When the Sponsor Bank Asks How Compliance Is Documented, the Answer Matters.
A pattern at Series A through C fintechs under 500 employees: the sponsor bank’s compliance team starts asking for documentation that doesn’t exist yet — KYC and CIP procedures, transaction monitoring rules, OFAC screening logs, an actual BSA/AML risk assessment. Things that have to be there before the next exam cycle.
Sponsor Banks Aren’t Asking Softer Questions in 2026
FinCEN guidance on third-party programs, OCC enforcement around BaaS, and the Synapse fallout have all pushed sponsor compliance teams to audit fintech partners the way they audit branches. When the bank asks who owns compliance and how it’s documented, the answer has to hold up.
Executive-Level Compliance, Embedded With Your Team
RADD Assist is embedded, executive-level compliance leadership for Series A through C fintechs — the documented program your sponsor bank can audit on demand, without a full-time CCO hire. Decisions are made by someone who has owned compliance at a regulated institution. No offshoring, no rotating junior staff.
What an Embedded Fractional Compliance Leader Builds in Six Months
A typical RADD Assist engagement — venture-backed, compliance previously owned by the founder — looks like this within six months. Not a checkbox audit, but the structure your sponsor bank expects to see when they ask how compliance is owned.
Policies & Procedures
50+ policies across BSA/AML, Fair Lending, UDAAP, and complaint handling — written, current, and owned.
Risk Assessments
BSA/AML and program risk assessments aligned to FFIEC and CFPB guidance, not generic templates.
Monitoring & Screening
Transaction monitoring, sanctions screening, CIP/CDD/EDD, and SAR escalation operating end to end.
Governance & Oversight
A compliance monitoring schedule and a cross-functional committee that actually meets — so the program runs, not just exists.
What RADD Assist Covers
BSA / AML / OFAC
KYC / CIP / CDD / EDD
Transaction Monitoring
Sanctions Screening
Fair Lending & UDAAP
Complaint Handling
SAR Escalation & Reporting
Sponsor-Bank Documentation
Compliance Governance & Committee
Rather than a generic checklist, RADD Assist scopes each area to your stage, your product, and what your sponsor bank will actually audit.
Why RADD Assist Is the Right Shape for Series A Through C
Who We Work With
Not Ready for a Quote? Start Preparing Today!
Download The 2026 Audit Readiness Playbook - Free
Stay ahead of examiners and give your board confidence all year long with this practical, easy-to-implement resource from RADD LLC.
What’s Inside:
- A checklist of key areas examiners are likely to scrutinize in the coming year (based on the latest regulatory trends)
- Sample internal audit calendar templates to organize your compliance efforts
- Tips for getting results - even if your team is running lean
- Quick wins for reducing audit risk and impressing your board
Frequently Asked Questions
What stage of fintech is RADD Assist designed for?
Series A through C non-crypto fintechs, typically 11 to 500 employees — fintechs that have a sponsor bank relationship and need a documented compliance program ready for the bank’s next audit, but aren’t yet at the scale to justify a full-time CCO.
Who at the fintech engages with RADD Assist?
Most engagements are owned by the Chief Compliance Officer, Head of Compliance, GC, COO, CEO, or BSA Officer. The discovery call works for any of those roles.
How is this different from hiring a compliance consultant?
A consultant typically delivers a deliverable and leaves. RADD Assist embeds with your team for the duration of the engagement and operates at executive level. The sponsor bank can ask compliance questions and get an answer that holds up under audit.
Do we get a real fractional CCO, or junior staff?
Executive-level leadership from someone who has owned compliance at a regulated institution. No offshoring, no rotating junior staff.
We already have a consultant — why RADD Assist?
RADD Assist isn’t a checkbox audit; it’s the program your consultant reviews against — the documented, owned compliance function a sponsor bank can actually audit.
What does a six-month engagement typically produce?
50+ policies across BSA/AML, Fair Lending, UDAAP, and complaint handling; risk assessments aligned to FFIEC and CFPB guidance; transaction monitoring, sanctions screening, CIP/CDD/EDD, and SAR escalation; plus a compliance monitoring schedule and a cross-functional committee that meets.
Will this hold up when our sponsor bank audits us?
That’s the point. The output is the structure your sponsor bank expects to see when they ask how compliance is owned and documented — built to be audited on demand.
Do you work with crypto fintechs?
RADD Assist is designed for non-crypto fintechs. If you’re crypto-focused, a short call will tell us whether we’re the right fit or can point you to what is.
How quickly can you start?
The discovery call maps the timeline to your sponsor-bank review cycle. The work is scoped to have the documented program in place before the next review.
How do we know if RADD Assist is the right fit?
A short discovery call will tell you quickly. We map where your documented program sits today and what the sponsor bank will want to see — and if a fractional CCO arrangement doesn’t make sense at your stage, we’ll tell you and point you to what does.
Book a 30-Minute RADD Assist Discovery Call.
We cover three things: where the documented program sits at your company today, what the sponsor bank will want to see in your next review cycle, and whether a fractional CCO arrangement makes sense at your stage. If it doesn’t, we’ll tell you and point you to what does.
