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Financial Institutions Archive
8/1/2008
Internal Controls: Finding the Right Balance
Strategies to find the right balance in controlling risk.
7/1/2008
Governance Practices – Setting the Tone
Strategies for strengthening your corporate governance.
6/1/2008
Information Technology and Your Trust Department
Does your IT program include the trust department?
5/1/2008
Economic Stimulus Act of 2008: Business Incentives
The Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 could mean additional tax savings for your financial institution as well as for your commercial customers.
4/1/2008
The Top 10 Must-Haves for Better IT Governance
Achieve greater success through a consistent commitment to IT management.
4/1/2008
Are Your Fiduciary Activities Adequately Monitored?
Trust activities should be monitored by the trust committee and approved by the board of directors.
3/1/2008
Is Your Trust Department Fulfilling its Fiduciary Responsibilities?
Required fiduciary audits can also reveal control weaknesses, compliance risks, and inefficiencies in your trust department.
2/1/2008
Here's a Tip: Hotline Tips Dramatically Curb Fraud Losses
Having a fraud prevention program in place is essential for any financial institution. Having a confidential way to report fraud is just as important.
1/25/2008
AML Vigilance Requires a Sound Program
Is your anti-money laundering program as effective as it should be?
1/1/2008
Managing Market Risk with EVE
Understanding EVE is an important part of managing your interest rate risk.
12/1/2007
Aligning Performance Management and Compensation Systems
Aligning performance and pay can improve employee performance as well as your bottom line.
12/1/2007
The Other S Corporation Benefit
The benefits of becoming an S corporation are beyond the obvious. It can be a win-win for both the buyers and sellers.
11/1/2007
Eight Reasons to Revisit Your Compliance Program
These eight events should prompt you to revisit your institution’s program, review risk assessment, and confirm seamless compliance.
10/1/2007
New Risk-Based Audit Standards: How New Rules Will Affect You
The new standards give financial institutions an audit process that can more readily adapt to changing circumstances.
9/1/2007
Commercial Real Estate Loans Require Well-Defined Processes
Strong risk management processes and procedures are essential for every well-managed commercial real estate program.
8/1/2007
Deposit Accounts: Addressing Market and Pricing Issues
Fourteen effective measures an institution should consider to address pricing and retention issues on loans and deposits.
7/1/2007
Use POWER to Reduce Noninterest Expense
Although noninterest expense is easily defined, the process of reducing operating expenses can be difficult and time-consuming. Here are some tips.
6/1/2007
Profitability: Product Costs, Product Pricing
Do you know the cost associated with servicing product lines? Are your rates competitive?
4/1/2007
CRM Implementation: 7 Elements That Drive Success
Here are seven crucial elements that can drive a successful CRM implementation.
3/1/2007
CRM: Finding the Right Growth Mix
Here are five strategies for using customer relationship management to achieve growth.
2/1/2007
CRM: Leading With Strategy
Is your CRM program aligned with your institution's business objectives?
1/1/2007
Vendor Management: Success Starts Upfront
Outsourcing IT roles doesn't mean that you outsource accountability as well. What’s missing from your vendor management efforts?
12/1/2006
Are You At Risk? Assessing and Managing Information Security
Are you effectively assessing and managing your information security risk?
11/1/2006
Information Technology: What’s the Plan?
Are you integrating IT management into your strategic plan?
10/17/2006
For Sale By Owner: Should You Sell Your Bank Yourself?
Do you know the true value of your business? Who will run your business while you are busy selling? These are just a couple of questions you need to consider when selling your bank.
10/1/2006
You’ve Tested Your Compliance Program... Now What?
Equally important to analyzing you risk and conducting tests is verifying that the new implementation or procedure changes are actually effective.
9/1/2006
Your Compliance Program: Assess, Then Test
Favorable exam reports begin with institutions finding problems themselves through testing and correcting them before exam time.
8/1/2006
Compliance: Moving From Reactive to Proactive
Does your compliance program meet regulators' expectations?
7/1/2006
Successfully Acquired: Five Lessons That Matter
Here are five insights that can aid in the successful sale of a financial institution.
6/1/2006
Internal Audit: Benefits Beyond The Obvious
An internal audit can be much more than just a safety net for your organization.
5/1/2006
Internal Controls From Every Point of View
Internal controls should ultimately make most people's jobs easier. How are they perceived in your institution?
4/1/2006
Taking Control: A Balanced Approach
Are your internal controls keeping assets safe and information secure?
3/9/2006
Lenders Beware: The Winds of Change Are Blowing for Financial Reporting
The FIN 46 rules change the way entities become subject to consolidation.
3/1/2006
Procedures and People: A Hand-in-Hand Approach to Enhance the Internal Audit Function
Does your institution have procedures in place to ensure that key policies are followed?
2/1/2006
Effective Loan Operations: From Paperwork to Productivity
Are you making use of technology to enhance your loan operations?
1/1/2006
Effective Operations: Ensuring Bookkeeping Efficiencies
Applying and making full use of your in-house systems is a smart start to realizing operational efficiencies.
12/1/2005
Effective Operations: The Role of Teller Service
Nothing can elevate a financial institution’s reputation and promote its brand like competent, friendly teller operations.
11/1/2005
Leveraging Technology to Enhance Operations
High-tech services are no longer an option; they’re a competitive requirement. Here's an overview of the key factors and trends.
10/1/2005
Outsourcing Internal Audits: A Reliable Alternative
Here are five good reasons to outsource your internal audit function.
9/1/2005
Trust Preferred Securities: A Capital-Raising Tool for Community Banks
The structure of TPS has changed over the years to make this option more affordable for banks of all sizes.
8/1/2005
Independent Audit Is Key to BSA Compliance
Is your program for complying with the Bank Secrecy Act well-defined and well-implemented?
7/1/2005
Preventing Insider Fraud
Here are the warning signs to look for - and eight steps to help prevent employee fraud in the future.
6/1/2005
Crossing the FDICIA Floor
Preparing for compliance may take a year. Will your financial institution be ready for the $500 million threshold?
5/1/2005
Safeguarding Customer Information with a Practical Information Security Program
Every financial institution must have a program to protect information systems and data. Does yours fulfill GLBA requirements?
4/1/2005
Safeguarding Customer Information through Proper Risk Assessment
Are you doing everything you can to protect customer data? Seven key questions can provide the answers you need.
3/1/2005
Measuring Product Profitability: What to do With the Info
Product profitability is a function of revenue and expense. The goal is to identify the return on assets (ROA) and the return on equity (ROE) for each product.
3/1/2005
Measuring Customer Profitability: What to do With the Info
Measuring and understanding customer profitability can help assure that products are marketed and directed to the customers and prospects most likely to be profitable.
3/1/2005
Safeguarding Customer Information Through an Information Technology Examination and Vulnerability Testing
How well are such standards performing?
2/1/2005
Deposit Accounts: Marketing & Financial Issues Every Bank CEO Needs to Think About
Understanding your customers' banking and savings activities, behaviors, and patterns is one of the key strategies in developing a plan to increase deposit growth.
2/1/2005
Safeguarding Customer Information through a Compliant Information Security Program
Securing customer information establishes and sustains customer trust and allows for the optimization of overall operations.
1/1/2005
Profit Opportunity Within Every Resource
In order to improve your bank’s profitability, you must increase revenue, decrease expense, or do both.