Today's News

WASHINGTON

Zions First National Bank received OCC approval to launch a digital signature authentication subsidiary. Page 2

REGIONAL BANKING

A New Jersey mayor is ceasing business with PNC, because of the bank's policy of fingerprinting check-cashing customers who do not hold accounts. Page 6

MORTGAGES

Mego Mortgage reported an $11.7 million loss in the quarter ended Nov. 30 and cut its work force by 20%. Page 9

TECHNOLOGY

HNC has joined forces with Destiny Software to promote credit cards over the Internet, using an accelerated credit-decision system. Page 11

NCR has teamed up with Cybercash to offer billers a way to post bills and accept payments through their own Web sites. Page 12

CORPORATE FINANCE

Societe Generale of Paris announced plans to buy Barr Devlin, a New York utilities merger advisory boutique. Page 14

The red-hot real estate lending market is attracting a new competitor - commercial mortgage real estate investment trusts. Page 14

INVESTMENT PRODUCTS

Banc One, which rolled out an unconditional guarantee on trust service last year, paid back $156,180 in annual fees to 16 dissatisfied clients. Page 18

CREDIT/DEBIT/ATMs

While bankers and others struggle to find the winning proposition for smart cards, Mordechai E. Teicher theorizes about a smarter card that would piggyback on existing card infrastructures. Page 20

Bank of Nova Scotia has issued more than 16,000 Visa Cash cards in Barrie, Ontario, since October - more than three times its three-month goal. Page 22

MARKET MONITOR

Fallout from Asia will slow economic growth in the United States and cause continued market volatility, said Richard F. Syron, chairman and CEO of the American Stock Exchange. "This situation in Asia is more than a bump in the road, but not a crater," he said. Page 30