Unable to attend the Federal Bank Compliance School being held in Connecticut this May? With Live Streaming Video, you can watch the program live from your training room, conference room, or office. You can even type questions to the instructor throughout the presentation! As an added bonus, following the live broadcast, you and others in your organization will have unlimited access to the recorded session for 30 days!

CFT’s Annual Bank Compliance School provides the information you need to manage your compliance program in today’s regulatory environment. You’ll receive the most current rulings, interpretations, tools, and techniques to maintain a well-documented compliance program that includes an institution-wide monitoring, audit and training program. You’ll listen and talk with some of the best compliance consultants, managers, regulators and experts in the industry.

CLICK HERE to see a sample of streaming live video from the 2011 Federal Compliance School!

CLICK HERE for order information!

Nearly 120 bankers from throughout Connecticut packed the Glass Room at the Aqua Turf Club in Southington to hear Dan’s “FDIC Update on Current Conditions and Issues Facing the Industry” presentation.  His cautiously optimistic remarks included statistics showing a positive trend in the number of problem banks and bank failures, and indicated that Connecticut’s banks are showing signs of improvement, but lag behind the nation as a whole.

As the Area Director of the FDIC’s Division of Risk Management Supervision, Dan shared the following FDIC Initiatives with the group:

– Community Banking Conference
– Research on the Evolution of Community Banking
– Chairman’s Regional Roundtables (NY or BOS 7/21)
– Evaluation of Supervisory Practices
– Evaluating Key Challenges Facing Community Banks, including: Capital, Technology, Staffing, Regulatory Burden (EGRPRA).

Click Here to download Daniel Frye’s PowerPoint presentation in PDF format.

If you have taken any of the CFT courses listed below, and decide to enroll in Walden’s Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) or B.S. in Business Administration program, you may be eligible to transfer applicable credits toward the completion of your degree!

• Accounting
• Analyzing Financial Statements
• Business Communication
• Business Math
• Commercial Lending
• Economics
• Financial Accounting
• Human Relations
• Law and Banking: Application
• Law and Banking: Principles
• Management
• Marketing
• Money and Banking
• Principles of Banking
• Real Estate Appraisal
• Real Estate Law
• Residential Mortgage Lending
• Supervision

Take your career to the next level by continuing your education at Walden University. An accredited university, Walden offers online degree programs at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels, as well as certificate programs and individual courses.

To learn more, contact your Walden representative Kim LaMontagne, Field Representative-New England, at 603-479-2415 or Kimberly.LaMontagne@waldenu.edu.

We look forward to helping you achieve your goals!

CFT is pleased to announce that the following 3.00 credit courses have been added to the American Council on Education’s College Credit Recommendation Service (ACE CREDIT) list:  Human Resource Management, Organizational Behavior, and Real Estate Finance.  For the complete list of twenty-two courses currently receiving the ACE Credit Recommendation, please visit our website:  http://cftacs.org/college-credit-2/american-council-on-education-ace/.

The American Council on Education, the major coordinating body for all the nation’s higher education institutions, seeks to provide leadership and a unifying voice on key higher education issues and to influence public policy through advocacy, research, and program initiatives.

]]> http://www.cftacs.org/2012/01/three-courses-added-to-ace-credit-transfer-recommendation-list/feed/ 0 http://www.cftacs.org/2012/01/2012-conference-workshop-leaders-announced/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=2012-conference-workshop-leaders-announced http://www.cftacs.org/2012/01/2012-conference-workshop-leaders-announced/#comments Tue, 10 Jan 2012 19:20:13 +0000 Scott Briggs http://cftacs.org/2012/01/2012-conference-workshop-leaders-announced/  J.T. Turner  Debbie Fay  Jim DeMaio

CFT is pleased to announce the Professional Development Conference workshop leaders for 2012!  J.T. Turner, Trainer and Consultant, kicks things off with “Spotting Lies and Liars”, which takes a light-hearted look at how lies, even simple little white lies, impact every day business situations.  Jim DeMaio, President of Learning Dynamics, will present “Managing Stress While Multi-Tasking”.  Jim’s interactive session will highlight important techniques you can use to reduce stress and increase your effectiveness.  Debbie Fay, founder and president of bespeak presentation solutions,  will close out the workshops with “The Ten Commandments of Customer Service”.  Debbie was a huge hit two years ago, when she presented a workshop on public speaking.  This year she will provide ten customer service techniques designed to take your interactions with customers and co-workers to the next level!

The 2012 Professional Development Conference will be held November 1-2, 2012 at the Newport Harbor Hotel in Newport, Rhode Island.  CFT has secured a room block and will administer the overnight reservations for all attendees.  To find out more and register, visit our website:  http://cftacs.org/courses/professional-development-conference/.

Frequently Asked Questions for 2011

CFT answers the top ten most frequently asked questions from the past year:

1.              Is membership required to take a CFT course or seminar?

CFT is a century old non-profit company and does not have a membership.  CFT courses and seminars are open to everyone.

2.              How does an Online Course work?

Each week you will receive a reading/homework assignment from your instructor via email.  You can login and complete the assignment anytime you wish during that week.  The website message board allows for discussions with your classmates and instructor.

3.              I took classes 15 years ago, do you still have my transcript?

And if we don’t, another CFT office or similar banker education organization probably does

4.              Do CFT courses carry CE credits?

Many of the webinars, and the Annual Compliance School, carry CE credits, but CFT courses in general do not.  While not pre-approved for CE credit, you can still submit your CFT credits to your certification board for consideration.

5.              Does CFT offer courses in my area?

CFT will offer courses and seminars anywhere there is a demand.  If you would like a particular course offered in your area, just let us know.

6.              I took Accounting in college, do I have to take it again for my CFT diploma?

You can use your college credits to meet up to half of the requirements for each diploma or certificate.

7.              Can I take more than one course at a time?

CFT does not limit the number of courses you take at one time, but your company tuition policy may have applicable restrictions.

8.              Does CFT tuition include the book?

CFT Tuition includes the textbook for all courses and seminars, if applicable.

9.              How long does it take to earn a certificate or diploma?

Depending on the number of credits you transfer in, and the number of courses you take at one time, you can complete a certificate in as little as 6 months.  Diplomas typically require a minimum of 12-18 months.

10.           What’s the difference between an online course and self-study course?

An online course requires that you have internet access and an e-mail address.  A self-study course is completed via regular mail and/or fax.  Both formats feature an instructor, however, the online course instructors provide ongoing instruction while the self-study instructors only provide guidance when you are having difficulty.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Holidays!

With the Credit Module expanded this year, Carl Pry, J.D. CRCM, kicked things off first thing Monday morning with a session on Fair Lending. This was Carl’s fourteenth year on the faculty. He has written extensively regarding consumer and commercial compliance, tax, audit, legal and Internet banking. Carl is also a frequent presenter for CFT’s compliance webinars. The remainder of the day was devoted to an in-depth discussion of Reg Z, followed by a cocktail reception.

Keith Monson, CRCM, Executive Vice President and Chief Risk Officer of Providence Bank returned this year and began the day Tuesday with the latest changes in FCRA. Keith has almost 25 years of experience with both large and small financial institutions and is a past Chairman of the CRCM Advisory Board.

Tuesday, we welcomed a first-time presenter to the School, Jerod Moyer, CRCM, of Banker’s Compliance Consulting. Jerod is a consultant with a very strong compliance background which enables him to take compliance issues, correlate them to his own past experience and provide practical solutions. Jerod took the floor for the remainder of the day with presentations on Flood and the ever-challening RESPA.

Back by popular demand, the “ask the experts” Q&A Lending Lunch was held on Wednesday. Following a discussion on CRA with Keith Monson and HMDA with Jerod Moyer that morning, the students had the opportunity to conclude the Credit Module with an informal and relaxed lunch where the Presenters made themselves available for any and all questions. Students could ask questions anonymously by writing them down in advance, or by asking them during this informal discussion time.

A “hot topics” presentation by Keith Monson on ‘What’s Coming down the Regulatory Pipeline’ concluded the day on Wednesday.

Another exciting addition to this year’s school began Thursday morning during the Operations Module with the first-ever live streaming video session! Those students unable to attend the live session could participate via live streaming video in the BSA, OFAC and Regs D, E, CC and DD presentations given by Carl Pry and Keith Monson.

This new format was well-received with Lynn James, BSA & Training Officer of Citizens National Bank having this to say afterwards:  “Wow, that was fantastic being able to receive the training “live”. I hope we can do more of it through CFT. Thanks so much!!”

Here’s what others had to say about the School:

“Best week long Compliance School out there”!
“I love the presenters, they made this fun”!
“The opportunity to ask specific questions is my favorite part of this School.”
“Q&A session is great information. Very much appreciated.”
“I like the examples provided and the knowledgeable speakers. “
“Great benefit for the cost.”
“Instructors talented and knowledgeable and very eager to answer and respond to real life situations.”
“Outstanding explanation on new Dodd Frank insanity.”
“Loved the Q&A.”
“More time for RESPA, please.”
“Always a great presentation by CFT, year after year.”
“The materials and resources are outstanding.”
“This School keeps me updated on the ever-changing regulations so I can comply.”
“The program materials were very detailed and are a great resource to take back to my bank.”
“Presenters have a great sense of humor. Let’s face it, this stuff is dry!”
“A lot of information presented in a short amount of time. Well done!”

For information regarding the 2012 school, please contact Crista Olson at crista@cftacs.org or visit our website at http://cftacs.org.

The 19 financial  institutions represented at the School included: Atlantic Stewardship Bank, American Eagle FCU, 1st Constitution Bank, Capital One Bank, CFCU Commercial FCU, Connecticut Development Authority, Colonial Bank FSB, Eagle Bank, Fairfield County Bank, First Bank of Highland Park, The First State Bank, Greylock FCU, Heritage Community Bank, Metuchen Savings Bank, Naugatuck Valley Savings & Loan, New Millennium Bank, Skylands Community Bank, Vermont FCU, Valley Bank of Ronan, and Washington Area Community Investment Fund.

Terry Kenny, Market President, Metro Washington/Baltimore of TD Bank, launched the intensive 5-day School at 4:00pm on Sunday afternoon, focusing first on the “big picture” of commercial lending.  Terry addressed company strategies and the “typical business” of commercial lending.  On Monday morning, he continued his agenda on loan investigation, effective management, and a review of historical financial analysis.

On Tuesday, George Connors, President of WashingtonFirstBank (Washington, D.C.) began his segment and for a-day-and-a-half had the arduous task of “numbers crunching.”  George covered sensitivity analysis, cash flow and personal financial statement analysis, with two case studies reviewed. He also had several handouts and reviewed the pre-reading materials sent to the students prior to the start of the School.

Joe May, former Executive Vice President-Credit Administration for Whitney National Bank (New Orleans, LA) gave a dynamic presentation on Thursday and Friday, providing several real-life credit situations to the students.  Joe’s segment included loan support, documentation, negotiation, packaging, selling, problem loans and credit discipline. Several case studies were provided to the class earlier for discussion and review on Friday.

It was an intense week for the students but a gratifying learning experience!

Brent J. Gardner, Assistant Treasurer and Consumer Loan Officer, Heritage Community Bank, New Jersey had this to say about his first experience with the school, “CFT’s Commercial Lending School provided exactly what I expected and more. Based on my experience with this class – from course material to instructor selection – I would recommend CFT for any and all financial training without pause.”

Here’s what others had to say:

“I found the Commercial Lending School to be very helpful in increasing my knowledge in commercial lending. It helped me to see the big picture of the banking industry and taught me how to be a professional commercial lender. A wealth of knowledge was provided by all three instructors.”

“I truly enjoyed the school and would recommend it to my colleagues. I learned a lot and am glad that I attended. The book was extremely helpful for the class and I’ll be using it at my place of work.”

“The instructors were terrific – Terry Kenny delivered the lessons in a clear and professional manner and though we covered a lot of material in a short period of time, his easy going manner started our week-long session off with the essential building blocks about businesses and commercial lending. George Connors I have to give credit to for making the most difficult section of this course easy to understand. I thought this was the best part of the week. While cumbersome, determining cash flow properly is at the heart of business lending and one of the most important tools in evaluation good loans. Joe May’s “war stories” really helped me understand the material. Using past experience, Joe related all of the topics to actual events instead of just dictating the lessons to us. Many thanks to Karen and Jerry for making what could have been a long week into an enjoyable and memorable seminar. This was a great class and it should be mandatory for all lenders. I recommend it to all my colleagues.”

“The School was a great learning experience…the faculty and course materials were excellent. I would recommend a follow-up once a year (shorter of course) – maybe 1 or 2 day program. The facilities were good as were the meals. Thanks so much for offering this course. It was a tremendous help to me.

“I thought the curriculum was great, however, I would like to spend more time on the evaluation process. I would venture that Joe (May) could spend several days on his portion of the program which was very beneficial. “Terry Kenny was a good and dynamic speaker – good content and delivery. George is extremely intelligent and knows the ins and outs of underwriting with regard to the analysis and presentation. He was able to build on previous material. Joe (May) was an excellent presenter. He kept the class involved and actively listening. His teaching style also allowed the students to interact in a professional setting while discussing the cases presented.”

“The School was a great learning experience…the faculty and course materials were excellent. I would recommend a follow-up once a year (shorter of course) – maybe 1 or 2 day program. The facilities were good as were the meals. Thanks so much for offering this course. It was a tremendous help to me.”

To learn more about the Commercial Lending School, including the 2012 schedule, please contact Karen McMullen, SVP & Regional Director, Greater Atlantic Region, at 908-325-9958 or karen@cftacs.org.