CFTEA - Center for Financial Training & Education Alliance

CFTEA - Center for Financial Training & Education Alliance Would you like guidance to advance in your career? CFTEA provides unique access to an extensive lear

August is wrapping up, and September at CFTEA is Leadership Development month.Here's what I've been sitting with. A lot ...
08/31/2026

August is wrapping up, and September at CFTEA is Leadership Development month.

Here's what I've been sitting with. A lot of leadership advice is really just repackaged hustle. Wake up at 5 AM. Stay busy and you'll get more done. Copy what successful people do. Set the biggest goal you can and go all in.

The podcast episode releasing tomorrow is called "Are These 'Productivity Myths' Quietly Slowing You Down?" I called them myths because the leaders I've watched do real damage to their own effectiveness were often the ones who bought into that advice hardest.

The rest of September follows the same thread. Leaders Conference at the end of the month. Annual Report at the start. Leadership opportunities in between including Branch Manager Bootcamp, Talk Like a Leader, The Leadership Experience, and Essentials of Board Service. This podcast is the opening question.

Releases tomorrow, September 1, on Spotify.

Have a good week.
Andrew

The Frontline Fundamentals transfer credit gets talked about a lot in August. Here's what the process actually looks lik...
08/28/2026

The Frontline Fundamentals transfer credit gets talked about a lot in August. Here's what the process actually looks like on the ground.

Step one: Someone at the financial institution contacts the CFTEA office and sends over the internal training content their frontline staff completes. Check handling, cash handling, robbery procedures.

Step two: Andrew, our Executive Director, reviews it against the original CFTEA Frontline Fundamentals course, making sure the internal training covers what the CFTEA course covers.

Step three: Once approved, HR or L&D submits employees through the Course Credit Form on cftea.org under Resources. Tammy in the CFTEA office adds the equivalent training so it counts toward a CFTEA Award, most commonly the Foundations in Banking Certificate.

After that first setup, adding a new employee is a single form submission. The front end takes a real conversation. The back end takes about the time it takes to fill out a form.

Course Credit Form at cftea.org under Resources. Or reach out and we'll walk you through it.
https://cftea.org/contact/

ABA Legal Foundations in Banking runs eight live sessions in September, starting the 16th, from 2:00 to 4:30 PM Eastern....
08/27/2026

ABA Legal Foundations in Banking runs eight live sessions in September, starting the 16th, from 2:00 to 4:30 PM Eastern.

What's inside. Legal Foundations in Banking is the course that turns regulation from something you have to memorize into something you can actually explain. It walks through how banking regulations show up in real customer conversations, what compliance looks like day-to-day at a branch, and how to talk with customers and coworkers about the rules in a way that doesn't send everyone glazing over. The point isn't to become a compliance officer. The point is to be the person on your team who can answer the regulatory question when it comes up, instead of pointing at somebody else's desk.

Who it's for. Someone whose job runs into regulation every day and wants to stop guessing. Someone building toward a certification or applying credits toward a degree. Someone who wants to grow into more customer-facing responsibility and knows that means being able to speak with authority about why things work the way they do.

Why the afternoon format matters. Eight sessions, live, in real time with an instructor and peers. Not self-paced. The 2:00 to 4:30 PM window means your organization can pay for this during work hours, and your mornings stay open for the operational work that has to happen before the branch closes. For institutions where mornings are the busy shift, the afternoon slot is often what makes attendance actually possible.

One design note worth naming. Next semester, Legal Foundations and Principles of Banking flip their time slots. If afternoons don't work for someone this fall, mornings will. Over a full year, both courses meet both audiences. Nobody stays stuck waiting for a slot that fits.

Registration for the September 16 cohort is open now at cftea.org.
https://cftea.org/product/legal-foundations-in-banking-webcourse/

Spotlight on Success: Travis DriverSuccess in banking rarely happens all at once. It usually starts with someone willing...
08/26/2026

Spotlight on Success: Travis Driver

Success in banking rarely happens all at once. It usually starts with someone willing to learn, a team willing to support them, and the decision to keep taking the next step.

That’s why we’re excited to celebrate Travis and his continued growth at Community National Bank, VT.

Currently serving as a teller, Travis has already been building a strong foundation for where he wants to go next. His long-term goal is to become a residential lender, and he’s using education through CFTEA to help get there.

What stands out is how seriously he approaches understanding the bigger picture of banking. Travis shared that his coursework has helped him better understand “what it takes to run a bank, from operational structure to fraud prevention, as well as the importance of fostering a respectful workplace and understanding banking laws and regulations.”

That perspective matters because strong financial institutions are built by people who want to keep learning beyond the role they currently hold.

What also came through clearly was how much the experience itself mattered to him. When asked about working with CFTEA, Travis said the organization is “incredibly easy to work with” and appreciated the flexibility to complete courses in ways that fit his schedule and learning style.

One part that especially stood out was his appreciation for the personal support along the way:
“One of the highlights of my experience has been the ability to easily connect with Tammy, who is always quick to respond and incredibly helpful.”

Sometimes the difference between starting and stopping comes down to knowing someone is there to help when questions come up.

And maybe the most powerful thing Travis shared was this:
“My journey doesn’t end after completing a course, I am always motivated to enroll in another.”

That says a lot about his mindset, his curiosity, and his commitment to continued growth.

Congratulations, Travis, and thank you to Community National Bank for continuing to support employees who are building their future one step at a time.

Ep 7 of The KEY to Your Next Step asked what value from training actually looks like six months later. Here's one specif...
08/25/2026

Ep 7 of The KEY to Your Next Step asked what value from training actually looks like six months later. Here's one specific answer.

Nick Garber joined Bar Harbor Bank & Trust as a recent university graduate. New to banking. He completed the Front-Line Fraud Detection Certificate through CFTEA soon after.

"This certification put me ahead in years of experience," Nick said. And then: "Getting this certification allowed me to get promoted as my branch's Personal Banker."

Nick's next step is the Leadership Fundamentals content through CFTEA. He's staying at Bar Harbor Bank & Trust and continuing to build.

A certificate led to competence. Competence led to a promotion. The promotion, and the culture that made it possible, led to the person staying.

That's Cost vs. Value.

Listen to Ep 7 on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3YhWOxBRpvgStGAMYRmfjb?si=Oa5Ut9ZKQqeUyi4-eysfmg

A CFTEA diploma is an impressive thing! Congratulations, Sandra and Bath Savings! Wishing you all the best on your conti...
08/25/2026

A CFTEA diploma is an impressive thing! Congratulations, Sandra and Bath Savings! Wishing you all the best on your continued success!

We love celebrating our students and their amazing organizations! Congratulations, Jo and Bath Savings! It was wonderful...
08/25/2026

We love celebrating our students and their amazing organizations! Congratulations, Jo and Bath Savings! It was wonderful working with you.

We love celebrating our students and their amazing organizations! Congratulations, Kevin, Samantha and Heather, plus Hil...
08/25/2026

We love celebrating our students and their amazing organizations! Congratulations, Kevin, Samantha and Heather, plus Hilary who wasn't able to attend. Bath Savings!

We love celebrating our students and their amazing organizations! Congratulations to Furaha, Cody, Valerie, Quoc, Elly a...
08/25/2026

We love celebrating our students and their amazing organizations! Congratulations to Furaha, Cody, Valerie, Quoc, Elly and Bath Savings on your Certified Modern Banking Representative! That is quite an achievement.

We love celebrating our students and their amazing organizations! Congratulations, Nancy Bath Savings!
08/25/2026

We love celebrating our students and their amazing organizations! Congratulations, Nancy Bath Savings!

Address

Springvale, ME
04083

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 8am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8am - 4:30pm
Thursday 8am - 4:30pm
Friday 8am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+18883663242

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when CFTEA - Center for Financial Training & Education Alliance posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to CFTEA - Center for Financial Training & Education Alliance:

Shortcuts

Share