So far in 2020, Bank Risk and Compliance writer Mary Crotty has covered a wide range of banking, regulatory compliance and personal finance topics. Financial services companies, from traditional banks to emerging fintechs, hire this freelance writer for her unique combination of skills: exemplary content development and extensive industry knowledge.

Here’s a sample of topics covered in this specialty freelance writer’s 2020 portfolio of well-researched, SEO-friendly, ghost-written articles.

Regulatory Compliance Topics

• 2020 bank compliance priorities (data privacy, beneficial ownership, BSA/AML, Reg CC and CECL)
• Digital accessibility of financial institution websites
• Safety and soundness
• Digital banking risk management

Personal Finance Topics

• Mortgage 101
• Debt-to-income ratio
• FHA mortgage loans
• General finance tips

Financial Services Freelance Writer

Looking for a freelance writer with in-depth knowledge of the financial services industry? Mary Crotty previously worked in a large financial institution for seven years and has been a freelance writer specializing in bank, regulatory compliance and personal finance topics for 13 years.

5 Reasons to Hire Bank Risk and Compliance Writer

• Her background allows her to quickly grasp even the most complex topics related to banking and regulatory compliance.
• Her writing prowess translates complicated topics into concise yet meaningful content that educates, informs and persuades your intended audience.
• Her familiarity within the financial services realm helps her to easily interview and communicate with subject matter experts at all levels of the organization.
• Her ability to independently research topics and her dedicated attention to detail results in original and credible content for your internal or external audience.
• Her professionalism means your firm no longer needs to burden already-swamped subject matter experts with writing important marketing content.

Contact Mary Crotty at marycrottywriting@gmail.com to discuss your bank or fintech’s content needs.

 

 

 

With life as we know it indefinitely upended due to the Covid-19 pandemic, people want to be reassured that things will be okay. Specifically, they want to know that their physical and financial health will survive. Banks can play a crucial role in reassuring the general public about their concerns, but only if they are communicating and doing so effectively.

Here are four reasons why banks should be going the extra mile to provide consistent and credible communications right now:

Keep Employees Engaged

Your employees are one of your greatest assets, and they are under considerable strain right now. On top of doing their regular jobs, many with school-age children have suddenly and unavoidably become home-schooling parents. Those in the sandwich generation may also have the extra stress of trying to keep older parents safe and healthy. And like everyone else, they are likely worried about the long-term impacts on the economy, their jobs and their financial security.

Now, more than ever, employees need to hear frequently and openly from immediate supervisors, department managers and enterprise leadership. If you want them to stay focused and engaged with your customers and on their specific functions, develop a Covid-19 communications strategy that informs, but doesn’t overwhelm; that answers questions without raising more speculation; and that provides them with access to needed resources that can ease their current work and personal stressors.

Reassure Customers

Every one of your customers is worried about their money right now. Families wonder if they will have enough to pay this month’s household bills. Current and upcoming retirees ask if their retirement funds will still last through their lifetimes. Business owners are calculating if they’ll be able to pay their employees and other obligations, and ultimately if they’ll be able to stay in business.

A bank is a customer’s lifeline. Now is the time to make sure your customers know that their lifeline is secure by communicating with them as frequently and directly as possible. Put yourself in their shoes and think about the questions they may have and then proactively answer them in your communications, i.e., branch hours, contact numbers and processes for requesting deferments.

This will lesson customer frustration. It should also reduce the number of general questions your staff has to field, so that they can focus their efforts on specific customer situations.

Lead Your Community

Banks have always played a significant civic role in their local communities. If there was ever a time that your bank’s community needed your leadership, it is now.

In the words of Albert Einstein, “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” This is not meant to be a cynical suggestion that banks take advantage of the current situation. Instead, it is the idea that this pandemic is a chance for banks to actively double down on their commitment to their communities by helping them through this.

When Covid-19 has run its course, the public will remember who stepped up and led.

Maintain Regulatory Compliance

Covid-19 has caused upheaval in almost every aspect of society. Amidst this chaos and uncertainty,  it is vital that banks maintain their regulatory compliance obligations, especially now that more employees are telecommuting and more functions are being conducted outside of bank physical facilities.

For instance, in its Covid-19 FAQ for National Banks and Federal Savings Associations, the OCC reminds banks of their GLBA requirements: “Employees working from home should use secure communications, such as a virtual private network (VPN), when working with sensitive information.”

As you communicate with your employees throughout this pandemic, remind them of the continued need to follow your existing compliance policies and procedures. If such policies and procedures are updated in light of Covid-19, make sure those changes are communicated to all relevant staff as quickly as possible.

The Bottom Line

Frequent and effective communication is one of the key ways to weather this storm.

Does your bank or organization need help communicating with employees and/or customers? Get assistance today from a virtual freelance writer by emailing marycrottywriting@gmail.com.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As Bankers Online reports, there are two key deadlines for comment on proposed rules coming up. Financial institutions interested in sharing their two-cents with financial regulators have just a few more days to do so.

Proposed Rule Regarding Residential Real Estate Appraisals

On December 7, 2018, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board), and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking regarding residential real estate appraisals in the Federal Register.

As written, the proposed rule “would increase the threshold level at or below which appraisals would not be required for residential real estate-related transactions from $250,000 to $400,000.”  Instead, such transactions would require an evaluation of real property “that is consistent with safe and sound banking practices.”

The proposed rule also proposes to conform the rural residential property appraisal exemption per the Economic Growth, Regulatory Reform, and Consumer Protection Act.

Comments are due by Tuesday, February 5, 2019.

Proposed Rules Regarding Regulation CC

On December 10, 2018, the Board and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking regarding Regulation CC in the Federal Register. Regulation CC implements the Expedited Funds Availability Act (EFA Act).

The proposal contains two parts.

The first is a new rule, which proposes “a calculation methodology for implementing a statutory requirement to adjust the dollar amounts in the EFA Act every five years by the aggregate annual percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index for Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) rounded to the nearest multiple of $25.”

The second part of the notice reopens the comment period on the 2011 Funds Availability Proposal, which was originally published on March 3, 2011. It proposed “amendments to encourage banks to clear and return checks electronically, add provisions that govern electronic items cleared through the check-collection system, and shorten the ‘exception’ hold periods on deposited funds.”

The electronic funds environment has undergone tremendous change since 2011, which is why the agencies have reopened the comment period on this particular issue.

Comments are due by Friday, February 8, 2019.

 

This is it; your last chance to save on a freelance writing project! Between now and October 31, 2018, bank risk and compliance writer Mary Crotty is offering new clients the following discount on their first eligible writing project:

• 10% off a 300 to 500 word piece (approximately 2-5 hours)
• 20% off a 501 to 1,500 word piece (approximately 5-10 hours)
• 30% off a 1,501 to 2,500 word piece (approximately 10-20 hours)

The following writing projects qualify:

• Blog posts
• Internal or external emails
• Employee messaging
• Industry publication articles
• Internet articles
• White papers

Mary Crotty specializes in writing for the financial services industry and regulatory compliance arena, however, in her 17 years as a professional writer, she has also created high impact, persuasive content for software development companies, consulting firms, educational institutions, healthcare-related organizations, online public relations platforms, marketing content firms, and small businesses in a variety of industries.

To take advantage of this offer, contact freelance business writer Mary Crotty at marycrottywriting@gmail.com. Offer good through October 31, 2018.