Safety and Soundness Certification

The COE certification is step 1 in the CSBS bank safety and soundness credentialing program. Candidates for the COE designation must provide evidence of the following:

• Completion of a minimum of twelve (12) months of on-the-job service and training related to financial institution regulation and supervision.
• Satisfactory completion of the following course offerings or equivalent:
  • CSBS Day One: Bank Safety & Soundness Examiner Training and Bank Financial Analysis School or
  • FDIC Introduction to Examinations and Financial Institution Analysis Schools
• Attestation of successful job performance and mastery of appropriate job-related knowledge, skills, and abilities by the applicant's direct supervisor or another individual familiar with the applicant's performance.

The applicant's direct supervisor must provide at least "meets expectations" ratings in the following competencies; additionally, the supervisor's supporting narrative assessment must provide detailed and unique examples of the applicant's performance in these competencies:

TECHNICAL - Provides effective organization to the examination process by:

• Effectively adhering to examination procedures and policies
• Effectively organizing assignments
• Ensuring pre-examination planning and requests are successfully completed in a timely manner
• Organizing and effectively documenting workpapers according to prescribed procedures

CONCEPTUAL - Provides effective and accurate evaluation of the operational activities (i.e., capital, earnings, liquidity, sensitivity to market risk, and miscellaneous areas) of financial institutions by:

• Effectively following established examination procedures to collect and analyze data
• Developing accurate conclusions from collected data

LEGAL/COMPLIANCE - Effectively demonstrates knowledge of policies, procedures, laws, rules and regulations.

HUMAN RELATIONS - Provides effective oral and written communications by:

• Effectively and clearly communicating with financial institution personnel to obtain information
• Effectively and clearly communicating examination findings to supervisory personnel
• Effectively preparing written comments that are accurate, grammatically correct, logically arranged, and factually support any conclusions drawn
• Working effectively with others to achieve common goals

RECERTIFICATION

Every three years, certified examiners are required to submit 63 continuing education hours (CEHs) in order to renew a COE certification. If an examiner exceeds this requirement, up to 14 CEHs may be carried over into the new three-year term. Continuing education should be selected with the goal of maintaining, improving, or expanding the examiner's knowledge, skills, and abilities.