Oct. 30--The battle for Floridians' wallets is heating up.

A series of bank takeovers, spurred by the recent financial upheaval, has brought several new banking giants to the state -- already one of the most competitive landscapes in the nation for banking.

It takes a scorecard to keep track of the players:

San Francisco-based Wells Fargo & Co. bought a weakened Wachovia last year, snapping up the No. 1 position in deposit share for South Florida overnight.

New York-based JPMorgan Chase acquired a teetering Washington Mutual, the big mortgage lender, which is providing a springboard to offer products and services beyond the old WaMu.

Pittsburgh-based PNC Financial Services Group acquired National City Bank, setting a high priority on growing its business in Florida.

And in August, BB&T, of Winston-Salem, N.C., acquired the deposits and most assets of Colonial Bank from federal regulators, in a move that will elevate BB&T to a South Florida force from a cameo role.

"It's really going to be a competitive environment," said Miami banking analyst Ken Thomas, as he spotted a new temporary Chase sign at a South Dade shopping center branch last week. "South Florida is one of the best banking markets in the country."

The latest round of mergers marks a third wave for Florida -- following consolidations after the savings and loan crisis between 1989 and 1991 and the "invasion of the North Carolina bankers" in the mid-1980s and 1990s, said Thomas.

Part of Florida's lure is a wealth of deposits from retirees, wealthy Latin Americans, and others who have liquidated assets to move here. With the recent changes, the strong banks have replaced the weak. And the newcomers are expected to shake up the market as they strive to make their mark.

That should bode well for Florida consumers and businesses, especially since many Florida-based community banks are focused inward as they struggle with bad loans and cut back lending. Last Friday, three more tiny Florida banks closed, and more bank failures are expected.

"The beauty is we have stronger banks in Florida than before when the banks -- like WaMu and Colonial -- were hobbled by bad real estate [loans]," said William Hardin, a professor of finance and real estate at Florida International University.

The newcomers all insist that despite Florida's dicey economy, they are lending and are willing to lend in the state -- provided they find credit-worthy customers.

"We're very focused on Florida," said Craig Grant, West Palm Beach-based president of PNC for Florida.