If you are in banking, there are going to be times when you hear the purpose of a regulation questioned…

In the first instalment of this series, we discussed the steps to take internally when an examination results in unexpected…

Introduction You have just completed your examination, and your regulators have given you their preliminary results.  For most of us,…

The Uniform Beneficial Ownership Rule has received a great deal of attention in the past few years.  This was largely…

As part of the development of a comprehensive compliance management program, there are specific roles for senior management and another…

Proper Care and Feeding of Risk Assessments   So here you are, it’s either the beginning of a new year, maybe…

Is a Compliance Committee Overkill?   Do we really need compliance committee?  For many institutions, the development of a compliance…

Part Two- Control Environments There are myriad whitepapers and scholarly articles discussing control environment theories. Many of these documents discuss…

There are many reasons financial intuitions suffer through periods of poor compliance performance.  The causes of these problems are myriad. …

Part One- A New System of Review The FFIEC (the organization that is comprised of major financial institution regulators) changed…

High risk customers present myriad concerns for a BSA Officer.   Questions like- what is the proper amount of Due Diligence, how…

Since regulators first embraced the risk-based approach to supervision of banks, training of staff has been recognized as one of…

Many of you who have been in compliance for several years can attest to the experience; five years in a…

As the year has progressed and a new federal administration has set in, it might be easy to assume that…

One of the constants in the world of compliance is change.    Right now, most are unsure just how the Consumer…

In the first blog of this series, we noted that managing complaints is a regulatory obligation for most financial institutions.…

A Complaint System is a Regulatory Duty One area often overlooked by financial institutions is the need to establish and…

The Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2020 (AMLA) is a law that modernizes the U.S. government’s approach to combating money laundering…

In the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, a wave of new regulations reshaped the financial landscape. Among the significant…

If you’ve spent any time in the compliance arena, you’re likely familiar with this scenario: The examiners arrive at your…

If you are or have been in the compliance arena, you are familiar with this scenario: the examiners have just…

Part One: A New System of Review The FFIEC (the organization comprising major financial institution regulators) has changed how compliance…

As the dust settled form the financial meltdown of 2008 there were a large number of new significant regulations to…

Based on the characteristics that we laid out in part 1, it would seem that banks would be in a…

Part One of a Two-Part Series: The Regulators! In the previous blog, we discussed the reasons to consider banking MSB’s. …

For many thousands of workers in the United States, the end of the week renews a weekly ritual; payday.  For…

For many thousands of workers in the United States, the end of the week renews a weekly ritual; payday.  For…

Part Three in a Series We have discussed the UBO rule and the changes that will be required when the…

Introduction There are many things that the United States has done to respond to the war in Ukraine.  Among the…

2020 was an unforgettable year for many reasons; the Covid outbreak, the US national election, civil unrest and just general…

Community banks and credit unions have been a key part of the American economy since its beginning.  These are the…

As we noted in parts one and two of this series, Fintech companies are designed to disrupt the current business…

While the overall public impression of banks and financial institutions took a major hit during the 2008 financial crisis, in…

  We hear a lot about fintech companies Financial technology, also known as FinTech, is a line of business based on…

  For those of you who have experienced a BSA examination or audit, you know one of the first things…

For many thousands of workers in the United States, the end of the week renews a weekly ritual, payday.  For…

Part Three in a Series We have discussed the UBO rule and the changes that will be required when both…

A Three-part Series- Part Two-The Changes to the Rule   Introduction In our first blog in this series, we noted…

A Three-part Series- Part One-The UBO Comes of Age Introduction There are many things that the United States has done…

2020 was an unforgettable year for many reasons; the Covid outbreak, the US national election, civil unrest, and just general…

While the overall public impression of banks and financial institutions took a major hit during the 2008 financial crisis, in…

One of the constants in the world of compliance is change.   One of the other constants in compliance has been…

Community banks and credit unions have been a key part of the American economy since its beginning.  These are the…

For a community bank that is considering developing banking as s service, there are several issues to consider.  While the…

Banking as a Service- What it means for Community Banking Introduction One of the hottest topics in the financial service…

We hear a lot about fintech companies Financial technology, also known as FinTech, is a line of business based on using…

Why ARE There BSA/AML Regulations? As anyone in compliance can attest, there are myriad consumer compliance regulations.  For financial institutions, these regulations…

As we noted in parts one and two of this series, Fintech companies are designed to disrupt the current business…

  Part One – What is the rule and What Does it mean to Me?   On May 11, 2016,…

There are myriad whitepapers and scholarly articles discussing control environment theories. Many of these documents discuss in detail the components…

  Among the things that community banks must consider in the next decade is how best to navigate the landscape…

  Community banks and credit unions have been a key part of the American economy since its beginning. These are…

As the dust settled form the financial meltdown of 2008 there were a large number of new significant regulations to…

The concept of risk assessments is often associated with large banks and financial institutions ? but it shouldn?t be.??Oftentimes, the…

    As you prepare your annual audit schedule, a task that can often seem mundane, there are significant opportunities…

Planning Your Compliance Year As the year comes to close, for most people, it is time to celebrate with family…

  There are lessons for All Financial Institutions in the Wells Fargo Case We have talked about the Wells Fargo…

A Three Part Series- Part One- Understanding the Power of UDAAP The recent news about a huge fine levied against…

Part One – What is the rule and What Does it mean to Me? On May 11, 2016, the Financial…

  When reviewing the overall effectiveness of your fair lending program, one of the areas that can often be overlooked…

Part One- Change is on the Horizon In April of 2016, the FFIEC released proposed new guidelines for rating compliance…

Imagine the following scenario: you are the compliance officer and while doing a routine check on disclosures, you notice a…

Do you Know Your Risk Appetite? As part of the development of a comprehensive compliance management program, there are specific…