Equipment financing is a $1.3 trillion market, yet many banks and credit unions hesitate to enter or expand into the market due to unfamiliar credit models, operational complexity, and regulatory uncertainty. Without a clear strategy, institutions face misaligned credit culture, onboarding delays, and rising operational costs.

This checklist summarizes what makes equipment finance distinct from traditional lending and the actions leaders can take to update risk frameworks, streamline processes, and support scalable growth.

Learn how to:

• Navigate regulatory expectations while updating risk frameworks for a new asset class
• Incorporate data-driven scoring, asset-focused underwriting, and residual risk management
• Build the operational, tax, accounting, and asset-management processes needed to scale

Additional resource:

• Webinar on-demand: Tapping into the equipment finance opportunity: What financial institutions need to know

Credit unions must identify, report, and monitor policy exceptions as part of strong risk management. Yet many institutions track too many “exceptions,” creating noise that hides real credit risk.

This checklist helps credit unions refine their approach by defining what truly qualifies as an exception—and how to manage it effectively. It outlines five practical steps to improve clarity, accountability, and compliance across commercial and member business lending.

Learn how to:

• Define and categorize exceptions for clear oversight
• Create a focused policy that sets accountability and resolution paths
• Review exceptions regularly and report findings to leadership
• Train staff and communicate updates clearly to maintain consistency

As credit unions grow their small business lending programs, examiners are watching more closely. This checklist highlights the most common credit risk issues found by the NCUA and offers clear steps to address them.

You’ll find practical ways to align risk appetite with lending capacity, track exceptions, and spot early warning signs of credit trouble. The guide helps boards and management teams strengthen oversight and reduce risk before examiners raise concerns.

Learn how to:

• Define and document your lending risk appetite and capacity
• Use data-driven analysis to set portfolio limits
• Track policy exceptions and emerging risks
• Apply consistent charge-off and workout strategies to improve loan quality

Fighting fraud takes more than quick fixes. This checklist guides financial institutions through the essential components of building a strong, exam-ready fraud program that protects clients, minimizes losses, and aligns with regulatory expectations. Whether you’re refining an existing strategy or starting fresh, this resource ensures your institution addresses evolving threats with clarity and confidence.

Key takeaways:

• Learning how to assess risks across channels, clients, and fraud types
• Engaging teams with tailored training and public awareness
• Tracking impact with KPIs, audits, and board reporting

As fentanyl continues to fuel the overdose epidemic in the U.S., financial institutions play a critical role in identifying suspicious activity linked to the illicit flow of synthetic opioids. This quick-reference guide summarizes key red flags from FinCEN and equips anti-money laundering compliance professionals with the insight they need to enhance monitoring and reporting procedures. With a focus on both transaction activity and customer profiles, the resource helps AML teams better protect their institutions from unknowingly facilitating fentanyl trafficking.

Key Takeaways: 

• Learn how to spot common transaction types and behaviors of fentanyl trafficking
• Understand risky customer profiles
• Gain practical steps your institution can take today to incorporate into your AML program

After natural disasters like hurricanes, floods, and wildfires, fraudsters strike vulnerable communities—posing as relief agents, contractors, or charities to exploit victims. Financial institutions play a critical role in helping customers stay safe and recover faster.

This free checklist highlights:

• 4 common disaster-related scams targeting victims and donors
• Key red flags to watch for across FEMA, contractor, charity, and grant scams
• Actionable tips to verify legitimacy and avoid costly mistakes
• Reporting guidance to help victims take swift action

Internal fraud can quietly chip away at a financial institution’s stability—and it often flies under the radar for far too long. This checklist walks you through practical, proactive steps to help spot red flags, set clear expectations for employees, and put strong controls in place. Whether you’re tightening internal controls or coaching leadership to set expectations, this resource gives you clear steps to limit risk and boost accountability.

Takeaways:

• Identifying red flags of internal fraud
• Discovering which internal safeguards can help prevent fraud before it starts
• Using technology for key monitoring and identification

Banks and credit unions are optimistic about the future, but lending leaders still face pressing concerns—from deposit growth to cybersecurity. Without the right strategies, financial institutions risk inefficiencies, missed lending opportunities, and rising costs.

This checklist highlights five challenges lending leaders can help address and how to combat them, including ways to:

• Streamline lending workflows and reduce manual inefficiencies
• Enhance deposit growth and attract new customers through targeted incentives and relationship management
• Manage the cost of funds while maintaining profitability

Download now to learn how proactive strategies and technology-driven solutions can help your institution navigate these challenges and achieve sustainable growth.

Additional resources:

• Whitepaper: 5 Ways to be a more data-driven lender
• Blog: 5 Critical reports for lenders

Closely defining and managing credit exceptions ensures they do not undermine an institution’s credit risk management framework. Sound exception management limits “noise” so financial institutions can identify the true root(s) of risk in the loan portfolio.

To manage exceptions at your bank or credit union, follow the 5 steps laid out in this checklist.

You might also like these: 

Webinar: Credit policy reboot

Guide: How to conduct a loan policy tune-up