BofA to take over Fleet Thursday - 2004-03-31
Thursday is D-day for Bank of America Corp.'s acquisition of FleetBoston Financial Corp., the Buffalo market's fourth-largest deposit-taker and a major employer.

The $49 billion deal will create the No. 2 U.S. bank after Citigroup Inc. and convert Fleet's 35 branches in the area, mostly in Erie and Niagara counties, into Bank of America branches. The Charlotte, N.C.-based bank already has a national mortgage servicing and call center and more than 700 employees in Amherst.
Read the full story at Buffalo Business Journal

US Mortgage Applications Drop, Rates Rise - 2004-03-31
New U.S. mortgage applications decreased slightly last week for a second straight week, as mortgage rates inched up to their highest levels in a month, an industry trade group declared on Wednesday.

The Mortgage Bankers Association's weekly mortgage gauge was still hovering near an eight-month high and loan demand to refinance and to buy homes has not dropped off sharply despite the backup in mortgage rates.
Read the full story at Reuters via Yahoo! News