an executive who ran Wachovia's. Page 11

MARKET MONITOR

Ex-FDIC Chairman L. William Seidman says that only banks that have trimmed rate exposure, built up revenue, and become "marketing organizations" are worth investing in. He singled out Citicorp, NationsBank, and U.S. Bancorp. Back page

After a pause, major banks may again be gearing up to issue trust- preferred securities to take advantage of the low-rate environment. Back page

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