Today's News

FUTUREBANKER Banks have a natural edge in on-line investing, some experts say--but try telling that to the established providers. Traditional thinking makes it hard for banks to compete, says E-Trade's CEO. What most should really do, he suggests, is partner with him. Pullout section WASHINGTON Community activists are launching a national campaign to pressure banks, securities firms, and insurance companies to donate at least as much as they pay their five top executives. Page 2 REGIONAL BANKING National City is bullish on bank stocks, and the strategy is raking in big profits. Page 6 COMMUNITY BANKING A California industrial bank is overhauling its branch network to bring in more deposits and support a nationwide lending effort. Page 9 SMALL BUSINESS The architect of Barnett's small-business strategy has left the Florida company. Page 11 Chase manhattan chairman Walter Shipley will lead the cheers at a pep rally for 800 business bankers Tuesday and then charge out of the bank's headquarters and into entrepreneurs' offices. Chase bankers in several states will be conducting the annual sales blitz for new customers. Page 10 MORTGAGES Subprime lender Long Beach Financial hired a securitizations expert to help it develop strategy as a newly public company. Page 12 CREDIT/DEBIT/ATMs Revenues from GM's MasterCard portfolio surged 40% last year, although the gold card rebate award program was cut in half, a survey found. Page 13 TECHNOLOGY HNC Software has been one of the best- performing bank technology stocks over the last few months. Page 14 INVESTMENT PRODUCTS THE LABOR DEPARTMENT issued two opinions that bankers say will level the playing field for banks and nonbank servicers of 401(k) and other retirement plans. Page 17 CORPORATE FINANCE Chase Securities hired a Merrill Lynch media and telecommunications analyst as a managing director in its high-yield research group. Page 18 MARKET MONITOR Investors are speculating over whether investor Warren E. Buffett actually shaved his substantial holdings in Wells Fargo. Page 25 Fresh concerns about rising interest rates were raised after the Labor Department reported that the nation's unemployment fell to 4.8% in May. Back page