Education & Events

BSA Fundamentals Workshop
Write It Right. Work It Daily. Defend It With Confidence.
March 16-17, 2027 - 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Daily
IBA Center for Banking Excellence, Springfield, or Live Streamed

About the Program
An effective BSA/AML program is only as strong as the policy and risk assessment it’s built on. This innovative, two-day program starts with a solid refresher on the BSA basics, then focuses on what BSA Officers and their teams need most: building a risk assessment that reflects your bank’s real risk, writing a policy that fits, and putting both to work every day. Through interactive discussion and real-world examples, you’ll move beyond “checking the box.” Each attendee receives a Training Program Manual and Resource Toolkit with templates, examples, and checklists to use immediately.

Who Should Attend
Newly appointed BSA Officers, BSA team members, and compliance professionals who need a strong foundation — or a refresher — and want to build or strengthen their BSA/AML policy and risk assessment.
New to BSA altogether? BSA Basic is a great place to start.

What Will Be Covered

Day One  —  The Foundation & Your Risk.

BSA Foundations Refresher
The Law, the Players & Your Tools
A quick, practical review of the history of money laundering and the BSA, FinCEN and the agencies that examine you, the role of today’s BSA Officer and team, and how to get the most from the FFIEC BSA/AML Examination Manual and 31 CFR Chapter X.

The Core Requirements
Everything Your Program Must Cover
A focused review of the requirements every BSA program is built on:
•    CIP, Customer Due Diligence & Beneficial Ownership
•    CTRs, CTR Exemptions, Monetary Instrument Logs & Funds Transfers
•    Suspicious Activity Reporting & Red Flags
•    OFAC Compliance & Record Retention

Common BSA/AML Violations
Where Banks Go Wrong — and How to Avoid It
The violations examiners cite most often and the program weaknesses behind them.

Building the BSA/AML Risk Assessment
Beyond Appendix J: Identify It. Measure It. Document It.
Step by step — identifying inherent risk across customers, products and services, delivery channels, and geography; evaluating controls; and arriving at a residual risk you can explain and support.
If your risk assessment could describe any bank, it doesn’t describe yours.

Day Two  —  The Policy & Your Program.

Writing the BSA/AML Policy
The Board-Approved Blueprint for Your Program
What belongs in the policy versus procedures, aligning it with your risk assessment, what the board needs to see, and avoiding the “template trap.”

Building a Strong Program
The Pillars in Practice
Internal controls, independent testing, training, and the BSA Officer role — each driven by your risk assessment and policy.

From Paper to Practice
Using the Policy & Risk Assessment Every Day
How the risk assessment and policy should drive customer due diligence, monitoring, alert review, and staffing — and how to keep both current as risk changes.

Suspicious Activity Reporting
Decisions, Narratives & Continuing Activity
Making and documenting defensible SAR and no-SAR decisions, filing thresholds and deadlines, writing clear narratives, continuing activity reviews, SAR confidentiality, and board reporting.
A defensible SAR process isn’t just about the decision. It’s about the process behind it.

Staying Current
Emerging Threats, FinCEN Notices & What to Watch
Where to find and subscribe to FinCEN advisories, alerts, and notices, national AML/CFT priorities, regulator guidance, and enforcement actions — deciding what applies to your bank and working new threats into your risk assessment, policy, monitoring, and training. Plus hot topics and Q&A.

Facilitator
Kristin Harville, Senior Vice President & Chief Operations Officer, Performance Solutions, Inc., is a seasoned compliance leader with experience as a banker, examiner, and consultant. She previously led the compliance function for a $2.7 billion financial institution, spanning BSA/AML, Compliance Management Systems, Internal Audit, and Enterprise Risk Management. Kristin holds a Juris Master’s in Law (Financial Regulation) and is a Certified AML and Fraud Professional (CAFP), Certified Regulatory Compliance Manager (CRCM), Certified Bank Secrecy Act Professional, and Certified Regulatory Vendor Program Manager.

Continuing Education
American Bankers Association (ABA) Professional Certifications under review 
 
Per Person Fee
IBA Member $530
Nonmember $875