Speaking Engagements

On October 24th, 2023 Heidi Wier and Ryan Addabbo participated in an MBA Education webinar titled Using Data Analysis as Part of a Strong Fair Lending Compliance Program. Other panelists were industry experts Tony Villarreal from Nations Lending, and Fedor Kamensky and Brian Serafin from Weiner Brodsky Kider PC. Accurate and consistent risk reporting helps board and senior management make informed decisions and mitigate risk. View the webinar recording to learn how data analysis helps to assess fair lending risk in various areas including underwriting, pricing, service levels, steering, redlining, and marketing.

Wendy McMillan spoke at the Central Florida Compliance Association Annual Conference on October 20th, 2023 on the topic of High-Risk Customer Reviews. Customer risk-rating models are one of the primary tools available to financial institutions to detect money laundering. Wendy discussed regulatory expectations and best practices to consider when conducting high-risk customer reviews.

Ryan Addabbo presented at the Central Florida Compliance Association’s 2023 Annual Conference on October 19, 2024 on the topic of Social Learning and the Department of Justice – lessons learned from recent fair lending enforcement actions. The presentation explored trends in recent DOJ fair lending actions, helping attendees compare their institution to the identified risk factors in these recent actions, and explain how consent orders help to identify fair lending risk.

On October 5th, Liza Warner, Partner at CrossCheck Compliance LLC, and Karen Cullen, Senior VPs at Landmark Credit Union, lead a session at the 2023 Chicagoland Compliance Association Annual Conference. They covered key considerations for conducting compliance related investigations, analyzing complaints for further investigation, and monitoring social media for compliance issues.

On September 10, 2023 Monika McCarthy co-moderated a panel on the topic of Fair Lending. Monika and Feder Kamensky, Partner at Weiner Brodsky Kider PC, discussed serving Limited English Proficiency (LEP) consumers and the when, what, and hows of disclosures, translation requirements, charging LEP borrowers for translation, and much more.

On Monday, September 11th, Mike Forester spoke on a panel on the topic of mortgage fraud – Fraud Prevention Track: Strategies for Detecting and Preventing Fraud Panel. Through case studies and examples from real fraud reviews, industry practitioners recommended strategies to better detect, prevent, and manage suspicious activities. Attendees received tips on how to use QC and LOS reports to monitor fraud. They learned about emerging fraud risks and gained insight into meeting the expectations of federal and state regulators on fraud prevention practices, including SARs and self-reporting.

On September 8, 2023 Monika McCarthy moderated a panel – See Her, Hear Her: Historical Evolution, Advocacy, and the Path Ahead. This panel discussed the history of women in the legal profession, highlighted the importance of advocacy and activism for advancing the rights and opportunities of women in the field, and explored the future of the legal profession and the role women would play in shaping it. The other panelists included Danielle Hall, Litigation Associate at Bilzin Sumberg, Valerie L. Hletko, Partner at Covington, Lynette Hotchkiss, Partner at McGlinchey Stafford, and Jonice Gray Tucker, Partner at Paul Hastings.

On July 27th, 2023, Ryan Addabbo presented during the CCA Fair Lending and CRA Symposium on the topic of Fair Lending Analysis. This session covered fair lending analysis institutions should consider conducting to identify and mitigate risks.

On April 27th, 2023 Heidi Wier and Ryan Addabbo were presenters on a California MBA Mortgage Quality and Compliance Committee (MQAC) webinar about using HMDA data to benefit a lender’s business beyond customary performance analytics for compliance and regulatory risks. During this webinar, the attendees learned all the prospective opportunities with what you can do with your HMDA data compared to a few years ago.

On March 22nd, 2023 Sara McGinnis, CRCM, CAMS, CAFP, and Wendy McMillan, CIA, CRMA, presented a webinar on flood insurance compliance and a summary of the Interagency Flood Q&As for the Central Florida Compliance Association (CFCA). Other resources on flood insurance include an article authored by Sara on this topic, published in ABA Bank Compliance, and the ABA’s Reference Guide to Flood Compliance, First Edition.

On December 14th, 2022 Heidi Wier, Managing Director, participated on a panel with Diana Ringer, Master CMB, AMP, Chief Compliance Officer, Ruoff Mortgage; and Fedor Kamensky, Member, Weiner Brodsky Kider PC; which presented a webinar for the MBA on Ensuring HMDA Data Integrity and Common Reporting Issues. Implementing a strong, comprehensive HMDA compliance program will help ensure the accuracy of your HMDA data, and in turn, should ensure the data portrays an accurate picture of your fair lending performance. All webinars are complimentary for MBA members and available on the MBA’s website. If you missed the webinar, please log in to the MBA’s website to access the recorded webinar.

CrossCheck Compliance was, once again, a sponsor of the California MBA’s Legal Issues and Regulatory Compliance Conference which took place in December 2022. This conference focused on the trends and hot issues in litigation & regulatory compliance for the residential lending community. The panels featured some of the nation’s leading industry experts including Todd Krell and Monika L. McCarthy. Todd moderated and spoke on the Non-QM Compliance panel which discussed how the loan origination and due diligence processes differ from Agency requirements. Monika moderated the General Counsel Roundtable.

The Chicagoland Compliance Association (CCA) held its Annual Conference on November 17th, 2022 at Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace, IL. Sara McGinnis was one of the presenters. Her topic was Flood and new Interagency FAQs.

The Utah Bankers Association (UBA) held its 2022 Compliance Conference October 25-27 in Park City, UT. On Thursday, October 27th, Monika McCarthy presented, Fair Lending Trends.

The Utah Bankers Association (UBA) held its 2022 Compliance Conference – The Pulse of Compliance – October 25-27 in Park City, UT. On Wednesday, October 26th, 2022 Monika McCarthy moderated a UDAAP panel. The panelists included Robert Marx, VP Compliance, WebBank; Rich Friess, VP Compliance Officer, The Bank of Commerce; and Niki Christensen, Chief Compliance Officer, Central Bank. The American Bankers Association Professional Certifications has approved The Pulse of Compliance 2022 for: 15.25 CRCM, 4.25 CERP, 3 CAFP credits. This was a hybrid event.

AFSA held its 2022 annual meeting October 23-26 at The Breakers in Palm Beach, Florida. At the Operations and Regulatory Compliance Committee meeting, Mike Forester participated on a panel with Michael Gordon, Partner at Ballard Spahr LLP. They discussed Hot Topics in Auto Finance.

On October 20 and 21, 2022 the Conference on Consumer Finance Law (CCFL) held their Consumer Financial Services Conference at the Renaissance Dallas in Plano, TX. On Day One, Monika McCarthy moderated a panel which included Daniel Johnson from CrossCheck Compliance LLC, L. Jean Noonan from Hudson Cook, LLP, Tricia de Leon, Holland & Knight LLP and Devin House from Toyota Financial Services. The panel’s topic was Trends in Auto Fair Lending.

Monika McCarthy was a panelist at the RegTech Track session, Surveying the Regulatory Landscape and Future of RegTech, during the MBA’s Regulatory Compliance Conference which took place September 18-20, 2022 in Washington, DC. This session highlighted a variety of challenges and how RegTech can help solve them and stay ahead of pending changes. The other panelists included Chris Hilliard, Chief Operating Officer and Founder, Winnow Solutions, LLC; Amy Azorandia, SVP Mortgage Compliance/Systems, First Trust Bank; and Tara Healy, Chief Compliance Officer, Cherry Creek Mortgage Co., Inc.

On August 11, 2022 Tracey Levandoski, CRCM was a speaker at the National Association of Industrial Bankers (NAIB) and Utah Association of Financial Services (UAFS) convention in Park City, UT. Her presentation focused on Third-Party Relationships and include the following topics: Highlights of FIL-44-2008: Guidance for Managing Third-Party Risk, Summary of FIL-50-2021: Proposed Interagency Guidance on Third-Party Relationships: Risk Management, Fourth Party Management, and Preparing for the Proposed Guidance.

On July 11, 2022 CrossCheck Compliance experts Heidi Wier, Managing Director, Sara McGinnis, Director and Wendy McMillan, Manager, presented the second part of the Effective Internal Audit Function webinar series for the Mortgage Bankers Association. Julie Humphrey, EVP, Internal Audit, Fay Servicing, was also a presenter and provided the lender perspective. Building on themes in part one, in part two, Beyond the Basics, we discussed how effective internal audit programs evolve over time. What does it mean to have an effective internal audit function including corporate governance? How should the risk assessment process work and how does it impact the audit plan? What are the challenges of implementing an audit function? These are just some of the common questions facing mortgage bankers. Participants learned about practical, sustainable internal audit programs from experts who possess industry recognized internal audit credentials and a lender faced with these same questions.