WASHINGTON
MINNEAPOLIS Fed President Gary H. Stern has spent a decade promoting market discipline, and the effort may be paying off. Page 2 NATIONAL/GLOBAL
VENTURE CAPITAL units affiliated with commercial banks are expected to receive a special boost if the financial reform bill becomes law. Page 6 COMMUNITY/REGIONAL
AN OHIO COMMUNITY banking company that says it was the victim of fraud lost $3.9 million in the third quarter, compared with earnings of $1.6 million a year earlier. Page 10
AIMING TO EXPAND its sponsorship repertoire beyond sporting events, Visa has cut deals that make it the "official" card of Broadway theater. Page 13
IN A BOOMING economy, finding and keeping talented workers are among the biggest challenges that small banks face. A supplement to American Banker discusses steps that banks can take to make themselves more attractive to employees. Pullout section
BANKS' ON-LINE BROKERAGES are having the same falloff in trading as their nonbank competitors as investors take a wait-and-see approach. Page 16
FRANKLIN TEMPLETON is retooling its in-house sales force, giving those wholesalers more strength in numbers and responsibilities. Page 17
PNC HAS MADE an equity investment in a company that enables prospective students to apply to colleges over the Internet. Page 18
SOFTWARE DEVELOPER Harbinger said it will more than double its budget for electronic commerce initiatives, targeting research and development, sales, and marketing. Page 20
A NEW ENTRY to the business of Internet lending is aiming to blend Web technology with call centers to offer instant loan approvals. Page 22
PROFIT-TAKING PUSHED bank stocks lower, though the broad market gauges rose fairly strongly. Despite the decline, however, some analysts remained bullish. Back page
