Today's News

WASHINGTON

OPPONENTS of bankruptcy reform are expected to win a procedural victory today that could postpone Senate consideration. Page 2

NATIONAL/GLOBAL

PUT OFF by the cost of executive search firms, some community banks are advertising for talent in unusual ways. A Florida bank ran ads that looked like "Wanted" posters. Page 5

COMMUNITY/REGIONAL

COUNT Bankers' Bank Northeast among the institutions aiming to capitalize on the planned Fleet-BankBoston merger. Page 6

USABANCSHARES.COM has bought itself a place on the "man of the year" awards show to be presented next month by GQ magazine. Page 7

TECHNOLOGY

DEUTSCHE BANK has been knee-deep in systems integration since buying Bankers Trust in June. Page 13

MORTGAGES

FANNIE MAE "has plenty of room to grow" by expanding its business into new types of mortgage loans, says Franklin D. Raines, its chairman. Diversification helped its portfolio grow at an annual rate of 35% in August. Fannie has strategies to help families with poor credit obtain conventional loans, creating another growth opportunity, he said. Page 9

ON-LINE BANKING

AS INTERNET commerce expands, bankers may have to turn to new technologies to keep their payment services businesses from slipping away to nonbanking competitors. Page 12

WELLS FARGO has launched a comprehensive service package to help small businesses get started on the World Wide Web. Page 12

INVESTMENT PRODUCTS

PFIC IS EXPANDING the menu of insurance products it sells through banks, to include life, health, and liability insurance. Page 14

EQUITABLE has been renamed Axa Financial to help move its image beyond insurance to encompass the broader financial services of its subsidiaries. Page 15

NEXTCARD has a new Internet gimmick: a card that pays consumers 50 cents a month to forgo paper statements and receive and pay card bills on-line. Page 16

MARKETS

REGIONS FINANCIAL in Alabama has been under attack from analysts. A small army of them has taken potshots at it in recent days. Back page

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