Providian Gets ‘Smart’

Providian Financial Corp., the nation’s biggest issuer of credit cards backed by deposits, said it bought Get Smart.com for $33 million in cash. Burlingame, Calif.-based Get Smart.com operates an Internet site where consumers can comparison-shop and apply for credit cards and mortgage, home-equity and personal loans. It drew 8 million visitors and processed 500,000 applications in 1998. San Francisco-based Providian also established a division to build its Internet businesses, which include its own Web site and the $181-million WebCard Visa portfolio it agreed to buy from H&R; Block Inc. last month.