2010 WORKSHOPS

Operations

Adapting and Excelling in a Changing Industry and Economy
Jeff Shyne, Greenhouse Organizational Resources
Change is the one thing in life that is constant. You need to lead, follow or get out of the way. In this workshop, participants will learn how to identify their core strengths, their key team members and how to identify and adapt to the changes and trends that their business is facing in this ever changing economy and industry.
Participants will also learn about changes in technology (blogs, web presence, live chat, use of media) and the use of social networking media (facebook, linkedin, twitter) in enhancing their respective businesses.

Best Practices for Developing and Maintaining Bank Relations
Scott McClain, Esq. Winne, Banta, Hetherington, Basralian & Kahn, P.C.
Michelle Hemerley, Kenny Bank
Terry Keenan & Kathy Dotto, MB Financial Bank
Carol Ann Killian, CapOne Bank
Dave Ryan, Republic Bank
Many banks approach MSB customers with extreme caution, fearing that developing an appropriate risk-based program for opening or maintaining MSB accounts is too difficult or costly.   The workshop will help you to understand the regulatory environment that banks face and how you can meet your bank’s expectations by following industry best practices.

Current Fraud and Embezzlement Schemes in the Ever Changing World of Modern Payment Systems and Protecting Oneself on the Frontlines
Scott McClain, Esq. Winne, Banta, Hetherington, Basralian & Kahn, P.C.
Gregg S. Sodini, Esq., Law Offices of Gregg S. Sodini
The focus of this workshop will be on current fraud and embezzlement schemes being perpetrated in connection with negotiable instruments, recognizing such schemes before it is “too late”, measures that can be taken to avoid being victimized and an the legal consequences of falling victim to such schemes.  Topics to be discussed will include:
• Articles 3, 4 and 4A of the UCC and Federal Reserve Regulation CC (Availability of Funds and Collection of Checks) including the negotiability of instruments, endorsement issues, stop payments, post-dated and stale-dated checks, cashier’s and certified checks, forgeries, alterations, counterfeits, ACH funds transfers, late returns and liability for damages.
• Selected court decisions impacting these areas.

Crime and Security
Kevin Viana, Marshall & Sterling
Scott Sweeney, Marshall & Sterling
This workshop will review the details of the criminal losses encountered from internal and external sources as well as trends around the country. More importantly, participants will discuss steps to help prevent these losses. Included will be discussions by industry experts on store security and loss control methods that should play an integral part of a store’s overall operating environment.

Double-Digit Revenue Growth Is Easy; Hiring the Right Tellers Is the Hard Part
Don Everett, Workforce Interactive
Traditional interview techniques, background checks, drug testing, and credit histories do not reliably reveal the revenue generating potential of teller employment candidates.  Operators who successfully gain insight into the character and values of their applicants can reap up to 30% more revenue per teller in their operations. This session will describe the Nobel-nominated Values Science used in the analysis of employee performance and now deployed in almost 2,000 stores nationwide. Compelling findings regarding favorable teller revenue also will be shared.

Implementing Effective Collection Practices and Guarding Against Common  Abuses 
Bill Milligan, PLS
Lou Nash, Check$mart
An effective collection process is critical to the financial success of your company.  In this workshop you will learn:
• Strategies that can help optimize your collection of returned checks and bad debts. 
• Current technologies to reduce your company’s bad check and loan losses. 
• Common collections abuses.

Keeping Up With Change: Intentional Listening For Intended Results 
Judy Rosemarin, Sense-Able Strategies, Inc
Are you an opportunistic listener? Do you find yourself getting impatient with customers? Have you ever wished that your customers would listen to you better?
This workshop will focus on the changing world of communication and the importance of critical intentional listening for keeping up with new business challenges.
As you learn the five different listening approaches, you will also learn how to match the best listening style to each of your customer's needs to build deeper understanding, trust and loyalty.

Keys to Maintaining a Positive Employer-Employee Relationship
Aggie Clark, Moneytree, Inc.
GiGi Vasquez, RiteCheck
Samantha Bentson, Cashland Holdings, LLC
This workshop will focus on developing and maintaining a positive employer-employee relationship by creating a workplace culture that supports employees’ efforts to be successful, inspiring and rewarding top performance, and implementing a corrective action system that helps correct performance lapses. The workshop will also discuss common workplace issues currently affecting the industry. Attendees will have ample opportunity to ask “real life” questions of the presenters.

Payday Lending/Credit

Battleground States: Lessons Learned in 2010 and What’s on the Horizon in  2011 for the Payday Advance Industry
Eric Norrington, ACE Cash Express
Mark Thomson, Moneytree, Inc.
Alex Vaughn, Cash America International
The year has once again proven to be very challenging for the payday advance industry, as several state legislatures considered regulation of the industry.  This panel will discuss the legislative developments that took place in Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Montana, Washington and others.  In this workshop you will learn about legislative trends and receive insight on what to expect in 2011.

Common Compliance Issues Involving Payday Lending 
Ron Gorsline, Esq., Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel, P.C.
Michael J. McSunas, Esq., Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel, P.C.
Compliance and marketing for Financial Service Centers that offer payday advances involve myriad federal laws. This workshop will focus on key federal laws that are currently on regulators’ radar, including the  Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act/Red Flags Rule, the Truth-In-Lending Act/Regulation Z, and Electronic Fund Transfer Act/Regulation E. It also will discuss recent steps by the FTC and FCC to restrict communications with customers.  We will discuss new and proposed rules for collection calls, robocalls, text messaging and autodialers.

Internet Lending: Opportunities and Challenges
Roman Vaccari, Esq., Winne, Banta, Hetherington, Basralian & Kahn, P.C. 
Steve Crispinelli, iLoan
Bart Miller, Centrinex
Brandon Payne, 3B Financial
Today, it is estimated that Internet payday loans constitute approximately ¼ of total payday lending activity.  The panel in this workshop will discuss the pros and cons associated with this continually growing sector.  The panel will review, emerging trends, the various business models that are being utilized and legal and operational issues. 

Lending to the “Underbanked”: Demand and Distribution
Jerry L. Robinson, Servius Capital
Trent Sorbe, Insight Card Services/Insight Credit solutions
The changing form of customer, regulatory and lender behavior is creating new lending products and changing the delivery methods of “old” products. This workshop will provide an update on current lending products and the outlook for new ones.  It will discuss what businesses can deliver and what capital will support these products. Economic behavior and other financial trends also will be explored.

Mergers & Acquisitions and Capital Raising in the Alternative Financial Services Industry: Recent Activity and Thoughts on the Future
Bruce Miller, Stephens, Inc.
A senior member of the most active investment banking firm in the alternative financial services sector will discuss the current M&A environment and availability of capital to check cashers, payday lenders and other alternative financial services firms.  He will review recent transactions and valuations and will give his thoughts on the future and the potential impact that financial regulatory reform and the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection will have on the sector.

Marketing & Innovation

Diversifying Your Company’s Product Line to Compete in Today’s Marketplace
Ira Krell, David’s Financial
Stuart Tapper, Unbank
Dan Wolfberg, PLS 
This workshop will explore how FSCs can identify what products and services consumers desire and ensure compatibility between products and services offered and consumers’ needs.  The panel will also illustrate some of the innovative ways that FSCs are expanding their product line to ensure a satisfied consumer. 

Expanding and Maximizing Customer Relationships
Jim Wells, Wellspring Consulting
Thomas Borrzilleri, StorValue Card Solutions, LLC
Barry Kessler, Prepaid Card Resources
Hostility towards banks’ abusive products, fees and charges and opaque processes which appear to maximize fees have opened the door for alternative products and providers which offer consumers a “fair shake.”  Nowhere is this opportunity greater than amongst low- and moderate-income (LMI) consumers. How are other retail businesses capitalizing on this historic opportunity to take business away from big banks? What tools are available to FSCs to expand services to existing customers while also attracting new customers?

Image is Everything: How Your Store’s Appearance Affects Your Bottom-Line 
Rob Zweig, Check Center
Lou Costantini, Grafico
For most FSC operators it just doesn’t make sense to spend on media advertising. The most cost effective way to promote your business is by investing in your stores. They are “Billboards” in the neighborhoods. In this workshop we will discuss “makeovers” that have proven to be effective at increasing business. Share with other FSC operators how upgrading store appearance improves the bottom line.

Importance of Marketing to Your Bottom Line
Lou Costantini, Grafico, Inc.
Jim Higgins, Grafico, Inc.
Everybody is looking to diversify and grow their revenue base, but adding  products randomly without a plan can cause more harm than good. Successful growth requires a multifaceted look at all aspects of your marketing mix. This session will explore the “4P’s of the Marketing Mix” and apply them to financial services retailing. This workshop will feature some real-world examples of what successful operators in your industry are doing to grow and promote their businesses.

The Ideal Customer Experience – Harnessing In-Store and Mobile Marketing to Increase Share of Wallet
Sheldon Silverman, SmartBomb Media Group/iCASHtv
Vincent Andracchio, Friendly Check
Ben Snare, I.C.E. Card - International Cash Exchange Card LLC
This session will focus on creating the ideal check cashing customer experience by using traditional marketing channels and store design, as well as incorporating mobile marketing (Text Messaging) , Twitter and in-store digital videos. We share actual campaigns and results, including a ground-breaking text campaign to drive store traffic and product use.  These techniques will help you capture more of your customers “share of wallet” and increase product cross-sell and up-sell. We will also deliver powerful marketing data, trends and facts from Arbitron, Nielson, Digital Out of Home Media, DM News and others.

Compliance

An Introduction to E-Filing
Ken Janoski, FinCEN
This workshop will offer a detailed introduction on the BSA E-Filing System and focus on the following topics:
• What is the BSA E-filing System?
• What BSA forms can be electronically filed?
• How do I enroll?
• How do I file discretely (single form)
• How do I file via batch (multiple forms in a single file)
• What is Batch Validation?
• What’s New with E-Filing?

BSA/AML Examination Manual for MSBs – Are you ready for an examination?
Jeff Pratt, FinCEN
Sandra L. Stolt, IRS
This workshop will include discussion of the BSA/AML Examination Manual for  MSBs.  The workshop will include discussion on performing a risk assessment and utilizing the risk assessment to implement an adequate AML  program that addresses your  institution’s individual risks.  Finally, we will discuss examples of common issues identified by examiners and suggestions to implement adequate policies, procedures, and internal controls.

FiSCA Compliance Training Certification Program
Larry Slonina, U.S. Advisory Service
Shannon Bennett, MoneyGram International
Michelle Hemerley, Kenney Bank
John Tyson, ACE America's Cash Express
Scott K. McClain, FiSCA Counsel
Updated BSA/AML training for compliance and management personnel.  The FiSCA Compliance Training and Certification Program will arm you with the most current, specialized training in our industry. Learn more about preparing for IRS and State Bank Secrecy Act/Anti Money Laundering examinations, recent enforcement actions and pending regulations that will impact the industry, how to conduct a "risk assessment" of your  business, independent examination requirements, commercial and "non-payroll" check cashing, stored value card products, and recent case studies.

Open Table Discussions

Business Applications of Social Media
Amy Hale, Moneytree

Compliance: Risk Assessment
Jeff Pratt,  FinCEN
 
Small Dollar Lending Under the BCFP
Jerry Robinson, Servius Capital, LP
 
Employment Issues
Samantha Bentson, Cashland Holdings, LLC
 
Sales & Marketing
Jim Higgins, Grafico
 
Store Operations
Martin Lieberman, Central Clearing Co.