<ARTICLE>                         9
<LEGEND>
     This schedule  contains summary  financial  information  extracted from the
Consolidated  Statement of Financial Condition at September 30, 1998 (Unaudited)
and the Consolidated Statement of Operations for the nine months ended September
30, 1998  (Unaudited)  and is  qualified  in its  entirety by  reference to such
financial statements.
</LEGEND>
<MULTIPLIER>                       1,000
<CURRENCY>                         U.S. Dollars

                               
<PERIOD-TYPE>                      9-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                  Dec-31-1998
<PERIOD-START>                     Jan-01-1998
<PERIOD-END>                       Sep-30-1998
<EXCHANGE-RATE>                    1
<CASH>                             88,321
<INT-BEARING-DEPOSITS>             0
<FED-FUNDS-SOLD>                   3,250
<TRADING-ASSETS>                   23,123
<INVESTMENTS-HELD-FOR-SALE>        609,115
<INVESTMENTS-CARRYING>             55,853
<INVESTMENTS-MARKET>               55,853
<LOANS>                            2,546,173
<ALLOWANCE>                        31,000
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                     3,682,624
<DEPOSITS>                         1,883,229
<SHORT-TERM>                       110,060
<LIABILITIES-OTHER>                141,410
<LONG-TERM>                        1,300,604
<PREFERRED-MANDATORY>              0
<PREFERRED>                        0
<COMMON>                           371
<OTHER-SE>                         246,950
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES-AND-EQUITY>     3,682,624
<INTEREST-LOAN>                    158,320
<INTEREST-INVEST>                  33,554
<INTEREST-OTHER>                   0
<INTEREST-TOTAL>                   191,874
<INTEREST-DEPOSIT>                 49,680
<INTEREST-EXPENSE>                 113,600
<INTEREST-INCOME-NET>              78,274
<LOAN-LOSSES>                      9,811
<SECURITIES-GAINS>                 1,939
<EXPENSE-OTHER>                    83,250
<INCOME-PRETAX>                    23,897
<INCOME-PRE-EXTRAORDINARY>         23,897
<EXTRAORDINARY>                    0
<CHANGES>                          0
<NET-INCOME>                       2,103
<EPS-BASIC>                      0.05
<EPS-DILUTED>                      0.05
<YIELD-ACTUAL>                     7.88
<LOANS-NON>                        18,281
<LOANS-PAST>                       3,710
<LOANS-TROUBLED>                   10
<LOANS-PROBLEM>                    0
<ALLOWANCE-OPEN>                   28,450
<CHARGE-OFFS>                      10,342
<RECOVERIES>                       2,405
<ALLOWANCE-CLOSE>                  31,000
<ALLOWANCE-DOMESTIC>               30,480
<ALLOWANCE-FOREIGN>                520
<ALLOWANCE-UNALLOCATED>            0