Certifications

Certification Process

  • CFES Certification Process
The CFES certification provides third-party validation of a fintech’s risk management and compliance capabilities through an independent assessment against CFES standards. Companies can choose to be assessed against the Core Risk and Compliance Standards, specific modules (such as the Lending Module), or a combination based on their business model and partnership needs. Conducted by CFES-Qualified Assessors, the certification process involves a comprehensive evaluation across the selected standards areas, resulting in a detailed report that can be shared with bank partners during pre-launch diligence or post-launch ongoing diligence.
  • Assessment Methodology

The certification assessment follows a structured five-step process:

  1. Information gathering, where companies provide policies, procedures, and relevant documentation;
  2. Risk and compliance assessment, evaluating each standard against CFES criteria with maturity scores from 1-5;
  3. Results review, including identification of gaps;
  4. Mitigation planning for required improvements; and
  5. Certification determination upon completion of necessary mitigations.
  • Certification Benefits
  • Accelerates partnership onboarding by providing banks with pre-validated compliance documentation
  • Creates competitive advantage through independent verification of compliance capabilities
  • Identifies specific opportunities for program enhancement with expert guidance
  • Supports operational viability by ensuring alignment with regulatory expectations
  • Annual recertification ensures continuous compliance program evolution
  • Sample Certification Report
To help companies understand the certification process and expected deliverables, CFES provides an anonymized sample certification report that demonstrates the comprehensive assessment methodology, detailed analysis across all compliance areas, and actionable recommendations that result from the STARC evaluation.
Download the Sample Report
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