Fees on the prepaid cards that state governments use to distribute unemployment benefits have fallen significantly since 2011, according to a new report from a national consumer group.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency unexpectedly announced Wednesday that Michael Brosnan, its point man for large banks, was leaving his post to become examiner-in-charge of Zions Bank. The move was unusual and effectively a demotion.

The Minnesota bank is generating strong profits on its specialty lending, but is the run-up in its stock price a validation of that strategy or investors hoping that it will be acquired?

First Belleville Bancshares didn't buy First National Bank in Hays, Kan., because of the seller's accounts-receivable unit, though the business could prove to be a nice added value.

Earnings at State Bank Financial (STBZ) in Atlanta rose 2.2% in the fourth quarter from a year earlier, to $9.3 million.

Revenue from mortgage lending boosted Bank of Hawaii (BOH) in the fourth quarter. Earnings at the $13.7 billion-asset company rose 2.6% from a year earlier, to $40.3 million.

Regulatory cooperation is the key to navigating the division of responsibilities that the Dodd-Frank Act made to bank regulation, Comptroller of the Currency Thomas Curry said Wednesday.

Cullen/Frost Bankers (CFR) in San Antonio posted higher quarterly earnings because of strong loan growth and a securities gain.

With a federal court endangering the status of its director and its second in command leaving, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has suddenly been forced to shift from playing offense to defense.

Earnings at United Bankshares rose 5% from a year earlier to $21.2 million. Earnings of 42 cents a share were 1 cent below analysts' average estimate, according to Bloomberg.

New York Community Bancorp (NYCB) in Westbury, N.Y., reported earnings that were short of analysts' expectations because a surge in refinancing cut its net interest margin.

HSBC, the $2.7 trillion-asset company, said Wednesday it has named James Comey, a former U.S. deputy attorney general, to its board and formed a new board committee to oversee compliance with laws that aim to deter money laundering and other crimes.

Many of the nation's largest financial institutions lowered their spending on lobbying the federal government in 2012, according to data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics. Although data is only available through Dec. 4, 2012, the reports suggest that year-end spending will be down significantly from 2011. That trend may reflect lower expectations for major legislative changes during a presidential election year.

BOK Financial (BOKF) in Oklahoma City reported higher quarterly earnings because of higher mortgage-banking income.

In announcing plans to buy the $2.8 billion-asset Virginia Commerce, United Bankshares has made a deal that will dramatically increase its market share around the nation's capital.

Future compensation structures should not only reflect the higher costs of servicing troubled loans but also open the business to more nonbank competitors.

Visa Inc.'s board of directors named Robert W. Matschullat as independent, non-executive chairman of the world's largest payments network.

TCF Financial in Wayzata, Minn., posted higher quarterly results after reporting an uptick in lending for equipment purchases.

The Riverhead, N.Y., company is profitable again and playing offense after purging bad loans and raising capital in recent months

The Spokane, Wash., company has agreed to sell three branches to Pacific Financial (PFLC) in Aberdeen, Wash. The branches are in Astoria, Ore., Seaside, Ore., and Aberdeen.