To the Reader: The goal of the FDIC Outlook is to provide useful, risk-focused information to bankers, examiners, financial analysts, policymakers, and the public. At the FDIC, we constantly strive to improve the way we communicate information and have changed FDIC Outlook several times to meet the needs of our readers. With this issue of FDIC Outlook, we are continuing to refine our presentation of data and analysis. Part of this approach involves making FDIC Outlook more visual. For example, we will continue to feature graphical executive summary analyses of economic and banking issues, such as the FDIC Regional Outlook in Charts. This graphical analysis first appeared in the Spring 2004 edition. Another aspect of our new approach is the selection of more dynamic topics. This means that we will not always feature articles from every FDIC region but will focus in each edition on a few key issues facing banks. Periodically, we also will publish special features and thematic editions. Our first special feature is this edition's interview with Diane Swonk, Chief Economist and Senior Vice President of Bank One. Ongoing dialogue with our readers has been invaluable. On the basis of that feedback, in January 2003 we launched FDIC State Profiles, an Internet-based publication that provides an executive summary-style analysis of economic and banking trends and financial performance data for each state. These analyses have proven to be enormously popular, especially for bankers looking for timely information about their marketplace. FDIC State Profiles are available at www.fdic.gov/bank/analytical/stateprofile/index.html. As always, we want to hear from you so we can continue to ensure that we are providing useful, accessible, timely, and forward-looking risk analysis. After you read this edition, let us know what you think. Please provide your comments or suggestions on FDIC Outlook to Rae-Ann Miller, Associate Director, Division of Insurance and Research at the FDIC, at 202-898-8523 or rmiller@fdic.gov. Sincerely, Maureen E. Sweeney Executive Editor