Day in the life
A Day in the Life of a Financial Examiner
What financial examiners actually do from the start of a shift to the end: the tasks, tools, schedule and realities of the job.
What is a typical day like for a financial examiner?
Arrive at a bank for an exam. From there, the day usually includes examine financial institutions, review loan quality, and assess capital and liquidity. Full time, with frequent travel.
Hour by hour: a typical shift
No two days are identical, but this timeline reflects a realistic day for a financial examiner working full time.
- Arrive at a bank for an exam.
- Review loan files.
- Interview the chief credit officer.
- Test BSA/AML controls.
- Meet the exam team.
- Write findings.
- Travel to the hotel.
Where financial examiners work
Examiners work on-site at financial institutions and in regulator offices.
Hours and schedule
Full time, with frequent travel.
Tasks you’ll do most often
- Examine financial institutions
- Review loan quality
- Assess capital and liquidity
- Check compliance with laws
- Interview management
- Write exam reports
- Track corrective actions
Tools you’ll use every day
- Exam software
- Excel
- Call report data
- Loan systems
- Sampling tools
- Document management
The best and hardest parts of the job
What people like
- Faster-than-average growth
- Stable government jobs
- Good benefits
- Important public role
What’s hard
- Frequent travel
- Long training
- Deadline pressure
- Adversarial moments
You’ll likely thrive if…
- I like financial analysis
- I want a public service role
- I can travel
- I’m detail-oriented
- I’m skeptical in a healthy way
- I value integrity
Not sure? Take the free Financial Examiner fit quiz or the Career Match Quiz.
Staying safe on the job
- Protect confidential supervisory information
- Avoid conflicts of interest
- Follow travel safety
- Report wrongdoing