Trying to stave off tough federal privacy restrictions,  members of the five major banking trade groups plan to meet next month to   discuss the proper handling of customer data.   
"The purpose would be to develop an industrywide approach to the privacy  issue," said Edward L. Yingling, chief lobbyist for the American Bankers   Association. No date has been set.   
  
Meanwhile, U.S. Bancorp was hit on Friday with a class action claiming  the Minneapolis-based bank violated federal and state laws when it sold   customer information to third parties.   
The suit, filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota,  represents everyone "affected by U.S. Bancorp's practices, including   residents of each of the 17 states U.S. Bancorp operates in and defendants'   customers who are resident in other states as well," said a statement by   the law firm bringing the case, Wolf Popper LLP.