U.S. bank merger activity slows slightly.

• Position: Figuratively Speaking - Brief Article

Number of banks that merged in the U.S. in 1998, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.: 680

Number of bank mergers that took place in 1999: 513

Number of bank mergers that took place in 2000: 499

Source: American Banker's Association, http://www.aba.com/Consumer+Connection/CNC_faqs.htm

Rank of websites, newspapers and TV programs as the top media sources used regularly by retail banking customers to obtain financial information, according to Harris Interactive: 1,2,3

Percentage of the total retail banking customer market that uses websites to obtain financial information: 44

Percentage of affluent banking customers who use websites to obtain financial information: 14

Source: Harris Interactive Financial Landscape Study, http://www.harrisinteractive.com/news/index.asp?NewsID=149&HI_electio n=All

Number of different banking institutions in America in 1935, according to the FDIC: 14,125

Number of different banking institutions in America today: 8,581

Number of different bank branches in America in 1935: 3,112

Number of different bank branches in America today: 63,684

Source: Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. http://www2.fdic.gav/hsob/hsobRpt.asp

Percentage of American households saving money for a financial goal in 2000 who were puffing money away toward college education: 56

Percentage who were puffing money away toward a major purchase in the next two years, such as a...