Today's News

WASHINGTON

With martial rhetoric and a revivalist spirit, credit union activists swarmed into Washington for a lobbying assault on Capitol Hill. Page 2

COMMUNITY

Vehement proponents and opponents of dress-down days explain their positions in Paul Nadler's column. Page 5

REGIONAL

Despite furious consolidation, financial services companies did more of the nation's high-level hiring last year than in 1996, according to a survey. Page 6

To beef up offerings to small-business customers, Fleet has opened 200 specially designed service centers in branches throughout the Northeast. Page 6

MORTGAGES

The axiom that size matters in the mortgage servicing business is only partly true, a recent MBA study found. Page 8

INVESTMENT PRODUCTS

Alliance Capital Management, New York, reorganized its mutual fund distribution efforts, reshuffling executives. Richard Davies, a senior vice president who had been responsible for Alliance's bank distribution efforts, was reassigned, and the unit will report to Richard Saccullo, an executive vice president. Page 13

INSURANCE: Wachovia is expanding its insurance program throughout its core markets and has also launched a direct marketing program. Page 12

MONTHLY REPORT: MORTGAGE TECHNOLOGY

A growing group of mortgage buyers and sellers are turning to the Internet for help in trading whole loans and mortgage-backed securities. Page 10

CORPORATE FINANCE

CROSS-SELLING to NationsBank's clients by its Montgomery investment banking unit and to Montgomery clients by NationsBank is picking up steam. Page 15

CARDS

Chase and Bell Atlantic have introduced cobranded MasterCard and Visa cards. Page 17

TECHNOLOGY

RSA Data Security introduced an upgraded version of its data encryption tool kit for software written in the Java language. Page 19

MARKETS

Bank stocks surged, buoyed by the upbeat assessment of a major Wall Street firm that the industry is still one of the best investment sectors. Back page