A $22-million settlement was proposed by former...

A $22-million settlement was proposed by former officers of Bell Savings & Loan to shareholders who brought a class-action lawsuit triggered by the company’s collapse. The settlement offer came in San Mateo County Superior Court, which is expected to rule by the end of the week whether the offer is approved. The original suit, by 3,000 stockholders, charged that Bell officers and directors hid the Redwood City, Calif.-based company’s anemic finances in quarterly and annual financial reports in an attempt to inflate its common stock price.