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The San Francisco Examiner from San Francisco, California • 27

Location:
San Francisco, California
Issue Date:
Page:
27
Extracted Article Text (OCR)

San Francisco Examiner Wednesday, June 3, 1987 C-3 BANKS From C-1 TRENDS From C-1 The following information is from a survey conducted during the week of April 13. Other factors, including service charges and the way the institution calculates minimum balances, are not listed here but should also be considered by consumers. The chart lists the interest (annual percentage rate) and the minimum balance that must be maintained to avoid fees. es to bank needs. Data-processing services are the second-most profitable component of Mellon's non-interest-bearing business, says Rosemarie Allen, a Mellon marketing manager.

Other vendors included Massachusetts-based Wisdom Simulators Inc. The company offered its "Judgment Exerciser" software to develop bank employees' professional judgment and common sense. The operations exhibit has grown substantially in recent years and today provides a sharp contrast to the industry's first such conference in 1952. That year, there was no exhibit hall. A survey of the 6,000 bankers attending showed they had no plans to use a computer in the foreseeable future, according to the ABA, the banking industry's largest trade group.

Just 12 years later, banking experts attending the annual meeting were predicting a time when banking would be a "fiduciary financial information system," the ABA says. Other innovations followed: Check safekeeping was introduced at the 1965 conference. The checkless society were the hot topics in 1967, with the advent of automated teller machines and the credit-card revolution. At the 1971 conference, an In ternational Business Machines Corp. executive predicted that 1980, "consumers will interact directly with a bank's computer." Minicomputers and telephone bill-paying services spurred discussion at the 1977 gathering.

By 1980, bankers were considering funds-transfer services and gasoline rationing. In 1982, the pros and cons of shared automated teller networks as opposed to VISA and MasterCard national ATM programs were debated. And in 1986, discussions included draft guidelines for electronics point-of-sale transactions, biomet-ric scanners for computer security and image processing. This year, L. William Siedman, chairman of the Federal DepoSit Insurance urged bankers'to consider computerizing their systems for reporting performance results to federal regulators.

Automation would save money and improve the accuracy of the mandatory bookkeeping, he said. Fewer than 25 percent of the nation's 13,500 banks now have such systems computerized, Siedman said. He said the FD1C is developing a computer system that will allow Jjhe' regulatory agency to communicate directly with its member banks. Interest-bearing Savings accounts checking accounts' Institution Interest Minimum Interest Minimum Bank Bank of America 4.75 $500 4.25 $2,500 First Interstate 5XJ0 200 4.00 2,000 Security Pacific 5JW 2O0 AM 1,500 Union Bank 5O0 500 4.00 2,500 Wells Fargo 5.00 200 4.00 1,000 Savings A loans and savings bank American 5.50 100 5.25 500 California Federal 550 200 525 800 First Nationwide 500 100 478 1,000 Gibraltar 5.00 200 4.75 750 Glendale Fedfeial 5J50 2O0 525 600 Great Western 5.00 250 5.00 1,000 Home Federal 6.25 200 5.50 1,000 Home Savings 5.00 100 4.75 750 Sears Savings 5.50 100 1,000 World Savings 6.01 No fee 501 1,000 1. For balances under $1,000 3.

No interest on balances under $1,000 2. Bonus rate through Oct. 15 4. No interest on balances under $250 Source: Consumer Action their accounts to make sure they aren't losing money," McEldowney said. i Kim Kellogg, a spokeswoman for Wells Fargo Bank, defended the service fees.

"There are costs ated with maintaining an account," she said. "We're trying to make the accounts profitable for the banks to offer and still be attractive to the consumer." i The survey, which in California was conducted by Consumer Ac-tion and the California Public Inter-est Research Group, found that: Interest rates on savings and other accounts have dropped throughout the nation. Last year, more than 90 percent of the surveyed savings accounts paid 5.25 percent or more. This year, only 55.6 percent of the accounts paid that much and 13.2 percent paid less than 5 percent, i In California, interest rates on savings accounts dropped at 85 cent of the institutions surveyed. Fees on savings accounts rose at 31 percent of them.

NOW checking accounts fol-) lowed the same trend nationally. While last year more than 90 peril cent of these accounts paid 5.25 per-' cent, this year fewer than 40 per- cent do. Another 40 percent now pay less than 5 percent. In California, 70 percent of the surveyed banks and savings and loans lowered the interest on NOW I accounts this year, while 15 percent Way cleared for Hallmark to buy S.F. Spanish-language TV station Examiner chart banks generally pay more interest and charge lower fees than banks.

High balance requirements and fees make interest-bearing checking accounts unavailable to nearly half of all U.S. families. Paramount boosts Gulf and Western profits EXAMINER NEWS SERVICES increasing the number of directors to 15 is involved in a $10.3 billion legal Inc. said Tuesday its profits virtually first half of its financial year after on both sides of the Atlantic, $200 million acquisition of Kaiser is a conglomerate with interests in products ranging from bricks to batteries, furniture, clothes and hot dogs. increased to $508 million (48 cents a months to the end of from cents) a year earlier.

Sales totaled the six months, compared with $2.53 previous period. emerged victorious in one of the bruising takeover battles of 1985 SCM a New York-based chemicals company, for $927.5 million. And won control of Britain's Imperial tobacco concern, for $4.4 billion. the stations' ownership. An FCC judge in Washington D.C., ruled last year that the stations were illegally controlled by foreigners.

Judge John Conlin said the stations were controlled by Mexican media magnate Emilio Azcarraga because his family had loaned money to U.S. investors to buy the stations. A settlement was later reached in which station officials agreed to put the stations up for sale. Kansas City, Hallmark agreed to buy stations owned by Spanish International Communications Corp. of New York.

In October, Hallmark said it would also buy KDTV, owned by Bahia de San Francisco Television Co. Now that the station has a new; license, the FCC will decide on the transfer of KDTV to Hallmark, Nicolas said. announce that GORDON Gulf and Western the financial services, publishing and entertainment conglomerate, said Tuesday that a continuing hot streak at its Paramount Pictures unit helped boost second-quarter profits 15.5 percent. The company said it earned $52.7 million (86 cents a share) in the three-month period Earnings ended April 30, compared with $45.7 million (73 cents) in the sec- ond quarter of its 1986 fiscal year. Gulf and Western's sales for the three months end-' ing April 30 jumped 14.5 percent to $989.9 million.

Its Paramount unit, which last year took more than 20 percent of the U.S. box office receipts, continued to reap the profits from such hits as the flag-waving "Top Gun," the industry's biggest hit in 1986, the Oscar-win-. ning drama "Children of a Lesser God" and the ac-l tion-comedy "Crocodile Dundee." In a separate announcement, Gulf and Western said it had named Pennzoil Co. Chairman J. Hugh Liedtke 'V By Benjamin Seto OF THE EXAMINER STAFF The Federal Communications Commission has renewed the license of San Francisco's only Spanish-language television station, clearing the way for the station to be purchased by Hallmark Cards Inc.

KDTV's new license went into effect Monday, said the station's general manager and president, Emilio Nicolas. Nicolas said Tuesday the FCC noted the station's "unique contribution" to the community when announcing the renewal. The station mixes entertainment, largely from Mexico, with local news and community programs. The FCC threatened to deny the license renewal of KDTV and 12 other Spanish-language stations in the United States when a question was raised about We are pleased CRAIG C. and to raised the accounts' service fees.

Nationwide, the cost of NOW accounts rose 11.8 percent. The cost of regular checking accounts rose 7.6 percent. Savings and loans and savings Berkeley Softworks Inc. has ap pointed Dennis Rowland president and chief operating officer. As president, he succeeds Brian Dougherty, who will continue as chairman and chief executive officer.

Rowland joins the Berkeley-based software company from Ultron Labs San Jose, where he was vice president. Corvus Systems Inc. announced three appointments Tuesday within the San Jose-based computer periph erals company. Lewis T. Upton has been appoint ed chief executive officer and director in addition to his current role as presi dent He has been acting CEO since May 12, when James L.

Siehl resigned as chairman, chief executive, and see rctary. Roger L. Mosher, who has served on the board since August 1985, was named chairman. The company also said Joseph W. Rooney, executive vice president, has been given responsibility for worldwide marketing and sales.

Craig Fredericks has been named vice president, marketing and sales for SUE a Concord-based company that supplies computer peripherals. Omxkki to its board, from 14. Pennzoil dispute with Texaco Hanson Trust doubled in the aggressive expansions including the recent Cement Corp. Hanson Trust manufacture of garden tools, Pretax profits share) in the six $257.5 million (33 $5.66 billion in billion in the Hanson Trust United States' most when it acquired and typewriter in April 1986, it group, a food and from new spins on old ideas, such as a computerized ATM-locater service, to the latest innovations, such as artificial intelligence software. The vendors, who included well-known computer companies such as Xerox Digital Equipment Corp.

and NCR offered everything from the latest models of drive-up automated teller machines to software designed to fulfill every computer need at a bank. Sweden-based Ericsson Financial Systems showed an entire bank computer system, dubbed "Branch One," in a spacious carpeted layout that simulated a typical bank office. "We wanted to show our commitment to the business and the industry by visually displaying Branch One the way it would be in an actual branch," said Barbara Henry, an Ericsson product marketing manager based in Richardson, Texas. Non-traditional data-processing marketers such as Pittsburgh-based Mellon a banking company, and New York-based NYNEX a telecommunications concern, also offered the bankers a wide array of customized approach- MARKETS From C-1 to 130V2, and Kyocera Vk to 75. The dollar was higher in Europe.

In New York, it closed at 143.45 yen compared with 141.2 Tuesday. It also regained ground lost against the West German mark, climbing to 1.812 marks compared with 1.7945 Tuesday. The British pound also weakened against the dollar, sliding to $1,629 from $1.6485 Tuesday. "People are far from convinced that (Alan) Greenspan is a worthy successor to Volcker but the appearance of the central banks in concert has taken the steam out of the selling drive," said the chief dealer at a top European bank. The dollar was further supported by fears that central banks would intervene to support the dollar if it fell too far, and indications that Brazil was ready to resume partial interest payments on its commercial bank debt.

Bond prices were higher. The key 8 percent 30-year Treasury bond due 2017 rose to yield 8.77 percent, down from 8.90 percent. 11 1- A. Annual oo Annual Rate cit for one year. and terms, 95V5641 ROBERT K.

URQUHART have been admitted as General Partners of RCM General, the General Partner of RCM Capital Management TOURISM From C-1 in top domestic markets like Los Angeles, Chicago and New York, she said. The bureau also set up a promotion office in Japan last year, in addition to those already in Europe, she said. While vacation and individual business travel generated $996 million for The City in 1986, conventions continued to be an important factor in local tourism revenue. Some 770 groups brought in $576 million last year, the report said. The numbers of meetings, trade shows and conventions in San Francisco increased 21 percent in 1986, but there were indications that The City is attracting smaller groups.

The total number of convention attendees was 1,066,000, slightly less than the 1985 figure. Charles Ahlers, the bureau's director of convention sales, said that the expansion of Moscone Center "is our bargaining chip in winning back the larger conventions." Once it is complete, he said, "those delegate numbers will be favorably high again." The City's hotels also got good news in the report: Hotel occupancy was up 3.5 percent to 72 percent. SFSUcS open an account now. CM CAPITAL MANAGEMENT A California Limited Partnership uj Annual Annual Rate I COMPOUNDED DU1Y on on tnese ciw r-or iiuui call us ai- franc isco.CA 9-1111 ANNUALIZED YIELD ANNUAL RATE daily balance lour Lmlwrcadero Center, Suite 2400 $50,000 minimum $10,000 minimum Son 6.35?rjed -22! i-821 Gibraltar found ways to provide $1,330,000,000 for real estate financing in 1986 What can we do for you in 1987? 6.16 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.PDT Compounded Daily No Service Charges Unlimited DepositsWithdrawals Ask About Investment Certificates Annn.il Rale REPUBLIC 39350 Fremom FBEM0T VIEW 160 El Camlno Beat East MOUNTAIN VIEW 3 B-WOOO CTV Xr 929 7912 SACRAMENTO 1565 Exp Rates at presstime.

Rate is subject to change. California residents only. THRIFT LOAN FIRST Over 30 Years 6387 201 Pine San Toll FDIC SANJOM Call Richard Taylor, Lxt. 2024 In California 1-800-232-2020 i Out-of-Stato l-800-232-l5 I Street (at Battery) Francisco, CA 94104 Free (800) 392-1400 (GIBRALTAR SAVINGS' Founded 1886 As $12 billion Member Gibraltar Financial Group.

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Pages Available:
3,027,640
Years Available:
1865-2024