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Trusted by Fintechs & Financial Institutions

Audit Readiness

An audit or regulatory examination shouldn't be a scramble. Pillars FinCrime Advisory helps fintechs and financial institutions get their compliance programs into examination-ready shape before the auditors arrive. From documentation review to control testing and gap remediation, we make sure your program tells the right story when it matters most.
Fractional Compliance Services

How Pillars Gets Your Program Audit Ready

Audit readiness isn't something you achieve the week before an examination. It's a state your program should be in all the time. Pillars helps you get there and stay there.

Pre-Audit Program Assessment

We conduct a thorough review of your compliance program before any external auditor or examiner does. We find the gaps, identify the weaknesses, and give you a clear picture of exactly where your program stands right now.

Documentation Review & Enhancement

Auditors and examiners follow the paper trail. We review your policies, procedures, and supporting documentation to make sure everything is current, complete, and tells a consistent story about how your program operates.

Control Testing

We test your compliance controls the same way an auditor would, so you find out what's working and what isn't before the examination begins. No surprises. No last-minute scrambles. Just a program you can stand behind.

Gap Remediation

When we find gaps in your program, we don't just document them and hand you a report. We work with you to remediate them, building or enhancing the controls, documentation, and processes needed to close them before an auditor does it for you.

Staff Preparation

Your team will likely interact with auditors and examiners directly. We make sure they understand the program, know how to answer questions accurately, and feel confident going into those conversations without saying something that creates unnecessary findings.

Ongoing Readiness Maintenance

Being audit ready once isn't enough. We help you build the ongoing review cadence and program discipline that keeps your compliance program in examination-ready condition at all times, not just when an audit is on the calendar.

Always Exam Ready

The Best Time to Prepare for an Audit Is Before You Know One Is Coming

Most organizations start thinking about audit readiness when an examination is already scheduled. By that point, the window to fix real problems is very small. Pillars works with you well in advance, identifying the gaps in your program, strengthening your documentation, and making sure your controls are operating the way they're supposed to. When the auditors arrive, your program should be able to speak for itself. That's exactly the standard we help you reach.

audit-readiness
What's Included

What Pillars Reviews When Getting Your Program Audit Ready

Audit readiness covers a lot of ground. Here are the core areas Pillars focuses on to make sure your program is in the best possible shape before any external review begins.

Policies & Procedures
We review every relevant policy and procedure to make sure they're current, complete, and actually reflect how your program operates day to day rather than how it was designed to operate two years ago.
Controls & Testing
We test your compliance controls the same way an auditor would, identifying what's working, what's not, and what needs to be fixed or documented more thoroughly before an external review begins.
Records & Documentation
Auditors follow the paper trail. We make sure your records are organized, your case files are complete, and your documentation supports the story your program is supposed to tell.
Training Records
Training documentation is one of the first things auditors request. We make sure your training program is current, well-documented, and demonstrates that your team has the knowledge required to run a compliant program.

Preparing for an Audit Is a Lot Less Stressful When You've Done It Before

Joshua Douglas has been through regulatory examinations and internal audits from the inside. He knows what examiners look for, how they evaluate programs, and where most organizations fall short. That experience is what makes Pillars audit readiness work so effective.

There's a significant difference between a compliance program that looks good and a compliance program that holds up under examination. Pillars knows that difference because Joshua Douglas has been on both sides of it. He has prepared programs for regulatory examinations, responded to auditor findings, and rebuilt programs that didn't survive scrutiny. When Pillars prepares your program for an audit, we're not guessing at what examiners want to see. We know what they look for, how they think, and what kinds of gaps tend to generate findings. We use that knowledge to get your program into a state where it can be examined with confidence and come out the other side in better shape than it went in.
12+ Years
Audit & Exam Experience
Gap First
We Find Issues Before Auditors Do
Exam Ready
Programs Built to Pass Scrutiny
Client Impact

Built for the Challenges Fintechs Actually Face

From first-time compliance builds to regulatory remediation and bank partner readiness — see how Pillars FinCrime Advisory helps organizations move forward with confidence, clarity, and programs that hold up under scrutiny.

Pillars helped us navigate a complex regulatory review with confidence. Their hands-on approach and deep understanding of fintech compliance made all the difference. Our program is now scalable and audit-ready.

JD

James Donovan

Chief Compliance Officer

The fractional CCO service provided exactly what we needed—senior-level expertise without the overhead. Joshua and his team integrated seamlessly with our operations and gave us the strategic guidance to grow safely.

SW

Sarah Wagner

Head of Risk

From transaction monitoring optimization to KYC redesign, Pillars delivered measurable improvements. Alert quality is up, operational friction is down, and we're better prepared for regulatory exams.

MT

Michael Thompson

VP, Compliance Operations

Pillars helped us navigate a complex regulatory review with confidence. Their hands-on approach and deep understanding of fintech compliance made all the difference. Our program is now scalable and audit-ready.

JD

James Donovan

Chief Compliance Officer

The fractional CCO service provided exactly what we needed—senior-level expertise without the overhead. Joshua and his team integrated seamlessly with our operations and gave us the strategic guidance to grow safely.

SW

Sarah Wagner

Head of Risk

From transaction monitoring optimization to KYC redesign, Pillars delivered measurable improvements. Alert quality is up, operational friction is down, and we're better prepared for regulatory exams.

MT

Michael Thompson

VP, Compliance Operations

Frequently Asked Questions

How far in advance should we start preparing for a regulatory examination?
The honest answer is that you should always be in a state of readiness rather than preparing in response to a scheduled examination. That said, if you know an examination is coming, the earlier you start the better. Waiting until a few weeks before an exam leaves very little time to address real gaps. Pillars recommends building ongoing audit readiness into your compliance program so that when an examination is announced, your preparation is mostly already done.
What's the difference between an internal audit and a regulatory examination?
An internal audit is conducted by your own organization or an independent third party you hire to review your compliance program. A regulatory examination is conducted by a government regulator or your sponsor bank and carries significantly higher stakes. Both require your program to be well-documented and your controls to be operating effectively. Pillars prepares you for both, because the discipline required to pass an internal audit is the same discipline that gets you through a regulatory examination.
What happens if an auditor finds something during an examination that we weren't aware of?
Findings happen even in well-run programs. What matters most is how your organization responds. Examiners evaluate not just what they find but how seriously you take it and how credibly you plan to address it. Pillars can help you develop a remediation response that demonstrates genuine commitment to fixing the issue, communicates clearly with the examiner, and positions your organization to close the finding as efficiently as possible.
Can Pillars help us respond to findings from a previous examination?
Absolutely. Responding to prior examination findings is one of the most important things an organization can do to rebuild regulatory confidence. Pillars works with you to understand exactly what was cited, develop a thorough remediation plan, implement the necessary changes, and document your response in a way that satisfies examiners when they return to verify the issues have been resolved.

Who We Work With

Pillars FinCrime Advisory partners with a range of organizations across the financial services ecosystem — from early-stage startups to established institutions managing complex compliance demands.

Houston, Texas

Headquarters

United States

Remote & On-Site Engagements

Founded 2025

By Joshua Douglas

Fintechs

Payments Companies

Sponsor Banks

Financial Institutions

Why Pillars
Why Organizations Choose Pillars to Prepare for Their Most Important Reviews
We Think Like Examiners
Joshua Douglas has been through regulatory examinations from the inside. He knows how examiners approach a program review, what they prioritize, and what kinds of gaps consistently generate findings. That perspective is what makes our pre-audit preparation so effective.
We Fix What We Find
A lot of audit readiness engagements end with a gap report and a handshake. Pillars doesn't stop there. When we identify issues in your program, we work alongside your team to remediate them so your program is genuinely stronger before the auditors arrive.
Readiness That Lasts
Getting audit ready once is useful. Staying audit ready is what actually protects your organization. Pillars helps you build the ongoing review discipline that keeps your program examination ready all year long, not just in the weeks before a scheduled review.
Ready to Strengthen Your Financial Crime Program?
Let's discuss your compliance needs today
Reach out to Joshua Douglas and the Pillars team at 281-825-1603 or pillarsfincrimeadvisory@gmail.com . Whether you're launching a new product, preparing for regulatory review, or scaling your compliance program—we're here to help.
Headquarters: Houston, Texas (Serving clients nationwide)
Contact Us Today