WASHINGTON
Unprepared to supervise the trust activities of major financial services firms, the OTS has stopped processing charter applications from at least four large nonbanks. Page 2
Lawmakers and regulators are accelerating their output of year-2000 bills and guidelines. Page 2
REGIONAL
First Security plans to merge its newly acquired Van Kasper unit with its own section 20 subsidiary in June, a top executive said. Page 3
CORPORATE FINANCE
For participants in the syndicated loan market, Valentine's Day usually brings a flood of new deals. But this year some hearts were broken. Page 5
MARKETS
With the T R Financial merger finally closed, the leader of New York's Roslyn Bancorp management wants to focus on raising the thrift institution's stock price. Page 30
Banks are entering higher-valued businesses at a time when the volume of big bank deals is on the wane. The strategy shift has left bank stocks unattractive, says James J. McDermott Jr., CEO of Keefe, Bruyette & Woods. There has been a "market rotation out of the bank sector into other sectors," he says. Back page
DIGITAL FRONTIERS
ON-LINE BANKING: USAccess Bank of Louisville, Ky., has joined the select ranks of banks that are promoting themselves as Internet-based. Page 8
TECHNOLOGY
TradeCard, a firm that seeks to automate international trade documents, said it has obtained $53 million in venture capital and hired a bank technology veteran to be its CEO. Page 10
COMMUNITY Page 11
CARDS
Bill presentment needs to have an ATM-like familiarity, writes Jerome Svigals, head of Jerome Svigals Inc. Page 13
INVESTMENT PRODUCTS
Three midsize midwestern banks think there's something to be said for sticking with the family moniker for their proprietary fund families. Page 20
BankAmerica closed its deal for a 50% stake in Marsico Capital Management, a Denver asset manager, and promoted two private bank executives. Page 20
INTERNATIONAL
Grupo Financiero Banorte, Mexico's fifth-largest bank, is called the "jewel of the north" because it is growing fast while exhibiting prudence. Page 14
