Seattle-Based Washington Mutual to Open 50 More Branches in Chicago Area - 2004-02-18
Washington Mutual's grab for more of the banking business in the Chicago area is not abating. The Seattle-based thrift announced Tuesday that it plans to open 50 new branches in the city and suburbs in 2004.

Some analysts had predicted that Washington Mutual's growth would slow, especially after its mortgage business dropped off last year when the refinancing boom died.
Read the full story at Miami Herald

Don't bank on Bradford & Bingley - 2004-02-18
Bradford & Bingley might seem like a solid, conservative lender full of good old-fashioned Northern caution. But the bank is fighting to assuage investors' fears that it is a high-risk organisation coasting perilously along a cliff-edged housing market.

The traditional high street lender has long gone, replaced by a specialist mortgage provider that lends to wannabe landlords, self-certified borrowers who vouch for their own income.
Read the full story at Independent