WASHINGTON
The House Banking Committee narrowly rejected an amendment that would have loosened the reform bill's limits on unitary thrift holding companies. Page 3
COMMUNITY/REGIONAL
Without changes to federal crop insurance programs, bankers warned Congress, many farmers will not survive another poor growing season. Page 7
CARDS
Visa U.S.A. is turning its attention to a contentious side of the card business: merchant acquiring. Page 8
Wells Fargo is selling advertising space on some of its automated teller machines, which have been equipped to display animation. Page 8
INVESTMENT PRODUCTS
Fleet's private clients group leader is expected to join Merrill Lynch to run its trust business. Page 10
NATIONAL/GLOBAL
Citigroup plans to offer an automatic savings feature for its checking accounts at no charge. "We want the neglected middle-income consumers to think of Citi as their champion," said Joseph J. Plumeri 2d, the head of North American retail banking. Page 4
First Union has reshuffled senior management in its international unit as part of an effort to streamline operations and enter new businesses. Page 4
MORTGAGES
Bay View Capital, which recently switched its charter from thrift to bank, announced it would buy Franchise Mortgage Acceptance, a small- business lender with offices in 20 states. Page 11
Fannie Mae's automated underwriting systems are gaining market share and bringing in more fee income, a Morgan Stanley Dean Witter report says. Page 11
TECHNOLOGY
Its marketing is getting more effective and less costly, KeyCorp says, thanks to a two-year-old data warehouse from IBM. Page 13
MARKETS
Bank shares rose as the Dow Jones industrial average came within striking distance of 10,000 before falling back to 9,897.44 at the close. Page 22
KeyCorp is the first bank to come to market with a new hybrid form of capital security that could herald a cheaper way for banks to raise Tier 1 capital. Back page
