Today's News

WASHINGTON

The House Banking Committee approved a financial reform bill amendment that would require ATM operators to disclose their surcharge fees. Page 2

Citing privacy concerns raised by the know-your-customer debate, the government is delaying a proposal for broker-dealers to file suspicious- activity reports. Page 3

NATIONAL/GLOBAL

Despite a tidal wave of merger activity, the assets of the very largest U.S. banks - megabanks with $75 billion or more - grew only 4.2% last year. Page 8

COMMUNITY/REGIONAL

New Jersey-based Commerce Bancorp says it will keep expanding fast this year, opening 25 branches and hiring 1,500 people. Page 12

Preparing for 2000 is costing community banks more than expected. Page 12

MORTGAGES

James J. Florio, a former governor of New Jersey, has become the new firebrand for the expansion of the Federal Home Loan Bank System's scope. Page 13

Congressional pressure is mounting on the Office of Management and Budget to release the proposed risk-based capital regulation for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Page 13

INVESTMENT PRODUCTS

Beverly Hills-based City National's 401(k) business has a new specialty, courtesy of a trust company it acquired last year. Page 14

DIGITAL FRONTIERS

ON-LINE BANKING: Wachovia is sharpening its focus on on-line banking and brokering with the creation of a division to consolidate its Internet operations. Page 16

Nine additional banks joined as equity owners of Small Value Payments, an electronic presentment clearing house. Page 16

TECHNOLOGY

An outsourcing agreement still under negotiation between Republic New York and Computer Sciences could become one of the industry's largest. Page 17

MERRILL LYNCH and MIT announced a five-year agreement to create and run a "financial engineering" curriculum. Page 17

CARDS

MASTERCARD is cutting its board of directors from 31 to 17 members. Page 22

MARKETS

Financial institutions issued $3.4 billion in debt, and analysts said more would come to market shortly. Page 26

A federal judge in Washington refused to block a regulation that lets credit unions add new companies to their fields of membership. Page 26