Today's News

WASHINGTON

The chances for enactment of any major banking legislation this year have all but died, lobbyists and Capitol Hill sources say. Page 2

Bank trade groups are drafting comment letters on the NCUA's proposed credit union membership rules, but they do not expect to have much sway. Page 4

REGIONAL

The planned merger of Wells Fargo and Norwest is likely to prompt fewer employee departures than usual, and credit is going to the Minneapolis company for keeping people on board. Page 5

Full-page ads in newspapers across the country are trumpeting the fact that NationsBank is now BankAmerica-except in Florida. Page 6

COMMUNITY

The recent cut in banks' prime lending rate is taking its toll on some community banks, squeezing already tight margins. Page 7

TECHNOLOGY

Richard Rowe is proving that narrower may be better when it comes to breaking ground in electronic commerce. Staying in a well-defined niche- filling orders for publications and reports over the Internet-his company, RoweCom, predicts at least $50 million of sales this year. Page 14

INVESTMENT PRODUCTS

INSURANCE: As banks build up their insurance operations, they are finding it difficult to recruit sales agents. As a result, banks must assemble attractive compensation and benefit packages to reel in top talent. Page 9

A wave of court decisions allowing national banks to sell insurance continues, but it looks like the dispute is far from over. Page 10

DIGITAL FRONTIERS

ELECTRONIC COMMERCE: Speech recognition took a small step forward when four companies announced that they had formed a V-Commerce Alliance to promote the technology. Page 13

MORTGAGES

Mortgage insurers are headed for a downturn, Moody's Investors Service warns. Increased competition may lead the insurers to consolidate, the bond rating agency said in a report. Page 18

The chairman of BlackRock Inc. sounded a cautionary note about the mortgage-backed securities market and an impending temporary setback. Page 18

MARKETS

INVESTORS bid up financial institution stocks, but larger banks ended up losing ground in a late-day selloff by hungry profit-takers. Back page

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