State Examination System (SES) Industry FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions about State Examination System (SES).
What is SES and what does it do?
SES is a one-stop-shop for the financial services industry that brings a company’s entire engagement with state regulators onto a single platform, which in turn brings efficiencies to state supervision.
- Standardize the supervisory process. SES will be the first nationwide system of its kind, powered by technology that will allow for greater information sharing amongst state regulatory agencies. The promotion of best practices across state agencies will result in the standardization of supervisory practices which will in turn reduce the volume of state examinations, and save time, costs, and travel for regulators and the industry.
- Foster collaboration amongst state agencies. SES will encourage multi-state supervision and allow regulators to eliminate duplicative supervisory efforts. In addition, state agencies will have the ability in the system to access one another’s supervisory schedules which will allow them to make better use of their time and resources.
- Offer readily available risk-based data. SES will offer state regulators an impressive uniform and nationwide set of data they can use to analyze macro and micro trends in the financial system. The Risk-based analytics approach in SES will allow state agencies to respond to risks, tailor supervision programs across industries, and continually refine the supervision process through informed metrics.
- Safeguard sensitive information. SES has safeguards in place to protect the sensitive information that is stored and exchanged in the system. Using a single, secure platform to exchange supervisory information will improve the overall security of the state regulatory process.
Is SES still in development?
SES is live and in production. We continuously update and make enhancements to the system, but it is live and being implemented by state agencies nationwide.
Which agencies have agreed to use SES to supervise companies and process their consumer complaints?
The agency participation map available on www.csbs.org/aboutSES will be updated regularly to reflect current participation for both.
What information can state agencies share in SES?
State agencies using SES can share information regarding an examination, investigation, or consumer complaint in the system. Information sharing in the system is performed in a controlled manner. To get access to certain information and documentation in the system, the state agency owner of that record must first grant access to the requesting agency in the system. State agencies may also conduct multistate examination in SES.
Are there any laws or regulatory requirements for States using this system like NMLS?
Unlike the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System & Registry (NMLS), state agencies are not required to pass state legislation or regulation to use the system. The use of the system by state agencies is discretionary.
How does a company get access to SES?
A company must first receive a request from a state agency to enroll in SES. This usually occurs prior to the start of an examination in SES, or to route a consumer complaint to the company in SES. The company does not have to take any action or steps until they receive the enrollment request from a state agency. Further, a company only needs to go through the system enrollment process once. Once they are in the system, other state agencies will see the company in SES and be able to send the company examination and/or complains related information requests in the system.
Once a company gets access to SES, do they need multiple logins to access the supervisory side of the system and the complaints side of the system?
No, once a company follows the steps to be enrolled in the system, the company users only need one login to access SES to either manage an examination or handle a consume complaint.
I am associated with more than one company; do I need several logins to access the different company profiles in SES?
No, a company user only needs one login to access the system and can be associated with more than one company in SES.
Where can I find training material on SES?
Company resources can be found in the https://portal.stateexaminationsystem.org. Once the company is in SES, they will also be provided with assistance by accessing the “Need Help?” links throughout the system.
How long are documents kept in SES? Is there a document retention schedule?
- Category A Schedule. Documents in Category A will be
retained for a period of ten years. This retention time period will begin to run as
of the date and time the supervisory activity or complaint is closed in the system,
or when the last Matters Requiring Attention (MRA) is closed, whichever
is later. This is referred to as the ‘Closed’ Milestone in SES. The
Supervisory Activity or Complaint reach theClosed Milestone when the examiner has conducted its
review of the Supervisory Activity or complaint and
determines that there is no further action to be taken with that SA or Complaint.
Documents will be permanently deleted from the system at the conclusion of the
retention period. The attachment files under the Category A schedule are set forth
below.
- All documents uploaded to the system by a regulatory agency user during a Supervisory Activity or handling of a Complaint. This includes the exchange of Information Request (IR) in the system between agency and company users.
- Documents uploaded to the system by a company user
uploaded to the system in response to the following activities only:
- A Report of Examination (ROE) transmitted by a regulatory agency.
- MRA as a result of a state Examination.
- An Investigation.
- A Complaint.
- Category B Schedule. Documents in Category B will be
retained for a period of ninety days. This retention time period will begin to run
as of the date and time the Supervisory Activity
concludes and reaches the ‘Closed’
Milestone in the system or when the
last MRA is closed in the system,
whichever is later. Documents will be permanently deleted from the system at the
conclusion of the retention period.
Generally, documents subject to the Category B Schedule are any company user documents that are uploaded to the system, with the exception of documents uploaded to the system in response to a ROE, MRA, Investigation or Complaint, which are subject to the Category A Schedule as defined above.
How long are data kept in SES? Is there a data retention schedule?
Currently, data are being retained indefinitely in the System. We are working on a retention schedule for all data in the System.
.Are there fees or costs for using SES?
No. SES development and operating costs are currently covered by NMLS processing fees. Changes to this approach would be decided by the SRR Board of Managers and the CSBS Board of Directors.
Are SES and SES Consumer Complaints different systems?
No, SES Consumer Complaints is a large piece of functionality that is part of SES. Only one login is needed to access SES (for examinations and investigations), and the same login is used to access the consumer complaints functionality (for complaint handling).
Is any of the information in SES Consumer Complaints publicly available?
No, currently, the information in SES is not shared with the public or consumers.
How does the SES Consumer Complaints System differ from the CFPB consumer complaints portal?
The systems are different in many ways because the role of state regulators in the complaints process is different from the role of federal regulators. SES Consumer Complaints supports the work that both state regulators and companies do to together resolve consumer complaints. Further, there is no publicly available data from the SES Consumer Complaints system.
Does SES Consumer Complaints connect with the CFPB complaints portal?
No, not currently. If the situation calls for it, there is a way for an agency to enter a CFPB ID unique identifier for a complaint originating from the CFPB.
Does the SES Consumer Complaints System have consumer-facing functionality?
No, not currently. Consumers will continue to notify and communicate with agencies outside of SES.
Can federal regulators see complaints in SES?
No, currently, only state agencies can get access to SES and see consumer complaint data in the system.
Can state agencies enter and process complaints on non-depositories and depositories under their supervision?
Yes, SES receives a nightly feed of non-depository company data from theNMLS. The data source for depository-only institutions is not NMLS, but MicroStrategy and the National Information Center (NIC) database.
Do I have to create an account in SES in order to respond to a consumer complaint?
No, when the time is appropriate, your state agency will communicate with you and initiate the enrollment of your company’s first SES user. This process is typically completed prior to the start of an exam or complaint.
How will I be notified of a new complaint on my company? Can I get started now?
If you are your company’s regulatory contact, chances are you will be notified by the system with enrollment emails prior to your company's first exam or complaint. You also may hear from your state agency directly. Many agencies using SES have developed a communication plan specifically for this purpose.
How long will I have to respond to the complaint in SES?
If your agency requires you to provide a response, they will send you an information request (IR) through SES with a selected due date. Make sure to draft your response and send it back to the agency by the displayed due date.
Will I be notified when the complaint is closed?
Yes, the system will send an email to the company point of contact (POC) when the agency closes the complaint.
Does SES have any data backup and recovery procedures in place in case of a disruption of services?
Yes. SES was developed with industry-standard backup and recovery requirements. Due to security considerations, details are available upon request.
Will SES users be able to backup their own data out of SES?
Each SES user will be able to extract documentation that the user uploaded to the system related to a particular examination. Documentation includes information request responses, and the ROE.
Who is liable for the information in the system in the event of a security breach?
Refer to the State Agency Terms of Use, specifically Section 14 (c) which states:
(C) In the event of a security or privacy breachState Agency authorizes SRR and SRR agrees to be solely responsible for any notification to affected individuals and any public communications regarding such breach. State Agency will assist SRR in complying with state law and SRR agrees to so comply. State Agency will be responsible, with coordination from SRR, for communications within its respective state agency or government (e.g. governor, attorney general).,
What assurances do I have that SES is appropriately safeguarding my agency’s information?
SES was designed and tested to exceed the stringent security standards of a FedRAMP/FISMA Moderate-level system. Individual components are built and monitored using industry best practices, including the Center for Internet Security (CIS) and vendor best practices. Multi-factor authentication and TLS 1.2-only encrypted connections are required for access.
For more specific security questions about SES, please access the State Examination System Company Security FAQs.
Does SES have a mobile application?
SES is developed on the Appian™ platform, which may be accessed via a mobile app. There is no separate SES app available for download.
Where can I find the technical requirements to use SES?
- SES is a web-based application, developed on the Appian™ platform. For end users, all that is required is a browser and internet access.
- Additional information on the technical requirements can be found on the State Examination System Technology Requirements knowledge article.