Today's News

A CONGRESSIONAL compromise to redistribute the $300 million-a-year bill that the Federal Home Loan banks pay for thrift bailout bonds has collapsed. Senate Banking Committee Chairman Alfonse M. D'Amato balked at the deal. Page 2 THE WIFE of a former Missouri congressman has been chosen by President Clinton for a seat on the National Credit Union Administration board, sources say. Yolanda Townshend Wheat would replace a member whose term expired in August. Page 2 REGIONAL BANKING: WHEN DOUGLAS EBERT, new chief executive of Michigan National Bank, hopes support from its new Australian parent will help it become one of the top 10 bank card processors in the United States. Page 4 MORTGAGES: THE UPWARD TREND for resale home prices grew steeper in the third quarter, to an annual rate of 5.8%, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae reported. Page 6 FLAT OR DEPRESSED real estate values this year and last have reduced homeowner equity, lenders were told at the home equity lending conference of the Consumer Bankers Association. Use of other revolving credit lines has risen four times as fast Page 7 INVESTMENT PRODUCTS: A KEY ARCHITECT of Chase's retail brokerage strategy has jumped ship for Pittsburgh's PNC, less than three months after the Chemical merger deal was announced. Page 9 PAUL WERLIN, a veteran management consultant to bank brokerages, is starting a unique recruiting service for bank-based securities brokers and insurance agents. Page 8 COMMUNITY BANKING: MERGERS and acquisitions have been rampant throughout Texas in the last couple of years, but the more recent pace is surprising even longtime observers. Page 10 THE URGE to merge is making cross-pollination more common in Georgia. Last week in the state, two cross-charter mergers were inked. Such mergers between banks and thrifts were relatively rare until recently. Page 10 TECHNOLOGY: THE EVER-EXPANDING foreign exchange market in this country has begun to shift from phone-based trading to computerized systems, according to a study by the New York Fed. Page 12 SAKURA TRUST in Japan will have nearly all-day access to trust account data on the computers of its service bureau, SEI Corp. in Pennsylvania.Page 13 COMPLIANCE: IN A MARYLAND high school gym, as heavy rains fell outside, seven compliance officers from local banks struggled to educate local people about flood insurance. The basic problem, one banker said, is that people think flooding is something that happens to other people. Page 14 STRAPPED FOR TIME and understaffed, many thrifts can't devote staff to finding innovative ways of serving their communities. Enter Sonja White and Lynn Bedard, community affairs liaisons with the Office of Thrift Supervision. Page 15 FINANCE: SOME ANALYSTS believe a buying opportunity has opened in Citicorp, which before being hard hit in the recent bank selloff had been one of the hottest stocks in this year's market. But others see warning signals. Back page THROUGH SBA LOANS, Medallion Funding has helped open the door for thousands of minority taxi owners in New York City. Now the lender is using a bank loan to expand its business and enter new ones. Page 22

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