Today's News

WASHINGTON

The OCCis telling national bank examiners to turn a keener eye on leveraged lending-an exploding segment of the loan market. Page 4

Banks should be allowed to deliver government payments through check cashing businesses without extensive regulations, industry representatives told the Treasury. Page 4

NATIONAL/GLOBAL

Because the Internet reaches so many people and appeals to an educated audience, more banks are going on-line to find workers at all job levels. Page 5

Bank of America's Montgomery unit hired two executives from Morgan Stanley and Societe General's New York group to lead its mergers and acquisitions effort. Page 5

COMMUNITY/REGIONAL

Iowa banks have lost out on a measure that would have protected them from certain lawsuits tied to the year-2000 computer bug. Page 8

DIGITAL FRONTIERS

Security First Network Bank is looking more like a traditional bank as it adopts the principles of its new owner, Royal Bank of Canada. "It's not all about technology," said David Noble, the president and CEO of the Internet pioneer. "It's about running a bank." Page 16

INVESTMENT PRODUCTS

INSURANCE: Savings Bank Life Insurance of Massachusetts is cross-selling insurance products with a local property and casualty provider.

First Union's deal for Everen Capital would give it a stake in a securities clearing operation that is majority-owned by Bank of New York.

MORTGAGES

A North Carolina firm received a patent for a mortgage add-on meant to encourage savings-the first mortgage product to be patented, it says.

CARDS

Equifax is putting a new emphasis on international card processing, with markets in the United Kingdom, Brazil, and India.

TECHNOLOGY

Net.Bank, which rapidly covered all 50 states with its Internet banking services, sees barriers to going global.

MARKETS

American Express said 13 companies, including some of its close competitors, agreed to license a technical framework that it proposed in 1997.

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