Today's News

NATIONAL/GLOBAL

KeyCorp has split responsibilities for its retail and commercial banking units between two top executives in an effort to boost revenue and efficiency. Page 4

The bank loan fund manager who controlled more than $13 billion for Van Kampen of Chicago has jumped to hometown rival John Nuveen. Page 4

COMMUNITY/REGIONAL

Redwood Empire of Santa Rosa, Calif., is quitting the residential mortgage business, stung by rising interest rates that put the brakes on volume. Page 6

Hoping to spur economic development in its home markets, an upstate New York thrift has created its own venture capital company. Page 6

INVESTMENT PRODUCTS

INSURANCE: Commerce Bancorp of Cherry Hill, N.J., is buying its eighth insurance agency in its three years in the business, while banking companies in other states are making similar deals. Page 9

WASHINGTON

All but 89 banks and thrifts nationwide were well prepared at midyear for the year-2000 date change, banking regulators reported. Bank supervisors gave "satisfactory" ratings to 99.1% of the 10,335 federally insured institutions as of June 30. Just 11 received a grade of "unsatisfactory." Page 2

Student lenders are putting up their dukes in response to a federal proposal to cut origination fees on competing government loans. Page 2

MORTGAGES

Experts say a proposed rule to limit Home Loan banks' ability to buy mortgage-backeds would have minimal impact on the secondary market. Page 10

DIGITAL FRONTIERS

A California law opens the door for brokerages to conduct most, if not all, of their business in cyberspace, by validating some digital signatures. Page 12

BankDirect, the Internet unit of Texas Capital, has begun a national advertising effort. Page 12

TECHNOLOGY

Fleet has chosen customer profitability software from PMG Systems for its data warehouse. Page 13

Alltel is buying Advanced Information Resources, a provider of commercial loan software. Page 13

MARKETS

A pair of economic indicators, from manufacturing and construction, provided some relief from concerns about inflation and rising interest rates. Page 22

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