Wells Fargo & Co. announced yesterday that Mark Oman, senior executive vice president and head of its Home and Consumer Finance Group, will retire by the end of next year. A 30-year veteran of the company, Oman, 53, currently oversees Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, Wells Fargo Financial and Wells Fargo Card Services and Consumer Lending from West Des Moines. His group of businesses will continue to be based in West Des Moines. Oman also is a board member of the University of Northern Iowa Foundation and Greater Des Moines Community Foundation. He serves on the executive council of the Greater Des Moines Partnership and is a member of the Iowa Business Council.

Boesen the Florist will replace its full-service florist operations in Dahl’s Foods stores with self-service centers. The self-service operations will be in six of 12 Dahl’s locations at first, with the remainder being added this fall. Flowers will be delivered to the Boesen Self-Service Fresh Flower Markets each day. Dick Rissman, produce director of Dahl’s, said the change is in response to people’s desire to buy fresh flowers more often at cheaper prices. Boesen the Florist will incorporate its Dahl’s employees into other Boesen full-service stores and will eliminate one full-time position.

The number of fraudulent loans issued in the first quarter 2008 is up 42 percent from the same period last year, according to a report from the Mortgage Asset Research Institute (MARI), CNN Money reported. The news is surprising after trouble in the housing market has caused lending standards to tighten, but Jennifer Butts, a spokeswoman for MARI, said it’s a sign that some people are desperate for loans. According to the Mortgage Bankers Association, loan applications are at an eight-year low, which is causing many in the industry to struggle for clients. According to MARA, the most common type of fraud is exaggerating how much money borrowers earned and their job descriptions. The biggest increase in fraud came from the number of undisclosed or incorrectly reported debts, liens and judgments. Florida had the largest volume of mortgage fraud for the first quarter, accounting for 24 percent of the national total.

A homecoming ceremony will be held for Shawn Johnson at 6 p.m. today at Wells Fargo Arena. The event will include appearances by Johnson, her parents and her coaches. She also will share her Beijing experiences with the audience, fans will be able to ask questions, and a video tribute will play on the arena scoreboard. Parking is free at the Iowa Events Center. Fans are encouraged to arrive early.

Meta Financial Group Inc. has declared a cash dividend of 13 cents per share, payable Oct. 1 to shareholders of record Sept. 15.