81.   Regardless of the outcome for First Interstate, the SEC accounting decision could put a chill on some bank mergers.

82.   Proposals for restructuring the financial industry could lead to several bank mergers and financial troubles could force several industrial groups to sell subsidiaries.

83.   Regulators have never killed a major bank merger on these grounds, although a handful of smaller deals have been stopped.

84.   Separately, Wells Fargo is seeking the standard government approval of any bank merger by applying to the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco.

85.   Saving money by closing branches that previously competed has been the biggest attraction of many bank mergers.

86.   Showing how frenzied bank merger talks have become, Fleet earlier this year held unsuccessful merger talks with Bank of New York.

87.   Shorr, who banks at the Tarzana branch that will be closing, has been through several bank mergers.

88.   So far only Scandinavia and the Benelux countries have seen significant cross-border bank mergers.

89.   Some Democrats agreed with the Clinton administration that bank mergers with insurers will create a more efficient financial industry in the United States.

90.   Some lawmakers have expressed concern that a number of big bank mergers could force consumers to pay higher bank fees because of reduced competition.