Services
Risk Management
Stone Bridge Advisory Group, LLC offers tailored risk management solutions for financial institutions, aligning with regulatory guidelines. Our services include designing robust governance frameworks, policies, and procedures to identify, measure, monitor, and control credit, market, operational, liquidity, and compliance risks. We provide expert oversight, comprehensive risk assessments, internal controls, and continuous monitoring, ensuring regulatory compliance and operational stability to enhance public confidence.
Merger & Acquisition Support
Stone Bridge Advisory Group, LLC partners with community banks to strategically acquire or divest financial institutions. For sellers, our firm conducts readiness assessments, optimizes risk and compliance programs, streamlines operations, and strategically positions shareholders to gain as much as possible. For buyers, our firm provides target identification and market analysis, due diligence support, valuation and financial modeling, regulatory and compliance guidance, strategic positioning and integration planning, and stakeholder communication support.
Loan Review & Credit Program Evaluation
Stone Bridge Advisory Group, LLC provides expert asset quality solutions for financial institutions. We specialize in loan review for problem asset identification, credit administration policies for documentation and monitoring, and underwriting standards emphasizing risk analysis and stress testing. Our services ensure robust controls, regulatory compliance, and portfolio stability.
Interim Executive Support
Stone Bridge Advisory Group, LLC provides flexible interim executive services, including roles such as Chief Risk Officer (CRO), Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Information Security Officer (ISO), and Chief Credit Officer (CCO), ensuring seamless leadership continuity during transitions to prevent business disruptions, productivity losses, and potential bank failures while maintaining safe, sound, and efficient operations.
Strategic Planning
Stone Bridge Advisory delivers reliable strategic planning services tailored for community banks, optimizing CAMELS components to enhance capital adequacy, bolster asset quality through prudent credit risk management, strengthen corporate governance, management oversight, and succession planning, ensure stable liquidity via diversified funding, promote sustainable earnings, and mitigate market risk sensitivity such as interest rate volatility. This approach empowers banks to navigate emerging industry changes (e.g., AI, fintech competition, and digital transformation) while maximizing opportunities and institutional strengths.
Asset & Liability Management
Stone Bridge Advisory Group, LLC offers comprehensive asset and liability management (ALM) consulting for community banks. Services include optimizing liquidity with diversified funding, stress testing, and contingency plans; managing interest rate risk through gap analysis, earnings and capital simulations, and hedging within board limits; guiding securities and investments via credit analysis, diversification, and concentration controls; and establishing ALCO oversight for strategy coordination, quarterly reviews, and risk alignment to reduce volatility and sustain earnings.
Training
Knowledge is power. Stone Bridge Advisory Group, LLC provides specialized training programs for community banks to enhance risk management and operational efficiency. Services focus on equipping staff and boards with skills in credit analysis, budgeting and strategic planning, policy formation and enforcement, interest rate risk, asset and liability management, cybersecurity, and fraud prevention through customized, ongoing sessions or periodic training sessions. This fosters competency, strengthens internal controls, reduces vulnerabilities, ensures regulatory adherence, and promotes institutional stability, ultimately minimizing losses, enforcement risks, and reputational harm while supporting safe, sustainable growth.
Independent Review
At Stone Bridge Advisory Group, LLC, we deliver comprehensive independent reviews across all key risk areas for financial institutions. We scrutinize credit risk and lending practices—including loan portfolio quality, underwriting standards, and reserve adequacy—alongside risk management programs for interest rate exposure, operational vulnerabilities, reputation, and third-party relationships. We also assess compliance with BSA/AML; IT and cybersecurity controls for data protection and regulatory adherence; financial reporting accuracy under GAAP with robust internal controls; and the effectiveness of your internal audit function. Drawing on these evaluations, we provide precise, actionable assessments and tailored solutions, such as enhanced underwriting protocols or upgraded interest rate risk modeling tools, to strengthen overall risk framework and operational resilience.
AML/CFT Independent Testing & Risk Assessment Support
Ensure compliance with the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) and Anti-Money Laundering/Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) regulations through our expert audit service. Stone Bridge Advisory Group will assess your institution’s risk-based AML/CFT program, aligning with regulatory standards. Our team evaluates policies, customer due diligence, suspicious activity reporting, and recordkeeping for relevant transactions. We identify gaps, provide actionable recommendations, and support implementation to mitigate financial crime risks.
Policy Formation & Enforcement
Stone Bridge Advisory Group, LLC helps Boards of Directors develop policies that fit their bank. Appropriately tailored policies clearly communicate the Board’s strategy and provide management the necessary road map to achieve the Board’s goals. Stone Bridge Advisory works with management teams to create performance indicators and develop enforcement tools to more efficiently oversee operations.
Audit & Examination Remediation Support
Stone Bridge Advisory Group, LLC assists community banks in transforming examination and audit reports into actionable remediation plans. Leveraging extensive regulatory expertise, our team guides banks through complex or unfamiliar issues, ensuring clear, effective solutions to address findings and enhance compliance. We also assist financial institutions under Memorandums of Understanding and Consent Orders by monitoring progress, implementing corrective actions, and facilitating remediation to restore compliance and operational stability.
Succession Planning
Succession planning is critical in banking to mitigate key person risk, particularly in institutions where dominant officials' loss could disrupt operations and erode institutional knowledge. It ensures business continuity, minimizes productivity losses, and protects profitability through measures like cross-training and key person life insurance. Inadequate planning increases financial risks and complicates mismanagement resolution. Stone Bridge Advisory Group, LLC assists community banks by designing tailored succession plans, identifying key roles, implementing training programs, and establishing robust risk mitigation strategies to ensure seamless leadership transitions and operational stability.
Examination Preparation
Stone Bridge Advisory Group, LLC specializes in comprehensive examination preparation and support services tailored for community banks, covering key areas such as Safety and Soundness, IT, and AML/CFT examinations. Our offerings include pre-exam assessments, mock examinations, policy reviews, and on-site assistance to address challenges like resource limitations and regulatory complexities, ensuring seamless compliance and minimal disruptions.