Today's News

WASHINGTON

Resolving their dispute over loan-loss reserves, federal regulators issued joint guidance on how banks may prepare for economic turbulence without violating accounting rules. Page 2

Lenders should be forced to tell the government how much interest they charge on home mortgages, community activists said. Page 3

COMMUNITY

Republic Bancshares of St. Petersburg, Fla., said it expects to lose from $10 million to $13 million in the fourth quarter. Page 5

INVESTMENT PRODUCTS

Founders Asset Management, the Denver mutual fund unit of Mellon Bank Corp., named Richard W. Sabo, a Prudential Securities executive, to be president and CEO. Page 6

CARDS

Oberthur Smart Cards of France is teaming up with Electronic Data Systems to take on the U.S. card servicing market. Page 10

DIGITAL FRONTIERS

Donna Farmer has been named the first full-time CEO of the Smart Card Forum, a sign that an organization built on volunteerism is entering a new phase. "My role is to help build bridges between user groups who haven't seen the synergy between their businesses," she says. Page 11

MORTGAGES

HOME EQUITY: A Seattle company says the interactive Internet service it designed to help brokers submit subprime loan applications more efficiently is gaining momentum. Page 8

Ushering in a renewed focus on fair-lending, HUD and the MBA began programs to increase homeownership in traditionally underserved markets. Page 8

TECHNOLOGY

Meca Software says it is offering banks a way to give consumers what they want-including financial information from other institutions-with Internet banking software it is introducing. Page 13

CORPORATE FINANCE

Once considered a headache by creditors, the financing behind the $2 billion merger of Jefferson-Smurfit and Stone Container is now being called one of the most inventive of the year. Page 21

MARKETS

The nation's economy grew at a healthy 3.9% yearly rate in the third quarter, more than earlier guessed and probably delaying added interest rate cuts by the Fed, economists say. Back page

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