WASHINGTON
Federal Reserve Board Governor Laurence Meyer said that regulators should consider publicly disclosing examination ratings. Page 2
The turnover rate at state banking commissions is higher than normal because of politics, retirements, and the lure of the private sector. Page 2
REGIONAL
Washington Mutual says its effort to introduce its brand in California and Florida is succeeding. Page 5
INVESTMENT PRODUCTS
Jackson National Life developed a simplified term insurance product, for sale through banks only, that offers bank customers a level premium for 10, 15, or 20 years without a medical exam. Page 9
COMMUNITY
Bankers say a Federal Home Loan bank's mortgage financing program is helping them cut loan prices and compete with larger lenders. Page 10
MORTGAGES
A veteran mortgage executive, Gregory Barmore, has been named chairman of a start-up company, LoanNet LLC. The former chairman of GE Capital Mortgage will run the Washington-based application processor to provide a "more reliable ... way to process loans from application through closing." Page 11
The market for private-label mortgage-backed securities, buoyed by low interest rates and the financial stability of issuers, is on track for another strong year, Moody's Investors Service said. Page 11
CARDS
Cartel Network completed its fourth year looking like less of an upstart, with 60 participating financial institutions, 40 more on the way, and thousands of service locations. Page 14
DIGITAL FRONTIERS
ELECTRONIC COMMERCE: Xcert International, a data encryption supplier to the American Bankers Association, is enhancing its public key infrastructure technology. Page 15
TECHNOLOGY
If it makes no other mark on the Internet payments industry, GlobeID Software of Paris will get high grades for persistence. Page 16
CORPORATE FINANCE Page 25
MARKETS
The recent stock market rally bypassed big West Coast thrifts, some analysts complain. Back page
Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan told fellow centralbankers in Hong Kong that any U.S. economic slowdown will be fairly mild, the Bank for International Settlements said. Back page
