WASHINGTON:
FEVERISH LOBBYING has begun to pay off for the so-called Oakar banks. Several members of Congress have asked the FDIC to heed the banks' pleas and change how their deposits are measured - and more such requests are on the way. Page 4
A STATE appeals court in Louisiana has exonerated two banks of responsibility for a phony investment scheme run by a customer. Page 2
COMMUNITY BANKING:
CHARGES BY JOHN KANAS, head of North Fork Bancorp. on Long Island, that perennial rival Suffolk Bancorp violated SEC proxy rules led Suffolk to cancel a shareholders meeting. Page 15
TWO PENNSYLVANIA thrifts think they've found an unorthodox method to get around the federal ban on merger-conversions, a Washington lawyer says.
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SMALL BUSINESS:
WELLS FARGO, in an apparent first, is offering checking discounts to small businesses that agree to use ATMs rather than tellers. Page 14
INVESTMENT PRODUCTS:
BANKERS TRUST, eager to expand its fund sales to other banks and brokerages, plans to launch six new proprietary mutual fund portfolios. Page 18
MONEY MANAGER Weiss, Peck & Greer is introducing in partnership with First Union a 401(k) with asset allocations adjusted according to the employee's age. Page 19
MORTGAGES:
THE PACE of originations should get a much-needed boost from the recent drop in rates, but industry observers and bank officials say further declines are still needed to spur a sustained boom in refinancing. Page 20
THE DELAY in selling off Prudential's mortgage business is attributable to the complexity of assembling a deal for so large and diverse a company, sources say. Page 20
CREDIT/DEBIT/ATMs:
GROWTH RATES at the two bank card associations again climbed well into double digits in the second quarter. Consumers showed no sign of tapering off on their credit habit. Page 22
BARNETT BANKS Inc. is identifying its secured-card accounts as such to credit bureaus - a departure from the practice of many competitors. Page 22
THREE LARGE regional electronic banking networks have expressed interest in equity ownership of Primary Payment Systems, a company that plans to build and market a nationwide data base of check information. Page 22
TECHNOLOGY:
FIRST AMERICAN CORP. of Nashville is investing in technology companies that operate outside the banking company's core businesses as it drives to generate fee income. Page 24
SETTLEMENT RISK is among one of the primary concerns of international bankers, according to a new study. Derivatives risk seemed to rank far behind.
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FINANCE:
BANKS LED a stock market slide, heightening concerns on Wall Street that their shares have peaked in value after a sensational yearlong run. Back page
