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Trusted by Fintechs & Financial Institutions

Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) Advisory

BSA compliance isn't something you can afford to get wrong. Pillars FinCrime Advisory provides expert BSA advisory services that help fintechs and financial institutions build and maintain programs that meet FinCEN expectations, satisfy bank partner requirements, and hold up when regulators come looking. From foundational program design to ongoing compliance support, we make sure your BSA obligations are handled with the expertise they demand.
Fractional Compliance Services

What Our BSA Advisory Services Cover

BSA compliance touches nearly every part of your organization. Pillars makes sure every piece of it is working the way it should, from your written program to your day-to-day filing obligations.

BSA Program Development

We build BSA programs from the ground up, covering all five pillars of an effective program including internal controls, independent testing, a designated BSA officer, training, and customer due diligence.

SAR & CTR Filing Support

We help your team develop the workflows and decision frameworks needed to file Suspicious Activity Reports and Currency Transaction Reports accurately, consistently, and on time with FinCEN.

Regulatory Exam Preparation

We make sure you're never caught off guard. Before a BSA exam lands on your calendar, we've already reviewed your program, stress-tested your controls, and made sure your documentation tells the right story.

Independent Program Review

We conduct independent BSA program reviews that identify gaps, weaknesses, and areas of regulatory exposure before an examiner or auditor finds them. Honest, thorough, and actionable every time.

Customer Due Diligence

We design CDD and EDD frameworks that collect the right information at onboarding, apply risk-based oversight, and create a clear audit trail that meets both FinCEN and bank partner expectations.

BSA Training Programs

We develop BSA training that gives your team a real understanding of their obligations, not just a box to check. Your people need to know what to look for and what to do when they see it.

BSA Compliance Done Right

BSA Compliance Is Not a Once a Year Exercise

A lot of organizations treat BSA compliance like an annual checklist. Update the policy, run the training, file what needs to be filed, and move on. That approach works until it doesn't. Regulators and bank partners are looking for programs that operate consistently, document thoroughly, and demonstrate that your organization takes financial crime risk seriously every single day. Pillars helps you build and maintain exactly that kind of program so that when your moment of scrutiny arrives, you're ready for it.

bsa-advisory
What's Included

What Our Fractional Services Cover

Our fractional engagements are tailored to your organization's specific needs — from day-to-day compliance operations to strategic program leadership and regulatory preparation.

Program Ownership
Serving as your designated CCO or BSA Officer, owning compliance program management, regulatory filings, and internal escalations.
Bank Partner Liaison
Representing your organization in sponsor bank relationships, managing compliance expectations and ongoing due diligence requirements.
Policy & Procedure Development
Building and maintaining AML, BSA, KYC/KYB, and fraud policies that reflect your risk profile and meet regulatory standards.
Audit & Exam Readiness
Preparing your program for regulatory exams, internal audits, and bank partner reviews — so you're never caught off guard.

BSA Advisory From Someone Who Has Actually Run a BSA Program

There's a difference between knowing BSA regulations and knowing how to run a BSA program under real operational conditions. Joshua Douglas brings both to every engagement.

BSA compliance gets complicated fast. Filing deadlines, examiner expectations, bank partner requirements, evolving FinCEN guidance — there's a lot to stay on top of and the consequences of getting it wrong are significant. Joshua Douglas has spent more than 12 years managing these exact challenges across fintechs and financial institutions of all sizes. When Pillars advises on your BSA program, you're getting guidance from someone who has filed SARs under pressure, sat across the table from examiners, and rebuilt programs that weren't working. That experience is what separates practical BSA advisory from generic compliance consulting.
12+ Years
BSA Program Experience
FinCEN Aligned
Current With Regulatory Guidance
Exam Tested
Programs Built to Withstand 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

What are the five pillars of an effective BSA program and does Pillars cover all of them?
The five pillars of a BSA program are internal controls, independent testing, a designated BSA officer, ongoing training, and customer due diligence. Yes, Pillars covers all five. Whether we're building your program from scratch or reviewing what you already have, we make sure every pillar is in place and functioning the way regulators expect it to.
What is the difference between BSA compliance and AML compliance?
BSA is the law and AML is the broader set of practices designed to comply with it. The Bank Secrecy Act is the foundational US regulation that requires financial institutions to assist government agencies in detecting and preventing money laundering. AML compliance refers to the full range of policies, controls, and procedures organizations put in place to meet those requirements. In practice the two are deeply connected and Pillars helps you manage both.
What happens if our BSA program has already been flagged by a regulator or bank partner?
That's a situation we deal with directly. When a program has been flagged, the first priority is understanding exactly what the concern is and what the examiner or bank partner expects to see addressed. We come in, assess the gaps, build a remediation plan, and work through it with you. Regulators and bank partners respond well to organizations that take findings seriously and respond with a credible, well-executed plan.
Do we need a dedicated BSA Officer or can that responsibility be shared across our team?
Regulators expect a designated BSA Officer who is accountable for the program. That doesn't always have to be a full-time internal hire, but it does need to be someone with the knowledge, authority, and bandwidth to actually own the role. Pillars can serve as your BSA Officer on a fractional basis, giving you a qualified, accountable person in that seat without the cost of a full-time executive hire.

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 Fintechs Choose Pillars for BSA Advisory
We've Filed SARs Under Real Pressure
BSA advisory from Pillars comes from someone who has actually managed SAR filing workflows, responded to examiner questions, and kept programs running under serious regulatory scrutiny. That experience matters when things get difficult.
We Stay Current So You Don't Have To
FinCEN guidance evolves. Examiner expectations shift. Industry standards move. Pillars stays on top of all of it and makes sure your BSA program reflects where the regulatory environment is today, not where it was two years ago.
No Generic Templates
Every BSA program we build or advise on is tailored to your specific business model, customer base, and risk profile. Cookie-cutter compliance doesn't hold up under examination and we don't do it.
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