Specialty Certification

Objectives of the Compliance Examiner Certification Program:

• To achieve recognition of the specialized knowledge, skills, and abilities required for the examination of banks, credit unions, money service businesses, and large and complex consumer finance and debt collection companies to determine their compliance with state and federal consumer protection laws and regulations applicable to regulated entities.
• To promote continuing education in the consumer compliance/protection supervision area.
• To emphasize the need for professionalism and continuing advancement of consumer compliance/protection examination professionals given the specialized skills and knowledge necessary to adequately supervise this area.
• To enhance and maintain the quality of job performance and skill level of these specialized examiners.

Candidates for each level of the CCPE designation must provide evidence of the following:

• Completion of on-the-job service and training as an examiner to determine compliance with applicable state and federal laws and regulations in any one of the businesses that provide financial services to consumers, such as commercial and savings banks, credit unions, money service businesses, consumer finance companies, or debt collection companies, as follows:
  • LEVEL I: one (1) year
  • LEVEL II: two (2) years
  • LEVEL III: three (3) years
• Satisfactory completion of core consumer protection classroom training selected from the list below, as follows:
  • LEVEL I: twenty-eight (28) hours
  • LEVEL II: thirty-six (36) hours
  • LEVEL III: fifty-six (56) hours
• Attestation of successful job performance and mastery of appropriate job-related skills by the candidate’s immediate supervisor or other senior employee who is familiar with the applicant’s experience, performance, and skills and abilities. The supervisor or other qualified individual must attest that the applicant meets or exceeds expectations with regard to all competencies listed below.

 APPROVED CORE TRAINING OPTIONS

Sponsor	Title
CFPB	Fair Lending Examination Technique
FFIEC	Introduction to Consumer Protection School
	Introduction to Fair Lending School
	Introduction to Consumer Compliance School
	Fundamentals of Fraud Workshop
	Financial Crimes Seminar
	Community Reinvestment Act School
FRB	Real Estate Lending Examination Technique (RELET) Course
NACCA	Examiner School (examination track)

TECHNICAL

LEVEL I: Effectively adheres to examination procedures and policies,

• Effectively organizes assignments,
• Ensures pre-examination planning and requests are successfully completed in a timely manner
• Organizes and effectively documents workpapers according to prescribed procedures

LEVELS II/III: Provides effective leadership and organization to the examination process by:

• Effectively supervising personnel to ensure adherence to examination procedures and policies,
• Providing effective training,
• Monitoring progress of assigned personnel to ensure accurate and timely completion of work,
• Effectively organizing and delegating assignments,
• Supervising, organizing, and effectively documenting workpapers according to prescribed procedures, and
• Effectively supervising and overseeing the entire examination process

CONCEPTUAL – Provides effective and accurate evaluation of the operational and financial activities of depository and/or non-depository institutions:
LEVEL I: Effectively follows established examination procedures to collect and analyze data,

•  Develops correct conclusions from collected data,
• Effectively reviews reports of examination for accuracy, content, conclusions, and proper grammar, and
• Effectively evaluates and adjusts scope of examination as each situation requires.

LEVEL II: Provides effective and accurate evaluation of the operational and financial activities of larger, more complex depository and/or non-depository institutions

• Participates in multistate or coordinated exams with federal agencies.

LEVEL III: Provides effective and accurate evaluation of the operational and financial activities of the largest, most complex depository and/or non-depository institutions

• Acts as EIC or state lead on multistate exams or coordinated exams with federal agencies.

LEGAL/COMPLIANCE – At all levels, effectively demonstrates knowledge of policies, procedures, laws, rules and regulations:

• Effectively follows established examination procedures for presenting violations and recommending corrective action or enforcement powers.

HUMAN RELATIONS – Provides effective oral and written communications:
LEVEL I: 

• Effectively and clearly communicates with entity personnel to obtain information,
• Effectively and clearly communicates examination findings to the institution’s management, senior management, directors, and supervisory personnel, and
• Effectively prepares written comments which are accurate, grammatically correct, logically arranged, and factually support any conclusions drawn.

LEVELS II and III:

All the above, and:

• Effectively and clearly communicates assignments to assisting personnel,
• Effectively coordinates examination planning and execution with other state regulators or authorities as appropriate.

RECERTIFICATION

Every three years, CCPE certified examiners will be required to provide evidence of the successful completion of a minimum of 40 continuing education hours (CEHs); at least seven CEHs must be completed each year. Examples of qualifying programs and activities are listed below. Other programs and activities submitted will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Continuing education should be selected with the goal of maintaining, improving, or expanding the examiner’s knowledge, skills, and abilities.

• CSBS Coordinated Supervision EIC-SPOC Training
• FFIEC Consumer Compliance Conference
• FFIEC Fundamentals of Fraud Workshop
• FFIEC Fraud Investigation Techniques for Examiners
• FFIEC Financial Crimes Seminar
• CFPB Advanced Communications Course
• NACARA Annual Conference & Training
• NACCA Examiner School (consumer service track)