Tag Archive for: Marketing

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Go Digital on a Budget

How to kick off your digital strategy with a low (or no) budget

By Grace Bruins

When digital marketing options are endless, marketers are left wondering “where do I even start?” (And bank marketers are left wondering “where am I even allowed to start?”) Add in shrinking budgets in preparation for a recession, and it would be easy to throw in the towel on digital and make it 2024’s problem.

Let me encourage you, friends — don’t give in. Even with a low (or no) budget, you can kick off your digital strategy today. Here’s how to start:

Claim Your Bank on Google

Create a Google My Business account and set up a profile for your branch(es). This allows you to own your profile on Google and optimize it for future searches. Which brings me to…

Ask for Reviews

Did you know people are two to three times more likely to leave a negative review than a positive one? But I’d be willing to bet you have two to three times more happy customers than unhappy ones. So, ask.

When a customer has a great experience, or tells you in person: “I love this bank,” take a minute to ask if they’d be willing to leave a Google review. This may feel like a vanity metric at first, but Google will organically serve up those businesses that are more highly rated on their platform than those that aren’t. (And if you’ve ever Googled anything before, you know the importance of appearing highest in the search results.)

Make a Habit of Responding to Reviews

Good or bad — engage with the people taking a few minutes to talk about you. Google ranks those businesses that engage on their platform higher in searches than those that don’t.

Want to take it one step further? Add in key search terms to your responses. Of course, you want your responses to be authentic, so #checking #account may not be the way to go. But responding with:

“Thanks for stopping in our branch in [your city name]! Our team works hard to provide the best customer service possible and we’re proud to be your community bank! If you ever need us,
don’t hesitate to call [your bank’s phone number]. We’re here to help!”

can be genuine, helpful, and includes a few key terms your prospects may use in the future to find you.

Create Relevant Content

Creating content has become status quo — so much so that we may begin to overlook it as a marketing strategy. But if you can show off your expertise and make it your goal to become the single best resource in your field, people will pay attention. (I wish I could say they will pay attention right away, but they probably won’t.) Don’t let that discourage you, friends. Keep at it. Content compounds in a way that other marketing channels can’t.

Lastly, Don’t Forget to Engage

It’s called social media for a reason. Tag local businesses in your area, congratulate people in your community when they accomplish great things, and use hashtags to be included in the conversation. Bring that sense of community customers feel walking into your branch to the online experience.

Friends, let’s not wait for 2024. You can start your digital strategy today. Just remember to be consistent and be present; keep putting out quality content and engaging with your fans and you’ll bring that sense of community you work hard to create in person to your online audience in no time.

Bruins is assistant vice president – marketing officer at Horicon Bank and vice chair of the 2022–2023 WBA Marketing Committee.

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Branding Your Culture

Wisconsin banks empower employees, drive service

By Hannah Flanders

Accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, changes in work-life balance, employee expectations, and workplace culture have all dramatically shifted among every industry. However, as new cultures of service emerge internally, an increasing number of businesses are considering how this company culture shift may widely benefit both current and prospective employees as well as the perspective of customers.

The Culture of Serving Others

Company culture, or the shared values and beliefs held within an organization, continues to prove itself as a significant factor not only in talent attraction and recruitment, but in how Wisconsin’s community banks are able to stand out from large competitors.

Time and time again, poor management or lack of service are often to blame for individuals leaving businesses or finding new providers. However, as Wisconsin’s community banks focus their efforts into doing what they do best — providing high quality service to every member of their communities — it will come as no surprise that talent and customers will follow.

Establishing an Effective Company Culture

According to Amanda Emery-Morris, training and marketing coordinator at Farmers & Mer- chants Union Bank in Columbus, company culture is largely connected to the mission, vision, and beliefs held by the bank. In this, most Wisconsin banks have already completed the most challenging aspect.

In order to encourage employees to adopt these values, managers should ensure a sense of trust among their staff.

Robb Rempel of Nebraska-based Haberfeld highlights that in order to empower the employee, it is critical that they are provided with, and have an understanding of, products they believe in and have processes that encourage follow through.

These processes should not only include training and equipping every team member to identify customer needs but ensuring every team member understands where they can turn with questions or direct others. These skills are vital in fostering a confident team.

Sustaining Culture Among Employees

Of course, setting employees and prospective talent up for success is one aspect to consider — but how can banks ensure they are continually boosting employee morale and that company culture is evident to new or prospective employees? Rempel suggests that community bankers should lean into the changes caused by COVID.

“Regularly check in with your team — really get to know them as people,” he notes.

This follow through not only drives engagement and performance but develops a personal connection between team members. As our industry demands this intimate connection with others in order to better serve, it is critical that at every level, managers show this care for their employees who then feel inclined to pass it on to the customer.

“Part of our retention strategy is to provide the tools [our team members] need to do their jobs efficiently,” says Emery-Morris. “Whether it be more training or mentoring, [our goal is to] help that individual be the best banker he or she can be.”

Additionally, banks should recognize team members based on their contributions to the overall culture of the organization — not just top job performance. By building a brand surrounding the service provided by employees of the organization and celebrating the successes, others are encouraged to take part.

The Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) considers reward and recognition programs as key mechanisms to motivate employees to act in accordance with the culture and values.

While strategy remains an important factor not only in keeping Wisconsin’s community banks relevant and competitive against the growth in competition for customers and talent, Rempel encourages banks to “build a brand around service, not so much procedure.”

How to Leverage Culture Externally

While commonly considered as a way to form rooted connections among employees and the business, culture can also be used to make community banks stand out. In focusing specifically on expanding the culture of service bankers bring to their communities, new ways to market closely follow.

In particular, word-of-mouth marketing is one of the most valuable tools a business can utilize. According to Semrush, an online visibility management and marketing platform, around 90% of people are likely to trust a recommended brand.

This tactic has the potential to not only drive sales in new customers, but it is also a simple and highly effective way for community banks to increase the awareness of their organization.

During the recruiting process, community banks may also emphasize company culture by ensuring prospective employees align with the bank’s mission, rather than solely by skill.

“By knowing who we [Farmers & Merchant Union Bank] are and what we want to achieve, employees and prospective employees know what we stand for and what’s expected of them,” states Emery-Morris.

In this, community banks that intertwine culture into the standard hiring process may find that employees are more likely to have higher performance and the business will suffer less from the costly impact of departures.

Staying Informed and Ahead

As company culture continually shifts and services valued by employees and customers evolve, it is critical that Wisconsin’s community banks are prepared to deliver.

During the Wisconsin Bankers Association’s (WBA) upcoming LEAD360 Conference, bankers will be equipped with the tools, skills, and understanding to cultivate an environment of productivity and foster connections.

Retail, sales, marketing, and financial literacy bankers convening in Wisconsin Dells November 16 and 17 will have the opportunity to learn more on topics related to service culture and talent retention from Rempel and Emery-Morris as well as several other speakers.

To learn more about the conference or register, please visit wisbank.com/lead360.

The conference is designed to help ensure Wisconsin’s community banks are prepared to promote the value of staff and assist team members in efficiently and effectively serving their communities. The ability to stay abreast of the ever-evolving workplace culture shifts and trends in our industry will prove essential in remaining competitive and ready to serve.

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Building Credit for a Better Future

Helping young adults establish credit

By Tammy Tongusi

Financial institutions tend to overlook teens becoming adults, especially when it comes to providing education. Young adults will need to become financially independent, notably to prepare for purchasing a car or buying their first home. In today’s world, young adults plan for their future very differently than thirty years ago. I do not recall hearing from my parents or educators, “You should start thinking about building your credit.” As bankers, we help to start that process by giving our customers the tools they need to reach their financial goals. We know the credit scoring system creditors use to help determine your credit score. This will have an impact on many transactions going forward from whether or not a loan will be approved to the interest rate that will be paid and even the cost of car insurance.

Forte Bank offers a Teens with Green Club account that is designed for 13–17 year olds, and most of them are eager to get a checking account with a debit card. The teenage years are a great time to start the conversation and get them thinking. Many people do not realize that students and other young adults can establish credit through their parents’ credit if their credit card allows authorized users to be added. These card companies report to all three credit bureaus, so credit scores can start to build.

Financial classes for students and young adults, held in schools or at the bank branch, give them the tools needed to establish credit for future purchases and how to budget money to make them financially responsible. By promoting financial awareness, they can start taking steps to be on the path to a brighter future.

A “secured” credit card is a great starting point for customers with no credit or very low credit scores and is an excellent way to start building a credit history. The Forte Bank program requires account holders to have a separate deposit account with the bank and a balance of funds to hold as collateral. This deposit, which must be placed for at least 12 months, will establish the credit limit as a minimum of $250.00 and with no maximum. This will allow them to start understanding how to properly use a credit card. Stressing how important it is to make monthly payments on time and not maxing out the credit card every month is crucial for a young adult building their credit score. We generally recommend using credit cards for minimal purchases two to three times a month.

After they have received their secured card, they should take some time before they start applying for other credit cards. Having a credit use history will help in both building a credit score and gaining access to other lines of credit.

Another way to consider establishing credit is to explore the options of having a joint credit with a co-signer. This can be especially useful with an automobile purchase. Many banks will offer a reduced rate if customers sign up for automatic payments. Additionally, it will ensure their payments will be on time.

Forte Bank is very active in finding ways to ensure that future generations are responsible users of credit. Taking an active role at the start of their credit journey is a great way to help teens and young adults establish a solid credit score and understand how these products can be used to help them on their financial journey throughout life.

Tongusi is assistant vice president – retail banker and consumer lender at Forte Bank, Hartford and a member of the 2021–2022 WBA Marketing Committee.

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A (Great) Picture is Worth a Thousand Likes

Tips for creating more visually captivating photographs with just a cell phone

By Daniel Rivera

Once upon a time, all a business needed to grab a consumer’s attention was a catchy tagline. In today’s world, media channels are constantly evolving, and battling brands are always looking for ways to make their content stand out over the competition. Your social media posts reflect your bank’s brand and for your brand to stand out, your posts must do the same. We all know (at least we should know) that a social media post cannot rely solely on witty text to draw the attention of anyone scrolling through. At the same time though, just posting any photo will not do the trick either.

Despite what you may believe, you don’t need a fancy professional camera to take stellar photos. Most of the time, your smart phone will do the trick. Here are some simple tips for creating more visually captivating photographs with just your cell phone:

Look for the Light:

The first step to taking a great photo is to find the best light source and to adjust your shot accordingly. You want to make sure that your subject is well-lit while also not having them stare directly into the sun. Sometimes your options are limited, and your phone will adjust accordingly. However, if your phone is automatically setting the exposure too low, tap the screen on the area that is appearing too dark as you’re setting up your shot, and your phone will adjust the overall exposure to compensate for that part of the image.

Tell the Story:

Getting a great group photo isn’t just about gathering everyone for a quick picture. You’ll want to incorporate some elements into the frame that help tell the story. If you are raising money for breast cancer awareness, make sure everyone is wearing pink. If you’re sponsoring a concert in the community, be sure to show the musicians on stage by your bank’s banner. And if your bank is taking part in the town’s parade, show off the colorful float as well as anyone walking by it, ready with goodies to throw out to the crowd.

Make ’em Smile:

Happy people want to work with happy people. So, regardless of whether you’re trying to attract new customers or new employees, make sure those in your photos are showing you their best smiling faces.

Enhance Your Photos:

Sometimes, you can get a great-looking shot straight out of the camera that needs no additional work — but many times — your photo could use a little enhancing. Adjusting the brightness, contrast, color saturation, and crop of your photo are all you need to make your photo pop. You don’t even need to purchase a software subscription to make these simple edits either. Adobe has free mobile versions of their Photoshop and Lightroom programs, while Snapseed and PicMonkey are also great photo-editing options worth looking into, all available for Android and iOS devices.

Media and its impact on consumers is constantly evolving. So, now that you’re ready to take your smartphone photography to a whole new level, just imagine what you can do with your bank’s brand once you’ve taken it a step further with video!

Rivera is marketing coordinator at The Bank of New Glarus and a member of the 2021–2022 WBA Marketing Committee.

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Raising the Bar in Bank Marketing

Join Us for the WBA LEAD360 Conference on November 16-17 in Wisconsin Dells!

By Hannah Flanders

When Josh Mabus founded Mabus Agency in 2008, customer relationships with banks had already begun evolving. What started as general services creative agency soon morphed into a bank-focused marketing agency with a mission to both help people and raise the creative bar. Mabus and his team have reimagined marketing with banks and their customers in mind.

This year at the Wisconsin Bankers Association’s LEAD360 Conference, Mabus will be hosting a session that will assist banks in creating strong customer relationships through branding.

“Attendees will gain new perspectives in how an overarching brand can affect all areas of a customer’s life. I’ll share Mabus Agency’s unique perspective of the five key components of bank marketing, and how they work together to build effective and efficient strategies,” said Mabus.

LEAD360 is an annual conference that gathers retail bankers, sales/marketing bankers, and financial literacy bankers from across Wisconsin for two days of comprehensive breakout sessions and networking among peers.

“I love the focused learning that comes from smaller groups like these,” said Mabus. “Not only is it easier to communicate to smaller groups, but everyone in the room has similar experiences marketing to shared customers.”

If you are interested in learning more, make sure you’re registered for LEAD360 in Wisconsin Dells November 16–17. For more details on Josh’s LEAD360 session and the full agenda, visit the event page.

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Legal Q&A: Use of Bank Name, Logo, or Symbol in Marketing Material

Q: May a Person Use the Name, Logo, or Symbol of a Bank in Marketing Material?

A: Not if it is deceptive. More specifically, Wis. Stat. section 221.0404 provides, in summary, that no person may use the name, logo, or symbol of a bank, or such that is deceptively similar to that of a bank, in any marketing material provided to another person in a manner that a reasonable person may believe that the marketing material originated from the bank.

WBA is aware that potentially deceptive letters have recently circulated. Such letters often take the form of mortgage relief offers, solicited by individuals unassociated with the bank. Similar letters have also been seen by Paycheck Protection Program participants. Depending on the nature of these letters, they may violate section 221.0404. The Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) has enforcement authority over this section, including the ability to issue cease and desist orders, and penalties. Banks that encounter such letters are encouraged to contact WBA, and DFI.

Note that to be a violation, the letter must be deceptive, meaning that a reasonable person reading the letter could believe it originated from the bank. A letter is not a violation if a reasonable person should recognize that it did not originate from the bank. This includes letters which display a disclaimer, such as to indicate that the sender is not affiliated with the bank. WBA has also spoken with DFI recently and learned that a letter might be deceptive based upon its envelope. Specifically, envelopes with a “window,” which reveals a portion of the letter including bank’s name. Even if there is a disclaimer in the letter inside, if it’s not visible on the envelope or through the “window,” it could be considered deceptive.

Even if a letter is not deceptive, banks might hear complaints from their customers. In such situations, banks might consider discussing with its customers how and when it will issue correspondence. This way, customers can easily identify what originates from the bank. Additionally, banks might consider discussing this matter with its customers at time of loan closing so they can be better prepared to identify these letters as not originating from the bank.

If you have any questions on this topic or other matters of compliance, contact WBA’s legal call program at 608-441-1200 or wbalegal@wisbank.com.

Birrenkott is WBA assistant director – legal.

Note: The above information is not intended to provide legal advice; rather, it is intended to provide general information about banking issues. Consult your institution’s attorney for special legal advice or assistance. 

By, Cassie Krause

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What’s in a Name? The Intersection of Brand and Community

Bank name changes go beyond charter conversions

What's in a (bank) name? It's branding, but so much more. Competition, growth and expanding markets, local history, M&A, relationship with the community… An inexhaustible list of influences can impact an institution's strategy for its name. Changing names is not a decision made lightly for any business, but when approached strategically it can be an effective way for banks to retain or gain target customers or to deepen its connection with a wider community. 

A bank's motivation to change its name could range from compliance (i.e. a charter conversion), to significant changes in corporate strategy, product/service mix, or the bank's target market, to differentiating or refreshing the bank's current brand, according to John Verre, president and CEO, Leap Strategic Marketing. Regardless of the reason behind the name change, more and more banks are choosing creative, non-traditional names. "What we see reflects banks recognizing the value of a brand and trademark," explained Jason Hunt, attorney at Boardman & Clark, LLP. "Traditionally, many banks picked names reflective of their local geographic community or descriptive of their position in the community, but as they expand they want to have more of a unique trade name or brand." 

Fortifi Bank, formerly known as 1st National Bank of Berlin, is a perfect example. The bank is 142 years old and originally chartered in Berlin, Wis. Over the past two decades, however, it expanded its footprint well beyond its name. "We now reach from Waunakee to Green Bay," said President/CEO Eric Cerbins. "We were being confused with a few other First National Banks within that footprint." The bank rebranded a few years ago in order to differentiate, but the market confusion continued. "It used to be there was just one First National Bank in each community, but as we grew our territories started to overlap," explained SVP – Marketing Loni Meiborg. When the bank decided to convert from a national to a state charter, it also used the opportunity to change its name in order to achieve the market differentiation it was looking for. 

Another bank that recently moved beyond geographic names is Bluff View Bank, formerly Bank of Galesville (as well as Seven Bridges Bank, Holmen and Bank of Trempealeau). "The name change is a larger rebranding of the bank and the result of several years of strategic planning and consultation with our marketing agency," said President/CEO Scott Kopp. "When we first went into new communities we wanted to be part of that community, including the name." However, maintaining separate entities for each community the bank served presented problems. "We found it was difficult to market three different entities with different names and logos," Kopp explained. "It was cumbersome, and some of our customers weren't aware that we were affiliated with our different locations."

4 Steps to a New Name

While changing a bank's name is not a small undertaking, there are several steps you can take to make the transition smoother. 

1. Generate a list of possible names. First, make sure you understand the regulatory constraints on your name. "DFI's Division of Banking interprets Wisconsin law to require a state-chartered Wisconsin bank to include the word 'bank' in its name," explained Patrick Neuman, attorney at Boardman & Clark, LLP. It's also important to keep in mind how important differentiation is to your institution when you begin brainstorming. "Most banks want to use words that reflect their values, but oftentimes banks have similar values," Hunt pointed out. "Banks have to start thinking outside the box." Banks should consider formal research into how its new name or brand can differentiate it from competitors. "Some changes require research involving customers, prospects, and employees," said Verre. "Think of it as a gap analysis. Look at banking in your community and ask what's missing."

The name "Fortifi Bank" began at a facilitated session with 16 bank staff members of different demographics and backgrounds who focused on the bank's present and future identity. From there, they generated a list of 200 different words that the bank's marketing department filtered, combined, and narrowed down. "We got really creative and reviewed everything that was generated," said Meiborg. "We could have stuck with a more traditional name, but we took the opportunity to evaluate our target market and deliver a name that is better aligned." Bluff View Bank used a similar approach, seeking employee opinions very early on. "I asked all of our employees to give us suggestions, and they, along with our marketing agency, really came up with some outstanding names," said Kopp. "We then had to get them vetted and trademarked. We narrowed it down to three, and then had a voting process to get input from employees again." 

2. Conduct an initial screening. As Kopp stated, it is critical to vet the list of potential names before investing any time or money in the new brand or name. "Banks get very far down the road and very excited about a new name before doing an initial screening, and then are disappointed if it's not available," Hunt cautioned. "I highly recommend doing that initial screening first. It's inexpensive to do an initial trademark screening through a law firm and it's better to do it at the beginning than to spend a lot of money creating a new name and brand only to discover a problem down the road." If the bank has plans to expand its market area in the future, Hunt strongly recommends registering the new name with the U.S. Trademark Office. "Assuming the name is available, a U.S. trademark registration will give the bank constructive rights to use that name even in areas where the bank has not yet started doing business or using the name," he explained. "The advantage is, as the bank expands, it can continue to use the name and won't be forced to change."

3. File with the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions' Division of Banking. This is the step where the bank formally adopts its new name. "The way a bank changes its name in Wisconsin is to file an amendment to its articles of incorporation," Neuman explained. "That requires a majority vote of the bank's shareholders." Since most Wisconsin banks have a holding company, this requirement is simpler to accomplish than some banks assume, since the holding company board can vote on behalf of its shareholders. Banks also have the option of delaying the effective date of the change up to 90 days, if that fits their rollout strategy better. 

4. Communicate, communicate, communicate! Of the dozens of action steps involved in launching a renaming/rebranding campaign, the most essential is clear, effective, and timely communication with regulators and vendors, customer/clients, and the community. "Make sure you work with your core data processor to have your new legal name on all of your contracts," Neuman advised. Other important considerations include correspondent debt held at the holding company level and the bank's insurance policies. "A legal name change should not affect the validity of your contracts, but it's still a good idea to let all of your vendors and providers know ahead of time," he continued. "Name changes are mostly a state-driven issue. However, the state-chartered banks do need to file a FRY-10 with the Fed and should notify the FDIC in writing of the name change."

Bluff View Bank and Fortifi were both pleasantly surprised by how positively their customers and clients reacted to their bank's new name. One thing that likely influenced that reaction: both institutions also had board members and/or staff, including loan officers, reach out to clients in advance to notify them of the upcoming name change. If the name change is not the result of a merger, Verre strongly recommends over-communicating that to your customers. "Take the same steps to communicate to customers and employees as you would if it were a merger, so you ensure they know it's not a change in ownership," he said. "Many consumers will assume when you change your name there might be M&A involved, so you need to communicate that it's the same ownership, locations, employees, and products and services." 

The key, according to Meiborg, is to make sure your customers and community know only the bank's name is changing, not its commitment to them. "We work very hard for our communities to know we're part of them," she explained. "Throughout the process it's important to remind the community that you're not changing what you stand for or interrupting your service. You're changing so you can be around longer and stronger to keep serving the community."

Boardman & Clark, LLP is a WBA Gold Associate Member.
Leap Strategic Marketing is a WBA Associate Member.

By, Amber Seitz

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Channel Surfing: Banks Adapt to Shifting Customer Preferences with Multiple Delivery Channels

When it comes to delivery channels, the quantity over quality strategy is ineffective, Gallup research shows. In studies and surveys conducted from 2013-2016, Gallup has found that some banks have focused on aggressively expanding the number of channels they offer their customers without first researching how to choose the channels that best fit their customers and their overall strategic goals. Channel satisfaction is the key to increasing engagement and deepening the bank's relationship with its customers, and the key to channel satisfaction is identifying how and where your customers want to interact with you. 

The list of channel options for product delivery and marketing seems endless—but rather than having 500 channels and nothing good on, a strategic channel approach can effectively engage your audience. When the focus shifts from individual channels to the overall customer experience, it can be easier to identify where to focus. In general, channels can be classified as either traditional or digital and used for product delivery or marketing. Wisconsin Banker interviewed four experts to highlight current popular channels for banks to consider. 

Branches
"Branches are not dead, they're just changing from transaction centers to sales centers," said Mark Arnold, president of On the Mark Strategies. The bank branch is still a key channel because customers still want to know their banker and value the experience they have with the bank—regardless of whether that experience is online or in person, according to Sara Baker, vice president, Ladysmith Federal Savings & Loan. "Customers still demand that high-touch personal service from their community bank," said Baker. "Balancing the digital versus human touch relationships with our customers is key to the future of community banking."

Interactive Teller Machines
"Interactive teller—or video teller—machines are something every bank should study," said Jay Coakley, president of Coakley Strategic Solutions, LLC. "You can reduce delivery cost and provide great customer service, especially in a small community, by utilizing employees in one location to service customers in another location. It's great technology." These machines can help banks maintain strong service relationships even in locations where a full-scale branch is inefficient or prohibitively expensive to operate. 

Core Processors
Banks should consider the delivery channels offered through their core vendor, according to Jim Pannos, president and principal of the Pannos Marketing Agency. "Many of our clients are getting involved with their core processors to get their most recent release because there are so many more capabilities within the newer core processing platforms," he explained. 

Email 
"Don't forget the power of email," said Arnold. "Email is still a great channel to use to deliver products and services. Think about how scalable they are and how they look on mobile." For example, with the growing number of emails viewed on mobile phones, the format needs to be designed to allow readers to scroll through content easily.

Content marketing
In all digital marketing, but email especially, good content is a critical component. "Consumers today really want content and not sales pitches," said Arnold. "It's what you're saying as opposed to how you're saying it." Banks can position themselves as expert advisors by offering useful information to their customers through blogs, their website and emailed newsletters. However, Arnold cautions against too much verbosity: "People are consuming more information than they ever have before, but in smaller bites. Information you send out needs to be digestible," he said. 

Online
Technology that allows customers to access answers when the bank's doors aren't open will become increasingly important, according to Pannos. "Your bank doesn't have to be open 24 hours, but people are focused on accessing at their leisure versus when the bank is open," he said. The convenience of online banking appeals to many customers who previously performed transactions in the branch. "Consumers are not increasing the number of transactions each month," Coakley said of the growth in online and mobile transactions. "They're just interacting with the bank in a way that's more convenient for them."

Mobile
"Mobile has the strongest trend line," said Coakley. "From the studies we've done, mobile banking's trend line is going up at a steep increase while online, in-branch and phone systems are declining." However, it is important that the bank dedicate enough resources to their mobile app to make it both functional and intuitive or many customers will not adopt it as a preferred channel. "Customers expect a bank's mobile app to be vibrant, easy-to-use, and fast," Pannos explained. 

P2P Payments
Person-to-person payment applications like Vimeo are becoming the preferred tool for younger consumers, which makes these types of delivery channels a potential market for banks that choose to target younger customers. "Usage of [these apps] isn't going to shrink," said Pannos. "Banks should be aware of that as they're looking at their technology and how they're going to serve the millennial generation and Gen Z. They're looking to those types of platforms as currency."

Remote Deposit Capture
This service allows customers to deposit checks via their mobile phones by simply snapping a picture of it, and while it's becoming very popular, banks should be cautious. "It's a great service, but it can be costly, especially for smaller banks," said Pannos. Due to the diminishing number of checks being written across the industry, he advises banks to assess the overall market demand and competition for the product, as well as examine their own customer base demographics to ensure the product will assist in the bank's overall customer satisfaction and retention. 

Before Diving In…

So which channel(s) should your bank invest in? There are four main areas to consider when investigating a channel strategy upgrade: your customer base, cost, marketing and training. "It's important for banks to understand their market and their customer base," said Baker, pointing out that customer demands for a bank in metropolitan Milwaukee will be very different from those at a bank in rural northern Wisconsin. "Just because the bank down the street offers a certain product doesn't mean your bank needs to offer that same product. Ask your customers what they want before diving in." Coakley recommends defining not only what the bank's current customers want for delivery channels, but also the preferences of the bank's targeted future customers. "It's about what your current customers want and what your future customers want, and those can be two vastly different answers," he said.

While upgrading or purchasing new delivery channels can be costly, banks need to consider their options from all angles. For example, purchasing new video tellers may reduce branch overhead expenses enough to offset the initial cost. "Investing in new technology and solutions can overall reduce the cost of operations, so this is important to look at too," said Baker. Intentionally migrating your customers to digital channels can also lead to staffing changes. "Long-term reduction in FTEs pays for the new technology," Coakley explained.

Additionally, the bank must plan to market any new channels in order to optimize usage rates. "You may have great products and technology, but if you don't communicate that to your customers and your community, they won't adopt it," said Coakley. A review of the bank's current marketing channel strategies is also essential. "The very first thing every bank needs to do is conduct a marketing audit," said Arnold. "You need to look at each of your channels and how successful they are, then come back with strategic and tactical recommendations for changes." Finally, as with any major operational or product changes, the bank must offer training to its staff. "Banks need to invest in their staff, training them on ways to provide quality customer experiences at all touchpoints," Baker advised. 

Whether your bank has three delivery channels or 30, it's important that your customer experience is consistent across them. "Rather than thinking about just one channel, think about the experience," Arnold advised. So, when a customer visits a branch they experience the same level of service and style of messaging as when they visit your mobile app or website. "That's the challenge that banks face today," said Pannos. "You have to be old-fashioned in some aspects and cutting-edge in others." Because consumer preferences are so capricious, it's essential for banks to constantly reevaluate their channel strategy and adapt to what they learn. "Customers will continue to crave whatever technology is available which offers them convenience and a personal experience," said Baker. "As the technology evolves, banks too need to evolve."

By, Amber Seitz

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High-Risk Accountholders & Services

There is a list of high-risk customers and services in the BSA exam manual. Are you familiar with it? Do you understand how they impact your anti-money laundering program and how to mitigate the risks? Learn about the additional due diligence that is required.

Webinar Highlights

  • Nonresident aliens and foreign individuals (NRA)
  • Politically exposed persons (PEP)
  • Embassy and foreign consulate accounts
  • Nonbank financial institutions and MSBs
  • Professional service providers
  • Nongovernmental organizations and charities
  • Cash intensive businesses
  • Cannabis-related businesses
  • Private ATMs
  • Virtual asset service providers
  • Third-party payment processors (TPPPs)

Who Should Attend?
This webinar is designed for BSA officers, BSA coordinators, compliance officers, and security officers.

Take-Away Toolkit

  • FFIEC’s BSA/AML Examination Manual
  • Employee training log
  • Interactive quiz
  • PDF of slides and speaker’s contact info for follow-up questions
  • Attendance certificate provided to self-report CE credits

NOTE: All materials are subject to copyright. Transmission, retransmission, or republishing of any webinar to other institutions or those not employed by your institution is prohibited. Print materials may be copied for eligible participants only.

Presenter

Deborah Crawford is the President of Gettechnical Inc., a Florida-based firm, specializing in the education of financial institutions across the nation. Her 30+ years of experience began at Hibernia National Bank in New Orleans. She graduated from Louisiana State University with both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

Crawford specializes in the education of financial institution employees and officers in the areas of deposit account laws, new account documentation, insurance, complex compliance regulations, and IRAs.

Registration Options

  • Live $279
  • On-Demand $2979
  • Live + On-Demand $379
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GSB – How a CEO can be Brand Champion of the Organization

As the CEO of your bank you have many responsibilities. However, I would argue that the greatest responsibility of every CEO is to champion the brand of the organization. A good CEO will surround himself with the necessary human capital to fulfill many of the technical responsibilities of leadership. Yet, the one responsibility that cannot be delegated is that of the brand champion. In this session we’ll discuss the role of the brand champion and how the brand champion must lead the entire organization in a belief system that unites and ignites the human capital of the organization. We’ll discuss the functions of being a brand champion and how, as the brand champion, you can continue to grow and thrive so that your passion and energy is contagious across the brand network. The brand champion must believe and embody the brand and lead the charge for the entire organization. A great brand champion will make purpose and belief the primary currency for employees and not just monetary compensation. Be the brand. Be the brand champion.

Topics to be covered include:

  • Leadership
  • Human resources
  • Communications
  • Marketing
  • Training and development

Target Audience: President/CEO; CFO; CIO; COO; CMO

Presenter
Tim Pannell, Financial Marketing Solutions

Registration Option
Live presentation $330

Recording available through July 12, 2023

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FLEX Retail & Marketing Summit

Join WBA and your fellow Retail, Sales, and Marketing peers from across Wisconsin for the gathering of the WBA FLEX Retail & Marketing Summit! The Summit will kickoff on November 15 at 9:30 a.m. and adjourn at Noon on November 16.

Bank Member Registration:

The registration fee is $350 for the first attendee. Additional attendees from your bank can register for $300/attendee.

Registration includes networking meals and breaks, general sessions, breakout sessions, and access to the conference mobile app. Day Two Only Registration is $100/per attendee. *To receive the published discount, you must register everyone at the same time.

Associate Member Registration:

Associate Members are encouraged to send their staff as well! The same registration fee is available to WBA Associate Members.

Interested in upgrading your presence? Register to be a conference sponsor to receive additional benefits and conference recognition!

This Conference is for your Retail Bankers, Sales/Marketing Bankers, and Financial Literacy Bankers.

Associate Member & Exhibitor Registration Information

WBA Associate Members can register to exhibit at the conference ($600/booth including 2 attendees; $250/additional booth attendee) or register as a non-exhibiting conference attendee ($350/attendee).

Visit the Information for Exhibitors/Sponsors page for more details on exhibit and sponsor opportunities! Please contact WBA’s Nick Loppnow for more information.

Non-members are welcome to register to exhibit at the conference at the non-member rates ($1,000/booth including 2 attendees; $250/additional booth attendee)

Interested in upgrading your presence? Register to be a conference sponsor to receive additional benefits and conference recognition!

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Cannabis Banking: Hemp, MRBs, & CBD Business Update

The cannabis industry is flourishing. Banking these thriving businesses could be good for your institution, but are there remaining questions or concerns? This webinar will take the stigma out of banking cannabis-related businesses. It will provide best practices and sample policy to enable you to prepare your own policies and procedures.

After This Webinar You’ll Be Able To:

  • Differentiate marijuana-related, hemp-related, and CBD businesses
  • Explain federal regulations to your board and management team to support their decisions about banking cannabis-related businesses
  • Understand FinCEN’s guidance for conducting due diligence for cannabis-related businesses
  • Ask the right questions at account opening to avoid “discovering” a cannabis business after the fact
  • Update your BSA compliance program, including risk assessment, monitoring procedures, and training
  • Address concerns lenders have regarding the unique nature of collateral for cannabis-related businesses

Webinar Details
Although marijuana remains a Schedule I substance federally, 39 states have now legalized either medical marijuana, recreational marijuana, or both – and even more states are poised to pass legislation. This has opened an entirely new, booming industry, packed with businesses who need deposit accounts, loans, and other financial products.

Could a cannabis business open an account or borrow from your financial institution? Or does confusion remain regarding the difference between marijuana- and hemp-related laws? Where do you start? What are the risks? What due diligence is required? What about all the cash transactions, CTRs, and SARs? What reporting is expected? This timely session will address these questions, differentiate between marijuana-related and hemp-related laws, and map out the landmines. Learn the facts so you can make an informed decision about whether to serve these businesses.

Who Should Attend?
This informative session is designed for branch managers, loan managers, BSA officers, compliance officers, and senior management.

Take-Away Toolkit

  • Sample policy for banking cannabis-related businesses
  • Sample due diligence worksheets
  • Employee training log
  • Interactive quiz
  • PDF of slides and speaker’s contact info for follow-up questions
  • Attendance certificate provided to self-report CE credits

NOTE: All materials are subject to copyright. Transmission, retransmission, or republishing of any webinar to other institutions or those not employed by your institution is prohibited. Print materials may be copied for eligible participants only.

Presenter
Dawn Kincaid — Brode Consulting Services Inc

Dawn Kincaid began her banking career while attending The Ohio State University. She has over 20 years’ experience in client service, operations, information technology, administrative and board relations, marketing, and compliance. Most recently, Kincaid served as the Senior Vice President of Operations for a central-Ohio-based community bank, where she created and refined policies and procedures, conducted self-audits and risk assessments, and organized implementation of new products and services. Kincaid has served in the roles of Compliance, BSA/AML, CRA, Privacy, and Security Officer. She has led training initiatives, prepared due diligence information, completed a variety of regulatory applications, coordinated internal and external audits and exams, and presented for numerous state associations.

Registration Options

  • $279 – Live Webinar Access
  • $279 – OnDemand Access + Digital Download
  • $379 – Both Live & On-Demand Access + Digital Download
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Cryptocurrency Regulatory Expectations & Guidance

Does your institution provide cryptocurrency services? Even if you don’t, you need to understand the attendant regulations to deal with accountholders that have embraced it. Every financial institution needs to understand the agency-issued guidance, red flags, and potential for fraud. Now is the time to learn more.

After This Webinar You’ll Be Able To:

  • Understand crypto-asset risks to financial institutions
  • Identify potential red flags and risks with cryptocurrency
  • Explain related regulatory expectations and guidance
  • Define common cryptocurrency industry terminology
  • Recognize crypto asset-related frauds and scams

Webinar Details

Even if your institution is not planning to actively participate in cryptocurrency, you should be aware of the expectations when banking an accountholder that has embraced the distributed ledger technology. Cryptocurrency activity is conducted by millions of Americans, and financial institutions must understand the risks and red flags. The regulatory agencies have issued guidance explaining their expectations.  Do your policies and procedures address these expectations? Have you implemented gates and guardrails to control risk? As the digital asset world continues to evolve, it is critical that your institution understands regulatory expectations and is ready to handle accountholders that engage in cryptocurrency activity. This program will explain current crypto asset-related frauds and scams and red flags to help protect your accountholder’s assets.

Who Should Attend?
This informative session is designed for compliance officers, BSA officers, managers, trainers, and all staff that want to understand the current regulatory expectations and guidance regarding cryptocurrency and digital assets.

Take-Away Toolkit

  • Sample due diligence questions
  • Crypto lingo terms and definitions
  • Detailed regulatory reference list
  • Virtual asset red flag indicators of money laundering and terrorist financing
  • Crypto asset-related risk chart
  • Sample policy language
  • Employee training log
  • Interactive quiz
  • PDF of slides and speaker’s contact info for follow-up questions
  • Attendance certificate provided to self-report CE credits

NOTE: All materials are subject to copyright. Transmission, retransmission, or republishing of any webinar to other institutions or those not employed by your institution is prohibited. Print materials may be copied for eligible participants only.

Presenter
Molly Stull — Brode Consulting Services, Inc.

Molly Stull began her career as a teller while working on her undergraduate degree and has continued working in the financial industry ever since. She has experienced the growth of a hometown bank, branch mergers, charter changes, name changes, etc. Stull has activated business resumption plans, performed secondary market quality control reviews, processed wires, filed SARs, and coordinated reviews with external auditors and examiners. Her favorite role has always been educating staff and strongly believes that if staff understands the reason for a process they will be more compelled to follow the procedures. Stull holds a bachelor’s from the University of Akron and an MBA from Ashland University

Registration Options

  • $279 – Live Webinar Access
  • $279 – OnDemand Access + Digital Download
  • $379 – Both Live & On-Demand Access + Digital Download
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Opening Accounts Online: CIP, CDD, Documentation, & Beneficial Ownership

Online account opening is here to stay. A cascade of regulations apply, including BSA, CIP, CDD, E-SIGN, beneficial ownership, and more. Would you be able to identify a red flag? Are you adept at wading through the documentation? If all this seems like paddling upstream, this webinar will bring smooth sailing.

After This Webinar You’ll Be Able To:

  • Explain and implement the E-SIGN consent process to open accounts online
  • Understand which deposit regulations are related to E-SIGN and have compliance provisions
  • Use the most-recent BSA guidance to satisfy CIP due diligence requirements
  • Define and identify acceptable documents to open accounts and incorporate risk mitigation into the new account process
  • Document the requirements for accounts subject to beneficial ownership

Webinar Details

Compliance with E-SIGN requirements is one piece of the puzzle to opening accounts online, while knowing the “true identity” of the customer for BSA and CIP completes the process. What additional “out of wallet” questions should be asked when accounts are opened online? How does electronic account opening impact the BSA risk assessment process? Learn about the additional controls needed to protect your financial institution and red flags for reporting suspicious activity. Important requirements will be covered, including:

  • CIP required documentation and “reasonable belief” of the identity of the customer
  • Risk-mitigation strategies
  • Beneficial ownership criteria and documentation

Who Should Attend?
This informative session will ensure compliance with e-banking and is designed for compliance officers, risk managers, operations managers, business development managers, and others responsible for managing online banking, E-SIGN compliance, e-statements, and e-disclosures.

Take-Away Toolkit

  • Current exam procedures and resources for online banking
  • E-SIGN checklist and answers to common questions
  • Employee training log
  • Interactive quiz
  • PDF of slides and speaker’s contact info for follow-up questions
  • Attendance certificate provided to self-report CE credits

NOTE: All materials are subject to copyright. Transmission, retransmission, or republishing of any webinar to other institutions or those not employed by your agency is prohibited. Print materials may be copied for eligible participants only.

Presenter
Susan Costonis, CRCM – Compliance Training & Consulting for Financial Institutions

Susan Costonis is a compliance consultant and trainer who began her career in 1978. She specializes in compliance management along with deposit and lending regulatory training. Costonis has successfully managed compliance programs and exams for institutions that ranged from a community bank to large multi-state bank holding companies. She has been a compliance officer for institutions supervised by the OCC, FDIC, and Federal Reserve. Costonis has been a Certified Regulatory Compliance Manager since 1998, completed the ABA Graduate Compliance School, and graduated from the University of Akron and the Graduate Banking School of the University of Colorado. She regularly presents to financial institution audiences in several states and “translates” complex regulations into simple concepts by using humor and real-life examples.

Registration Options

  • $279 – Live Webinar Access
  • $279 – OnDemand Access + Digital Download
  • $379 – Both Live & On-Demand Access + Digital Download
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The Sleepers: Risks of Safe Deposit Boxes, Mobile Banking, Prepaid Cards, & RDC

High-profile operational issues often command the most attention. But what about the “sleepers”? Are your compliance and operations staff adequately tending to things like safe deposit boxes, mobile banking, prepaid cards, and RDC? Join this webinar to ensure your policies and procedures will bear up under regulatory scrutiny.

After This Webinar You’ll Be Able To:

  • Open and monitor safe deposit boxes (SDBs) for suspicious activity
  • Understand regulatory requirements impacting electronic banking services
  • Define the prepaid card rules and understand the error-resolution process
  • Establish strong oversight and controls over your RDC program
  • Use provided tools to assess risks associated with electronic banking, RDC, and new products or services

Webinar Details
Sleeper: “In football, a player who usually isn’t well known that goes on to have a breakout season.”

SDBs, RDC, mobile banking, and prepaid cards may not seem like flashy banking topics, but don’t let these regulatory “sleepers” fool you. Examiners have cited findings for lack of sufficient policies and procedures and inadequate controls in these areas. Quite simply, these tend to be “set and forget” issues and are accordingly reflected in examination reports.

Are you properly monitoring for suspicious activity in your SDBs? What if a SDB lessee passes away? Are your mobile deposits adhering to Reg CC guidelines? Is someone reviewing your RDC deposits for proper endorsements? Are you providing appropriate disclosures with prepaid cards? If you hesitated in answering any of these questions, then this session is for you!

Who Should Attend?
This informative session is designed for branch managers, operations staff, electronic banking staff, and compliance officers.

Take-Away Toolkit

  • Sample reconciliation for safe deposit boxes
  • Sample RDC site visit and risk assessment form
  • Mobile banking testing sample
  • Employee training log
  • Interactive quiz
  • PDF of slides and speaker’s contact info for follow-up questions
  • Attendance certificate provided to self-report CE credits

NOTE: All materials are subject to copyright. Transmission, retransmission, or republishing of any webinar to other institutions or those not employed by your agency is prohibited. Print materials may be copied for eligible participants only.

Presenter Bio
Dawn Kincaid – Brode Consulting Services Inc.

Dawn Kincaid began her banking career while attending The Ohio State University. She has over 20 years’ experience in client service, operations, information technology, administrative and board relations, marketing, and compliance. Most recently Kincaid served as the Senior Vice President of Operations for a central-Ohio-based community bank, where she created and refined policies and procedures, conducted self-audits and risk assessments, and organized implementation of new products and services. Kincaid has served in the roles of Compliance, BSA/AML, CRA, Privacy, and Security Officer. She has led training initiatives, prepared due diligence information, completed a variety of regulatory applications, coordinated internal and external audits and exams, and presented for numerous state associations.

Registration Options

  • $279 – Live Webinar Access
  • $279 – OnDemand Access + Digital Download
  • $379 – Both Live & On-Demand Access + Digital Download
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Mastering Participation Agreements: Unlocking Advantages, Managing Risks & Navigating Negotiations

This program covers the risks and rewards of loan participations to both the lead bank and the purchasing bank. Attendees will gain a thorough understanding of Participation Agreements.

A participant’s checklist for a well-drafted Participation Agreement will be reviewed, and administration of the participated loan will be discussed. Including items such as loan purchase options, loan administration issues, waivers, and conflicts of interest. We will also cover the due diligence by the participant, access to information, and lack of involvement in negotiations.

What You’ll Learn

  • Dependency upon lead
  • Financial instability/insolvency of lead
  • Set-off by borrower
  • Failure to perfect
  • Due diligence by the participant and access to information
  • Disclosure of participation to borrower
  • Concentrations and other regulatory aspects of participations
  • Loan agreement provisions related to participations
  • Duties owed by lead to participant
  • Rights to loan collateral and guaranties
  • Loan payments and other functions
  • Consent to amendments
  • Restrictions on transfer
  • Reimbursement and indemnification obligations
  • Subparticipations

Who Should Attend
CRE lenders, commercial lenders, credit analysts, loan review specialists, special assets officers, lending managers and credit officers should attend. Support personnel involved in the administration of loan participations are also encouraged to attend.

Instructor Bio
Robin Russell has practiced law for 35 years and is licensed in Texas, New York, and Massachusetts, and has extensive experience in the energy sector, having been named to Oil and Gas Investor’s 25 Influential Women in Energy in 2019. She is a fellow in the American College of Bankruptcy and of the American Law Institute. She combines a depth of experience in bankruptcy restructuring and litigation with financial transactions. She has represented corporate debtors, independent directors, liquidating trustees, bondholders, unsecured creditors’ committees, bank groups, private equity funds, landlords, trade creditors, and bidders for estate assets in Chapter 11 and Chapter 7 bankruptcy proceedings. She has also represented banks, institutional lenders, and corporate borrowers in commercial loan transactions and debt restructurings.

Russell is the principal author of Thomson Reuters’ Texas Practice Guides for both Creditors’ Rights and Financial Transactions and the Texas Bankers Association’s Texas Secured Lending Guide, Texas Problem Loan Guide, Texas Real Estate Lending Guide, and Texas Account Documentation Guide. She is a frequent speaker on banking, bankruptcy, and financial restructuring-related topics and has served as a Chapter 7 Trustee. Russell received her LL.M. in Banking Law from Boston University and her J.D. from Baylor University where she was Editor-in-Chief of the Baylor Law Review. She clerked for the Texas Supreme Court before beginning her legal career.

Registration Options

Live Access, 30 Days OnDemand Playback, Presenter Materials and Handouts $279

  • Available Upgrades:
    • 12 Months OnDemand Playback + $110
    • 12 Months OnDemand Playback + Digital Download + $140
    • 12 Months OnDemand Playback + CD + $140
    • Additional Live Access + $75 per person
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Marketing & Advertising Compliance – 3 Part Series

In this day and age of UDAP/UDAAP, it’s clear that how you say what you say in your advertisements is just as important as what you say. Style matters — you must be clear and conspicuous in your wording so as not to confuse and deceive. If you read enforcement actions related to marketing and advertising carefully, it’s clear what else is being targeted: sales and marketing practices. It’s always useful to learn from others’ mistakes, regardless of your bank’s size or regulator.

With everything happening in the financial services industry, now more than ever it’s important that your advertising and marketing efforts are effective. Moreover, regulator and examiner attention to your advertising and marketing efforts is at an all-time high. Advertising is being looked at in different ways than before. There are standards to observe, especially when it comes to UDAAP (Unfair, Deceptive, or Abusive Acts or Practices). This is a seismic shift in regulatory enforcement, where practices that were perfectly acceptable in years past are now problematic. In the rush to attract new business and keep the clients you have, compliance requirements can easily be missed or ignored.

What can you say in advertisements? What must you say? What can you not say? Many sets of rules govern these questions, and more are on the way. How about your promotional efforts — contacting prospects and customers to let them know what you have available?

This is a three-part webinar series that covers the comprehensive landscape of marketing and advertising compliance requirements. In these webinars, we’ll provide many examples of how the rules apply as well as recommendations on how to deal with all the requirements. We’ll cover not only the UDAP/UDAAP aspects of advertising but also the many technical requirements of the deposits and loan regulations that deal with marketing and advertising. As well, we’ll cover the many marketing program-specific rules that cover campaigns; for instance, what are the rules when you send emails? Use the phone? We’ll also talk about using data and customer information in marketing, such as privacy rules and regulations.

Finally, we’ll also delve into the technical aspects of marketing and advertising: using artificial intelligence, algorithms, and auto-decisioning. We’ll also discuss various media, including social media and digital channels.

As the compliance environment becomes more complex, your marketing department must stay on top of all the rules and regulations. These sessions will help.

Included Webinars

  • Marketing & Advertising Compliance: Part 1
  • Marketing & Advertising Compliance: Part 2
  • Marketing & Advertising Compliance: Part 3

Series Details
Marketing & Advertising Compliance: Part 1
March 2, 2023, 10:00 am CST

What You’ll Learn

  • In-depth discussion of UDAP/UDAAP requirements — attention to unfair, deceptive, and abusive acts and practices (UDAAP). Plus — what may be considered abusive? How can you stay clear of trouble? Don’t miss the forest for the trees.
  • Examples of unfair and/or deceptive advertising
  • Discussion of enforcement actions and UDAP practices, plus recommendations
  • Sales practices and conduct risk — what are the issues? What will examiners look for? How best to be ready
  • Marketing services agreements — attention on third-party activities
  • Native advertising issues
  • Utilizing technology in advertising: algorithms, artificial intelligence, and associated risks
  • What data are you using to create personal advertising? Co

Opening New Accounts: Documentation and Compliance — Personal and POA Accounts
March 27, 2023, 1:30 pm CST

This two-hour webinar focuses on the risks, procedures, best practices, and compliance requirements for opening Personal and Consumer Accounts.

What You’ll Learn

  • Deposit advertising, including Reg. DD requirements
  • Tax reporting issues
  • FDIC official advertising statement requirements — plus updates: what’s coming?
  • Non-deposit Investment Product (NDIP) and insurance sales provisions
  • Rules prohibiting lotteries — what can and can’t you do with drawings and contests?
  • Marketing campaigns — privacy issues and sharing data and information with affiliates and non-affiliated third parties • Prescreening campaigns — FCRA requirements
  • Offering free credit reports
  • Guidance on the use of testimonials in advertising
  • Social media — regulatory guidance and cautions
  • TCPA (Telephone Consumer Protection Act) — Do Not Call requirements, plus related Do Not Solicit issues
  • TSR (Telemarketing Sales Rule) fraud issues
  • Email issues — CAN-SPAM and other concerns
  • Does anyone use faxes anymore? The Junk Fax Prevention Act
  • Online marketing to children — COPPA

Opening New Accounts: Documentation and Compliance – Fiduciary, Trust and Estate Accounts
March 28, 2023, 10:00 am CST

This two-hour webinar will delve into the responsibilities of collecting appropriate documentation, providing ownership options, titling accounts correctly, and allowing proper access to Trust, Fiduciary and Minor accounts not only during lifetime but at the death of a signer as well.

What You’ll Learn

  • Fair Housing Act (FHA) rules — the Equal Housing Lender logo and statement
  • Fair lending considerations in marketing and advertising — what to be aware of and hot spots (such as geographical restrictions/redlining)
  • Digital redlining issues
  • Determining your Reasonably Expected Market Area (REMA), and what this means
  • Truth in Lending/Reg. Z requirements, including additional requirements for mortgage loans
  • Tax deductibility issues
  • SAFE Act disclosure issues

Who Should Attend?
Anyone involved in developing and marketing your institution’s products and services, including the marketing department, compliance officers, auditors, business managers, sales and service staff, and anyone else whose duties involve promotion.

Presenter
Carl Pry is a Certified Regulatory Compliance Manager (CRCM) and Certified Risk Professional (CRP) who is a Managing Director for Treliant Risk Advisors in Washington, DC. Through his working career, as well as through his experience as a banking attorney and officer, he has provided a variety of regulatory compliance and financial performance services to financial institutions and other clients throughout the country. He has written extensively regarding consumer and commercial compliance, tax, audit, and financial institution legal issues, and is a frequent contributor to and currently serves on the Editorial Advisory Board for the ABA Bank Compliance magazine. He has spoken at scores of banking, compliance, and state bar associations, and has conducted training sessions for financial institutions across the country.

Continuing Education Credit Information
Marketing & Advertising Compliance: 3 Part Series has been approved for 7.5 CRCM credits. This statement is not an endorsement of this program or its sponsor. Credits are redeemable for Live attendance only. For questions on certificates, please email support@oncourselearning.com. Certification holders must report these credits at https://aba.csod.com.

Registration Options

  • Live Access, 30 Days OnDemand Playback, Presenter Materials and Handouts – $769
  • Available Upgrades:
    • 12 Months OnDemand Playback + $280
    • 12 Months OnDemand Playback + CD  + $370
    • Additional Live Access + $225 per person
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Handling Difficult People: Warning Signs & Effective Tactics

Are anger, confusion, ignorance, fear, mental health issues, unknown motivations, or a mixture of these on display with that difficult accountholder in front of you or on the phone?
Do you duck and cover, deflect and defer, or step up to resolve (and understand) the problem? Join this timeless webinar to learn more about how to effectively handle difficult people and situations.

After This Webinar You’ll Be Able To:

  • Determine who is the problem: accountholder, visitor, or a staff member
  • Describe the causative factors of the person’s hostility
  • Employ best practices during a confrontation
  • Explain banking procedures that a person wouldn’t know
  • Use cognitive listening to resolve a problem
  • Understand the warning signs when a person is about to become volatile
  • Design your course of action to resolve a situation

Webinar Details
Handling difficult people is one of the hardest situations staff has to manage on a regular basis. This program will review problems frontline staff and management could face during interactions with accountholders and explain ways to cope when things get hostile. People who become upset need to be defused and doing so is not always easy. The most well-meaning intentions could escalate the problem. Join us to learn more about causative factors, warning signs, and the proper use of cognitive listening.

Who Should Attend

This informative session is designed for newer ag lenders, credit analysts, and loan committee members who want to take some of the mystery out of ag lending and increase their knowledge and skills in assessing this critical segment.

Take-Away Toolkit

  • Incidents report form
  • Security tips
  • Employee training log
  • Interactive quiz
  • PDF of slides and speaker’s contact info for follow-up questions
  • Attendance certificate provided to self-report CE credits

NOTE: All materials are subject to copyright. Transmission, retransmission, or republishing of any webinar to other institutions or those not employed by your institution is prohibited. Print materials may be copied for eligible participants only.

Presenters

Barry Thompson, CRCM — Thompson Consulting Group, LLC

Barry Thompson is an international speaker, trainer, consultant, and writer. He is a security and compliance “guru” for a leading national training organization and regularly presents security conferences for trade groups – he has trained over 54,000 financial professionals.

Thompson is recognized worldwide, presenting in Brussels, Belgium to European bankers on internal fraud; at the United Nations on identity theft; and to Japanese bankers on bank security. Thompson has worked in the financial services industry for over four decades, and has held the positions of security officer, compliance officer, treasurer, senior vice president, and executive vice president. He has handled over 900 security cases and has been involved with investigations and prosecutions at the federal, state, and local levels. Thompson is the author of 101 Security Tips for the Beginning Security Officer and Inside the Vault and has been interviewed by Newsweek, Computer World, USA Today, and other national publications.

Arvin Clar, CFE — Thompson Consulting Group, LLC

Arvin Clar is a nationally known speaker with 35 years’ experience in risk assessment and security in the financial services industry. Prior to joining Thompson Consulting Group, Clar was a detective in the Financial Crimes Unit for the Cleveland Police Department for over 29 years. While there, he investigated thousands of financial crimes and presented them for state and federal prosecution. He also served as an Assistant Vice President for Charter One Bank as their Bank Protection Coordinator for over 17 years, overseeing the safety and investigation of fraud issues of 750 banking branches throughout five states. Clar serves as Adjunct Faculty at Cuyahoga Community College, in the College of Criminal Justice, where he has taught for over 35 years, lecturing on criminal justice, criminology, and criminal investigation.

Registration Options

  • $279 – Live Webinar Access
  • $279 – OnDemand Access + Digital Download
  • $379 – Both Live & On-Demand Access + Digital Download
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