The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued a three-page advisory Monday in response to recent card and data breaches, encouraging consumers to monitor their accounts for unauthorized charges or debits.

Bank of Hawaii (BOH) reported fourth-quarter earnings of $39.1 million, down 3% from a year earlier.

Zions Bancorp. (ZION) in Salt Lake City reported a quarterly loss after recording charges tied to its portfolio of collateralized-debt obligations.

Community West Bank in Goleta, Calif., has been released from a written agreement with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.

Bankers and their representatives harshly criticized a call for the U.S. Postal Service to offer financial products like debit cards and remittances to underbanked consumers, saying it was a dangerous and foolhardy idea.

Many community bankers are said to have gained confidence from the fact that they have made it this far under adverse conditions.

The $300 million merger will create the state's biggest community bank -- and could convince other institutions to pursue similar deals.

Penalty fees collected from credit card users plunged by nearly 50% between 2009 and 2013, according to new research by an industry consultant.

Authorities arrested the former CEO of a defunct Bitcoin exchange company on charges of conspiring to launder more than $1 million for users of the online drug market Silk Road.

The government-sponsored enterprise is keeping a running list of appraisers that it views as shady and is warning banks and mortgage lenders to be careful about doing business with them.

CFBank in Fairlawn, Ohio, has been released from a cease-and-desist order issued by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.

Bank of Montreal is in talks to buy F&C Asset Management Plc, manager of the oldest U.K. investment fund, for about 697 million pounds ($1.2 billion) in what would be the second-largest takeover in its 196-year history.

The Postal Service could raise $8.9 billion annually by offering reloadable debit cards, loans, remittances and other financial services products that target the underbanked, according to a report issued Monday by the agency's Office of Inspector General.

Lakeland Financial (LKFN) in Warsaw, Ind., reported higher quarterly profit driven by loan growth.

Chemical Financial (CHFC) in Midland, Mich., reported net income Monday of $14.4 million for the fourth quarter, 14.3% better than a year earlier.

A number of community banks have removed CEOs, announced plans to sell or reached compromises with dissident shareholders in recent weeks. And proxy season has yet to hit its stride.

Payment processor First Data has agreed to pay JPMorgan Chase (JPM) millions of dollars in order to settle a hiring dispute, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday.

Hanmi Financial (HAFC) in Los Angeles reported dip in quarterly profits because of costs related to its planned acquisition of Central Bancorp.

A new accounting framework could give banks a leg up in small-business lending by making it cheaper for companies to provide accurate financials, but accounting experts are divided over whether the standards are an improvement or risky and confusing.

Waterstone Financial (WSBF) in Wauwatosa, Wis., disclosed that its chief financial officer is resigning.