WASHINGTON
What happens when an agency takes requests for regulatory relief seriously? In July the OTS proposed a wagon-load of changes. In return it got 23 comment letters - most of them critical. Page 2
Alice Goodman planned on working with troubled felons or dysfunctional families. Instead she's dealing with Congress - as chief lobbyist for the FDIC. Page 3
REGIONAL BANKING
Mississippi's Deposit Guaranty Corp. is planning a Louisiana purchase - of Jefferson Guaranty Bancorp. The would-be buyer has has acquired five community banks in Louisiana since early 1990. Page 4
Though Congress has only about a month before adjournment, Washington insiders give the thrift fund bill a fifty-fifty chance of passing, writes William M. Isaac. Page 5
COMMUNITY BANKING
The push for Pennsylvania's First Keystone Financial to sell has intensified. Genesis Financial Partners say it will seek a shareholder vote on forcing management to seek a buyer. "The company is worth quite a bit more if sold than if the bank were to remain independent," says Stephen H. Gordon president of Genesis' general partner. Page 6
MAIN LINE Bank of Villanova, Pa., cut a letter off its holding company's name in pursuit of a clearer corporate image. Page 6
MORTGAGES
Fort Lauderdale's housing market is hot, and so is the competition among Florida's ever-increasing ranks of mortgage bankers and brokers. Page 8
INVESTMENT PRODUCTS
Former placekicker Ben L. Jones knows what it's like to come into a game at the decisive moment and score. That's the kind of job before him as he tries to turn Crestar's Capitoline Investment Services into a full-service money manager. Page 10
JMC Group, a beleaguered company that helps banks run their brokerages, scrapped a merger deal that analysts had described as its last hope. Page 11
CREDIT/DEBIT/ATMs
Kmart has begun marketing a no-fee private-label credit card in all its 2,147 stores. Page 12
TECHNOLOGY
The number of institutions letting customers make banking transactions through the World Wide Web has almost doubled in the past two months - thanks to a single software company. Page 14
Most banks want to do more with their Web sites, but aren't exactly sure what, according to a survey of banks that have presences on the Internet. Page 14
FINANCE
Smith Barney analyst Jacqueline Reeves says small banks with special niches could soon find themselves in the spotlight when the M&A lull ends. Page 18
Analysts who were optimistic early on about Union Planters plan to buy Leader Financial are now telling doubters of the Memphis deal "we told you so." Back page
