A TOP REGULATOR said bankers need to go beyond the letter of the law to maintain customers' trust and forestall new laws and regulations. Page 2
THE RETAIL GIANT Wal-Mart has issued a tart response to critics trying to thwart its buyout of a thrift in Broken Arrow, Okla. Page 2
A MORE CONSERVATIVE underwriting strategy at Amresco's home equity unit got a positive review from Moody's Investors Service. Page 6
A PENNSYLVANIA banking company has laid the groundwork for a network it says will help community banks compete on the Web with larger banks. Page 8
SUNTRUST and Goldman Sachs Asset Management joined the recent wave of financial services companies, such as INGGroup, offering proprietary Internet-related mutual funds. Page 11
WORKERS at Bank of America can have their cake. They just can't eat it if it has the corporate logo on it. The Charlotte, N.C., company is trying to create a culture for employees drawn from two very different predecessor companies, and creating some reverence for its brand is one ingredient. Page 3
A SPATE of initial public offerings by technology companies in the third quarter helped Credit Suisse First Boston and J.P. Morgan rise to the top of the latest IPO league table. Page 3
BANK ONE will launch a multimedia ad campaign to sell on-line banking to a mass audience. Page 10
THE EXPLOSION of wireless commerce has given Diversinet, a data security vendor based in Toronto, a burst of energy. Page 12
THE ARRIVAL of large full-service brokerages on the Internet and the evolution of the on-line target market have changed the playing field for Net trading, executives from several on-line brokerages said. Page 14
THE HEAD of TD Waterhouse Group made a case for the power of branch networks in a presentation at an American Banker conference. Page 15
NATIONAL CITY of Ohio's mortgage unit is expected to announce a deal for the assets of AccuBanc Mortgage, a Dallas home lender. Back page