NATIONAL/GLOBAL
Chase is gearing up for a major product sales effort in its branches, with an emphasis on selling more investment and insurance products. Page 3
Wells Fargo's deal for New Mexico's largest independent bank would vault the San Francisco-based giant into a first-place tie for deposit share there. Page 3
COMMUNITY/REGIONAL
After intense lobbying by bank and farm groups, the Senate approved $7.4 billion of agricultural relief for farmers. Page 5
Emigrant Savings of New York has established a venture capital fund to finance small businesses. Page 5
VIEWPOINTS Page 6
CARDS
A veteran of credit card executive suites has been named president and CEO of Signature Group, a marketing services company that GE Financial Assurance bought last week. Page 9
WASHINGTON
Regulators shot back at Senate Banking Chairman Phil Gramm in a mounting war of words over Community Reinvestment Act regulations. OTS Director Ellen Seidman said her earlier suggestions were "to ensure that CRA works" for all institutions to which it applies. Page 2
Legislation that would prohibit companies from soliciting consumer loans through "live check" mailings elicited personal testimony from one congressman. Page 2
INVESTMENT PRODUCTS
As funds that invest in corporate bank loans proliferate, many investment experts wonder if the funds are hothouse flowers that will wither in the chill of a serious recession. Page 7
TD Waterhouse said it received a green light from regulators to begin trading local securities in Hong Kong and has acquired a seat on the exchange. Page 7
MORTGAGES
Some observers are raising questions about the new partnership between on-line rivalsQuickenMortgage and mortgage.com. Page 8
Morgan Stanley is telling fixed-income investors to stick with mortgage- backed securities despite their poor performance in July. Page 8
MARKETS
Bank stocks continued to tumble, pushed by government reports that bode poorly for inflation and could lead to higher interest rates. Back page
CIT Group said it would buy Newcourt Credit of Toronto for $2.7 billion in stock, a third less than it originally offered. Back page
