Salvatore Zerilli

As a small financial institution, you may not have formalized a comprehensive model risk governance program. Model governance refers to the framework and structure an institution establishes to oversee and manage its models effectively. Such a program is to be in accordance with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and Federal Reserve Bank…

We’ve all read the shocking news of recent financial institution failures. We’re also well aware of quickly rising interest rates and volatility in the market. Regulatory scrutiny is coming, and your institution’s asset/liability and liquidity management (ALLM) processes will fall under more intense review. Are you ready for that? Let’s start by looking at how…

Princeton, NJ and Philadelphia, PA – The Mercadien Group is pleased to announce that it has been awarded through its partner company, Kingstonville, LLC, a $13 Million one-year contract, with four optional years, with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to provide services in support of the SBA Office of Credit Risk Management (OCRM) Supervised…

Mercadien is ready to assist you in facilitating the CARES Act Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan forgiveness processing. The SBA stated that Lenders are expected to perform a good-faith review, in a reasonable time, of the borrower’s calculations and supporting documents concerning amounts eligible for loan forgiveness.  If the lender identifies errors in the borrower’s…

The Mercadien Group is pleased to announce that its affiliate company, Kingstonville-Mercadien JV, LLC, has been awarded a five-year contract with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to provide risk-based review and risk oversight support services for the Certified Development Company (CDC)/504 Loan Program, administered through the Offices of Capital Access and Credit Risk Management.…

This article is featured in the Spring 2018 issue of NJ Banker Magazine. Stop and think about this: We keep hearing about innovation in just about every facet of our life. Everywhere you look or turn, the word innovation seems to be there. It’s an agenda topic in most board rooms and is causing some level…

Technological security is not only increasingly important today, but also undergoing a directional shift due to the prevalence and ingenuity of cyber-hackings. The true statistics about these are more alarming than may be realized from the handful of high-profile corporate incidents in the news. The risks associated with IT security alone apply to and reverberate…

Internal audit, when properly implemented, is an essential element to assist your financial institution in discovering control weaknesses, regulatory and policy violations, and operational inefficiencies. Such self-scrutiny provides an institution with the ability to take timely, corrective action when needed to maintain its safety, soundness, profitability and integrity. Risk Assessment Proper implementation of an effective…

The banking industry has seen noted changes in income margins for institutions of all sizes over the last five to ten years. Growth strategies focused solely on revenue channels are no longer effective and must be changed to ensure that income is not offset by compliance-related expenses. The regulatory landscape with which banks need to…

Ever wonder why the name of your bank has changed eight times since you opened an account? With all the bank mergers taking place, it can be hard to remember what your bank is called. By the time you go through a checkbook, it might have merged twice. The bankers may not necessarily like this…