On the Street

The Independent Community Bankers of America announced Dec. 16 that 26 members of the House Financial Services Committee have written to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation asking that the FDIC delay its decision on Wal-Mart’s application to become an industrial loan company. The letter also calls on the FDIC to hold a public hearing on the issue. Industrial loan companies are hybrid financial charters that fall outside the Bank Holding Company Act, allowing them to be owned by commercial firms.

Identity crisis

According to San Francisco-based GuardianEdge Technologies Inc., 2005 was a banner year for security breaches that could result in identity theft. A Dec. 2 announcement that an undisclosed number of Sam’s Club customers were victims of a security breach was the icing on the cake. Other breaches in 2005 involved Bank of America, MasterCard, ChoicePoint, Lexis-Nexis, the University of California, Tufts University, Polo Ralph Lauren and the federal government. GuardianEdge estimates the records of 50 million Americans may have been exposed to possible identity theft.

SBA draws fire

The American Small Business League has joined Rep. Nydia M. Velazquez in calling for the ouster of Small Business Administration head Hector V. Barreto, stating that the agency has failed to live up to its mission. Critics cite, among other items, the fact that SBA has declined 80 percent of all disaster loans to small businesses in hurricane-hit areas with backlog of more than 200,000 pending applications. The SBA announced Dec. 19 it has approved more than $1.56 billion in disaster assistance loans to 23,000 residents and businesses in hurricane areas.

Picture perfect

Hammons Field, home of the Springfield Cardinals, appears on the cover and inside cover of Baseball America’s 2006 Great Parks calendar. The calendar, which retails for $14.95, is available at the Springfield Cardinals team store and at Barnes & Noble. The featured photo of the park was taken by Springfield Cardinals intern photographer Justin Glazier, who just got a job with the Seattle Mariners’ AAA team, said Kirk Elmquist, Springfield Cardinals vice president of sales and marketing.

Slice of Nice

Bass Pro Shops is again partnering with the United Service Organizations on the “Reelin’ It In for the Troops” campaign. Customers can purchase donation cards valued at $1, $3 and $5, and proceeds support Operation USO Care Package and other USO programs for U.S. military personnel and their families worldwide. “If we can, in some small way, offer a sense of comfort and home to our heroes, then we’ve provided a great service of which we are proud,” said Bass Pro President Jim Hagale in a news release.