Broadridge Says Growing Regulatory Pressure Among Key Factors Driving Financial Firms to Rethink Reconciliations

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., October 17, 2012 – A new report released today by Broadridge Financial Solutions(NYSE:BR), a leading technology and operations solutions company for the global financial services industry, finds that industry-leading financial firms are outsourcing reconciliation functions (both technology and operations labor) to create standardized risk management processes, increase their ability to enter new markets and comply with more complex regulations, while significantly reducing costs and risks.

In light of ongoing regulatory pressures, financial services firms are recognizing the value of developing an enterprise reconciliation outsourcing strategy to increase transparency of business activity.  Basel III in particular, exemplifies a model for a new era in global risk management standards, calling for more stringent reform measures on capital, collateral and liquidity requirements.  According to the report, one way firms are handling these stresses is by creating standardized, real-time reconciliation processes to ensure their books and records are fully balanced.

“Centralized reconciliation outsourcing represents a paradigm shift for the industry,” said Mike Alexander, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Business Process Outsourcing, Broadridge.  “Historically, financial firms spend 30-40% of back office costs gathering and preparing information as part of disconnected reconciliation processes.  Firms partnering with an industry reconciliation leader, providing both BPO and technology, can leverage global centers of excellence to create standardized risk management processes.”

As noted in the study, many top firms have already heightened their reconciliation focus, and over the next 18 months the adoption of outsourced reconciliation services is expected to rise by 350%.  Four key factors are driving the need for change and causing financial firms to rethink their current reconciliation processes:

• Increased and more complex regulations such as Basel III and Dodd-Frank
• Pressures on optimizing firm capital
• Cost of multiple IT applications and inconsistent business processes
• Challenges of managing global and product expansion in a real-time manner

As challenges persist, financial firms on both the buy-side and the sell-side should assess their current reconciliation capabilities across the core areas of Technology & Operations, Expertise, Risk, and Cost.  Broadridge offers a structured approach to help these firms achieve best in class reconciliations using Broadridge’s technology and outsourcing expertise in four steps:

• Develop a Strategic Roadmap for Centralizing Reconciliations.  Technology and operations provide the critical foundation for supporting enterprise-wide reconciliation transparency.  Firms should assess current or planned capabilities to identify processing gaps that increase risks.
• Evaluate Firm’s Expertise.  Reconciliation and exception management require a seasoned staff with strong domain knowledge, including the ability to evaluate and adopt the industry’s “best practices” across business units.
• Evaluate Operational Risk Management.  A centralized reconciliation function can enhance risk management by: 1) Identifying potential exposures before they occur; and 2) Providing the expertise to appropriately respond to exceptions and issues, before they escalate costs and risks.
• Assess Operating Costs.  As budget pressures continue to mount, financial firms must continue enhancing reconciliation while achieving cost savings and conserving capital.

For additional details or to download Broadridge’s full whitepaper – “Rethinking Reconciliation: How a global center of excellence can enhance risk management and reduce costs” – click here.