41.   Financial companies also did well as the two largest bank mergers in history were completed.

42.   Free T-shirts, coffee mugs and balloons are a bank merger staple, said customers in the bank branch downstairs.

43.   He said at least one major bank merger is expected this year.

44.   He said he favored rules also allowing banks to merge with insurance companies, but added that legislation only allowing bank mergers with securities firms would not be unacceptable.

45.   In every big bank merger to date, thousands of customers have had their accounts confused and their balances mixed up as the two institutions merge data systems.

46.   In some countries, political obstacles continue to block many bank mergers.

47.   In one of my interviews, a college administrator who does business consulting work spoke of his experience with a bank merger.

48.   Indonesian stocks rose a day after the government agreed to break up several state monopolies, encourage bank mergers and remove many subsidies and price controls.

49.   In this record-setting year for bank mergers, plenty of observers have decided SunTrust Banks Inc. and Wachovia Corp. are made for each other.

50.   Inner City has objected to dozens of bank mergers, though none were blocked because of fair lending concerns.