CAMS-Certified  •  MBA  •  Veteran-Owned  •  Ohio-Based, Serving MSBs Nationwide

For 14 years, I was the analyst your bank assigned to review your MSB account.
Now I work for you.

Independent BSA/AML reviews, written AML programs, and staff training for check cashers, currency exchangers, and money transmitters — built by a CAMS-certified reviewer who knows exactly what your bank and your examiner need to see, because reviewing MSBs from the bank side was my job.

Internal
Controls
Compliance
Officer
Training
Independent
Review
12+ YearsBSA/AML & OFAC compliance
7 InstitutionsBanks, fintech & Big-4 engagements
CAMSCertified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist
4 PillarsOne focus: keeping your MSB banked
Why this matters

Your AML program isn't just an IRS requirement.
It's the reason your bank keeps your account open.

Every MSB must maintain an effective AML program with an independent review to monitor it (31 C.F.R. § 1022.210). But the pressure isn't only regulatory — your bank is required to perform due diligence on you, and a weak or missing independent review is one of the fastest ways to end up de-risked.

Bank de-risking is real

Banks routinely exit MSB relationships they can't document as low-risk. When your bank's BSA department asks for your latest independent review, risk assessment, and training records, the quality of those documents decides whether you stay banked.

IRS Title 31 exams don't wait

The IRS examines MSBs for BSA compliance on FinCEN's behalf. Late CTRs, thin KYC files, and an out-of-date risk assessment become formal findings — and repeat findings escalate. A rigorous annual review catches them first.

Templates aren't programs

Off-the-shelf manuals that don't match your actual services, thresholds, and systems are a red flag examiners and bankers spot immediately. Your program should describe what you really do — and prove that you do it.

Services

Everything an MSB needs to satisfy its regulator — and its bank

Scaled to fit your operation, from a single-location check casher to a multi-state licensed money transmitter.

Flagship

Independent AML Reviews

From $2,750 flat fee

The fourth pillar of your program, done right: a full review of your policies, four pillars, transaction testing (CTR, SAR, KYC, OFAC, logs), and a bank-ready report with risk-rated findings and practical fixes.

  • Methodology scaled to your size and services
  • Transaction testing with documented samples
  • Findings matrix with remediation target dates
  • Prior-finding follow-up and repeat-flag tracking

AML Programs & Procedures

A written program that matches your actual business — not a template with your name pasted in. Built or refreshed to cover your services, thresholds, systems, and staff.

  • ML/TF & sanctions risk assessment
  • CIP/KYC thresholds and EDD procedures
  • Monitoring scenarios and internal monitoring plans
  • CTR, SAR, OFAC, and recordkeeping procedures

BSA/AML Training

Role-based training your tellers and managers will actually use — with the documentation trail (materials, logs, attestations) your examiner and bank expect to see.

  • Front-line red flags for your specific services
  • CTR aggregation, SAR referral & confidentiality
  • OFAC hit handling at the counter
  • New-hire onboarding and annual refreshers
For Banks

MSB Site Inspections for Banks

Banking MSBs and need boots on the ground? I perform on-site inspections and EDD support for bank BSA departments — the same reviews I ran in-house for MSB-banking institutions for over a decade.

  • On-site visits with photo & document evidence
  • Program and licensing verification
  • Activity-vs-expected analysis for account files
  • Clear, examiner-ready inspection reports
Why me

I've sat on the other side of the desk — the side that decides whether your account stays open.

Most MSB consultants have never worked inside a bank BSA department. I spent 14 years in them — including two California banks known for banking MSBs — reviewing high-risk MSB customers, writing the EDD procedures those reviews followed, and recommending which accounts to keep, restrict, or close.

That means when I review your program, I'm not guessing what your bank wants. I'm checking your program against the same criteria I used when the decision was mine.

More recently I've investigated financial crime for a Big-4 firm and led cryptocurrency investigations at a digital-asset MSB — so your review reflects how monitoring, typologies, and regulator expectations look today, not a decade ago.

CAMS — ACAMS MBA B.S. Accounting U.S. Marine Corps Veteran SQL & Excel dashboarding
High-risk MSB & MRB portfolio reviewsYears of bank-side periodic reviews of check cashers, currency exchangers & money transmitters — including keep, restrict, or close recommendations
EDD, KYC & customer risk ratingFile-level testing against CIP/CDD/EDD standards, third-party payment processors included; risk-rating evaluations and account restrictions
SAR & CTR lifecycle, end to endInvestigations, narratives, filings, 90-day continuing-activity reviews, and CTR aggregation across platforms
OFAC screening & information sharingMatch dispositions, escalations, and 314(a)/(b) request handling
Procedure & SOP authorshipWrote MSB-review and EDD procedures used by a bank BSA department, plus crypto monitoring & SAR documentation SOPs
QC & audit-style testingPeer QC of investigator case files and QC testing of alerts & reports across multiple platforms
Data-driven transaction analysisSQL & Excel dashboards built to surface anomalies, structuring patterns, and fraud indicators
Cryptocurrency investigationsBlockchain analytics (Chainalysis Reactor/KYT), wallet clustering, virtual-asset risk assessment under FinCEN CVC guidance
How it works

A clear process from first call to final report

Scoping Call

Free call to confirm your services, locations, volumes, systems, and review period — so the engagement fits your size and risk, and you get a flat quote.

Document Request & Fieldwork

You get a clear checklist. I review your program, risk assessment, filings, and records, and interview key staff — on-site or remote.

Testing & Findings

Transaction testing across CTRs, SARs, KYC files, logs, and OFAC screening. Every exception documented; every finding risk-rated with a practical fix.

Report & Follow-Up

A bank-ready report with ratings, findings, and management responses — plus follow-up support so corrective actions actually close before your next exam.

FAQ

Common questions

How often does my MSB need an independent review?
The regulation (31 C.F.R. § 1022.210(d)(4)) requires review at a frequency commensurate with your risk. FinCEN guidance leaves the interval risk-based, but an annual review is the industry standard most banks and examiners expect — and the safest way to keep findings small and fixable.
Can my own employee do the review instead?
Sometimes — the rule allows an officer or employee to conduct it, as long as it is not the designated compliance officer. In practice, small MSBs rarely have a qualified person who is independent of the compliance function, and banks give far more weight to a documented external review.
What does a review cost and how long does it take?
Independent reviews start at $2,750 for small single- and two-location operations, scaling with your services, volume, and locations — that's what the free scoping call establishes. You'll get a flat-fee quote up front, not an hourly meter. Most single- and multi-location engagements complete within a few weeks of receiving documents.
Will your report satisfy my bank?
The report is built for exactly that audience: it documents scope, methodology, transaction testing, ratings, and remediation the way bank BSA departments are trained to look for — because that's the seat I worked in for 14 years. No consultant can guarantee a bank's decision, but you'll hand them a review that answers their questions before they ask.
Do you work with crypto or money transmitters?
Yes. I've led investigations at a digital-asset MSB using blockchain analytics, and the review methodology scales to licensed money transmitters, agents of principals, check cashers, and currency exchangers.
Contact

Request a review or a free scoping call

Tell me a little about your business and what you need — an independent review, a program build, training, or bank-side inspection support. I'll reply within one business day.

📍  Ohio-based — serving MSBs nationwide (remote & on-site) 🎖  Veteran-owned  •  CAMS-certified

Your information is kept confidential and never shared.