Our Professional Experience

About ICEBERG FS

Analysis and Expert Guidance for Financial System Decisions

In today's business landscape, mistakes and missed opportunities can have significant repercussions, affecting both investments and customer satisfaction. With financial resources being precious, wasting money and time is a luxury no one can afford. Evaluating your current provider is the starting point; be it Core, Debit, and or Digital. We assess your potential exit costs and gauge your satisfaction level—whether you are content, neutral, or dissatisfied. Identifying exit costs is crucial for negotiation leverage.

If you remain with your current provider, we will secure optimal pricing, favorable terms, and conditions, and ultimately save you valuable time and resources. This cost-effective approach enables you to reinvest these savings within your bank and community, fostering growth and impact.

Changing providers entails more expenses than just the quoted price; additional services to fill gaps contribute to the overall cost of switching. Nevertheless, if you're determined to proceed, we offer a detailed comparison to aid your decision-making. We excel at clarifying complex situations, unraveling intricacies, dependencies, and variables present among financial service providers.

Mitigating risks is vital. Trying to evaluate and negotiate without expertise risks overlooking hidden fees, functional changes impacting operations, choosing an unsuitable solution, and facing change management challenges. Making such decisions without guidance can be painful. Our aim is to help you understand and navigate the iceberg and complexity effectively.

Selecting a core, debit, or digital provider carries immense weight. Committing to a 5-7-10 year partnership shapes your bank's operations for a significant duration. Ensuring adaptability to a changing market and customer expectations is crucial. Flexibility in terms and conditions is as essential as cost savings for a decade-long deal.

Leveraging Experience

Our expertise is grounded in daily involvement and decades of observations. We work with peers in your position, deciphering product nuances, deciphering billing intricacies, uncovering cost manipulation tactics, and teaching the inside baseball of core, debit, and digital service providers. Partnering with an expert prevents missed opportunities. While you might handle pricing and features well, overlooked aspects could lead to regrets.

Competitive Landscape

The banking sector is fiercely competitive, especially for community banks. Making the right choice is imperative to reduce risk, downtime, and ownership costs. Unlike larger entities, we're solely focused on your success, offering free Assessments, comprehensive Evaluations, Renewals, Negotiations, and Project and Vendor Management services.

Process and Comparison

The vendor review and selection process community banks go through includes years of strategic planning, annual budgeting, steering committees, special projects, change control, variance reporting, compliance, and safety and soundness exams, all while executing the daily operations and the essence of community banking: building communities.

Your vendor projects can get lost in the shuffle quite easily. Our approach factors in your bank’s strategic plan and desired outcomes. We provide a holistic view of renewing versus switching providers and systems. Our linear process streamlines your vendor review and selection process into Analyze, Decide, Implement, and Assess results. We stand by your side from the beginning of the project through the maturity date(s) of the contracts we helped you negotiate.

Contrasting Traditional Approach

Traditional vendor review and selection processes lack a comprehensive perspective. They may assess costs without fully grasping exit expenses, hidden fees, gap analysis of existing vs new solutions, and often guess on terms and conditions. They aren’t linear. They aren’t dynamic enough. They are often a colossal misuse of time and resources. We know because we’ve observed dozens of community banks go through the process without the right help and guidance.

Common Pitfalls and Underestimations

When you don’t have the right help during analysis and decision making, time and cost are frequently underestimated. Negotiations are less fruitful without proper analysis and planning. Challenges arise in areas like customer-facing changes and client interactions, which are found in the assessment period after you go live or after you renew your services.

Our Method in Summary

Our method ensures a more and well-informed decision-making process along with a fair price. We listen to you and observe your business. By doing that we will provide you with the service and the results that you want. We aren’t satisfied until you are.

In summary, we offer analysis, expertise, and tailored outcomes to guide your core, debit, and digital decisions. In an ever-competitive banking industry, making informed decisions with a focus on flexibility, efficiency, and time and cost savings is paramount.

Let us streamline your Core, Debit, and Digital negotiations and save you hundreds of hours. We view these as major project management endeavors, and our extensive experience includes tens of thousands of hours dedicated to overseeing critical projects for community banks.

120 hrs

Avg Time Saved

$1.7M

Avg Savings Per Deal

Our track record boasts an average savings of $1.7 million per deal. Join forces with us, and benefit from our unique perspective that uncovers opportunities others may miss.

Being part of the same institution that draws your top talents is a source of pride. Remarkably, our status as the sole vendor in our graduating class at Barret School of Banking sets us apart. Our primary goal is to advance our understanding of community banking and, in turn, provide enhanced service to bankers.

Banking School

200

Onsite Visits

Over the past eight years, we've engaged with 200 community bankers directly in their own environments. We've closely observed their bank operations and staff, immersed ourselves in their communities, and deeply reflected on these invaluable experiences.

We've successfully negotiated 350 contracts, serving both community bankers and Fortune 200 companies. Our expertise allows us to uncover opportunities and insights that others may overlook.

350

Contracts Negotiated

Conferences, User Groups,
& Local Events

We're committed to investing in you. Over the past eight years, we've actively participated in 55 local events, demonstrating our dedication to supporting your communities.

With memberships in 10 state associations, we've gained extensive knowledge from both you and your peers in the industry.

State Association Memberships

500

Projects Managed

We have a proven track record in managing a wide range of implementations, encompassing ancillary products, online banking conversions, and core conversions, both through remote and on-site processes. Additionally, we have actively participated in debit and credit card conversions. Our profound comprehension of these intricacies positions us to skillfully communicate crucial information to primary stakeholders and executive leadership.

Since 2008, we've been actively engaged in conversations with community bankers from across the country. Our unwavering commitment to a service-first mindset has driven us to actively listen and uncover the challenges and issues faced by our clients, always striving for the best possible outcomes.

4,000

Cases Worked

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Recommendations

Recommendations From Customers

Todd is very professional and respectful of his client's needs. Over delivers and exceeds your expectations. Best company rep ever.

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I offer a strong professional reference and recommendation on behalf of Todd Morgan. Todd represented our company in a recent negotiation on a major contract. My team and I were very impressed with his results, responsiveness, and professionalism. Todd is very knowledgeable and has a very detailed approach that was essential to our success.

Todd and the Paladin team worked with my bank on a core and ancillary vendor review. Though the engagement was not completed (due to a merger), I was able to work with Todd for 6 months and through about 80% of the project. Todd brought extensive knowledge to the project and very capably guided us each step of the way. He was a very quick study on what we were looking for in new solutions and he added some new options for us to consider. Todd is very detail oriented and is able to capture minute details from meetings and conversations. While being very protective of other clients, I felt that we benefitted from all of his other engagements in the way that he led us during the project. I can say that Todd was very respected by my bank team, and I would not hesitate to recommend him to any FI.

Todd and the team worked with ours on a project to identify a new core. While the project had to be halted due to a merger being announced, he and the team asked insightful questions about our operations and automation goals, and offered many recommendations along the way as to which core handles certain processes in ways that better fit our needs. Their ability to speak to the strengths and weaknesses of multiple cores as they should fit OUR needs gave us a lot of confidence that we would be able to pick the right core with their assistance. We also were looking forward to hearing their recommendations on core contracts and pricing, which are said to be even more of a compelling case for their company, but we terminated the process before we got into those areas.

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Todd was integral in data gathering and vendor negotiations during a project on which we were both working. His understanding of business processes, banking operations, and core banking vendors was an integral part of our success. While ultimately the project was cancelled (due to an impending bank acquisition announced mid way) Todd’s leadership was vital an evident during the entire process.

Todd was great to partner with in our relationship with Fiserv. He digs deep to understand the goals, objectives, strategies, and overall desires of his clients and how to position them for efficiency and success!

Todd Morgan is very detail orientated and has the ability to relate to multiple market segments and shows good judgment in all job-related functions. There are very few people that I have known who have the ability to grasp so many different service and department related arenas and share that knowledge with their clients. He is very personable and has an innate ability to understand clients, balancing excellent listening skills with matching opportunities to help clients in meaningful ways. He is a great communicator and is not afraid to make suggestions to help clients succeed or to bring proposals to management.

I believe Todd has the intellect, desire, and job-related skills and background to learn and succeed in almost any given circumstance. I believe Todd will excel in almost any environment and be an asset for any business striving for growth with clients or as an exceptionally knowledgeable manager who leads by example and gets things done.

I worked with Todd as our company considered a large investment in a major software change. Todd took the time to brainstorm with me how the change could integrate into our business and improve efficiency. During the process he showed incredible talent for communicating with purpose and positioning the issues in a clear message. He knows how to offer value to his clients while being energetic and passionate about his service and products. It was a pleasure to work with Todd and I highly recommend him.

I had the opportunity to work with Todd, when he worked at Allied Payment Systems, as Senior Vice President of Sales. Todd did an excellent job of being responsive and providing the highest level of service to us at First Independence Bank. He kept us informed of all the latest releases in Allied Payments, and did a wonderful job, sharing the overall value proposition offered by Allied. I believe Todd is extremely good at creating win-win scenarios from the B2C side in Relationship Management. He has excellent communication skills at all levels.

Recommendations from Industry Leaders

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Todd is a hard-working, dedicated, and results-driven employee. He always had great enthusiasm with his client base and was able to communicate effectively our company vision. He is very goal oriented and consistently exceeded his sales quota attainment. Todd was very successful in migrating clients to other Fiserv core solutions when appropriate and led the team in that accomplishment. He is quick to recognize employees who help him in the sales process among his peers and leadership team. Todd is strategic in his conversations with his clients and in his approach to winning upgrades, renewals, and core migrations.

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Todd is a highly skilled and very methodical Client Partner. He joined our team and was hitting quota ahead of schedule. Great relationship builder and is a trusted advisor to his clients.

Todd works hard trying to understand the needs of his clients and their unique circumstances. He gets that there can be many paths to success for a community bank. Helping his clients understand their opportunities for improvement and their strengths is part of that quest to help his clients grow their franchise and do it profitably. He knows how to use data and analytics to help his clients identify, quantify, and prioritize those initiatives that can make a difference for their operating strategy and their customers. He is focused on making sure that he is working on the right things with them for the greater impact, because he cares about his clients.

Todd and I have worked closely together through mutual partnerships. Todd exemplifies many different aspects of account management. He creates lasting relationships and truly cares about each client. He goes above and beyond helping individuals and clients. I value Todd's thoughts and opinions as he is also very knowledgeable in the FinTech industry.

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I manage a team that supports Todd and his clients. Todd not only is a rockstar performer but is an excellent teacher and mentor. He has a deep knowledge of the industry, our company, and his clients' needs. Our entire team has and continues to benefit from his leadership and direction. I plan to model his partnership with our team with other Client Partners that we support.

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I have had the opportunity & privilege to work with Todd for a number of years now. His loyalty, knowledge, professionalism & teamwork have put him in day-to-day contact with myself & my team. Todd is committed to delivering quality service, collaboration & timely, professional results in everything that he does & would be a considerable asset to any team, organization, or effort he would engage in.

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I worked with Todd on multiple project initiatives, and he continually demonstrated his willingness to take ownership and resolve issues. He has the visionary tenacity to find the best resolution to the problem. I knew I could count on Todd when things needed to get done. He builds a strong relationship with his peers, clients, and management team. Todd maintained a professional demeanor while managing numerous time sensitive projects. It was a pleasure working with him!

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Todd delivers world-class customer service. With hundreds of analysts in the mix only Todd scored 100% for 5 months in a row on a phone quality monitoring between him and clients. Todd and the other analyst were rated on over 10 categories each month. Todd's ability to deliver consistent technical solutions over the phone in an easy-to-understand manner makes him an invaluable asset to any company. He is also someone who will push for change or a new way of doing things if the current methods do not seem efficient or can be done better. He treats his company like it were his own.

Recommendations From Former Co-Workers

I had the pleasure of working with Todd at Allied Payment Network. He was a team player and cared greatly about helping his coworkers be the best they could be. Outside the office, he was consistently networking and working hard to achieve his goals. Besides the day-to-day tasks of selling, he also has an eye to the future and is always looking to understand and find creative ways to explain next-level concepts and emerging technologies. I would heartily recommend Todd to anyone looking for a driven sales professional.

Todd brings an empathetic outlook when working towards solutions for the end-user and is always enthusiastic plus adapts quickly to a changing environment.

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Todd was a great coworker and professional while working together at Allied Payment Network. He was a friend to everyone and as a sales professional never made it about himself, but focused on the team and how they made his job easy, through their support, which I had a ton of respect for. I would recommend Todd to any organization and hope someday to work with him again!

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There are certain individuals that you have the pleasure of working with in your career that you know will make a significant lasting impact on you and the people they interact with. Todd is one of these people. He takes incredible pride in his work and the way he conducts it. A true professional, mentor and friend. His skillsets are unmatched, and his achievements are limitless!

Todd is an impact player and a valuable asset to anyone who is seeking to take their organization to the next level!

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Todd is a true professional who never backed down from putting clients first and making sure he could help anyone who needed it. I had the pleasure of working with Todd for many years and he was always reliable, efficient, responsive, and overall, a great person. It’s rare to find someone like Todd and I’m thankful I had the opportunity to work alongside him for so many years. He’s the type of person you want on the front lines with you. A great asset to any organization.

Todd does a great job of reviewing a financial institution’s financials to uncover points of strength and potential areas of concern. He then utilizes this data to ask probing questions to a prospect to better understand their strategic direction and concerns with their core processing and ancillary product contracts. He has a strong knowledge of all core processor and ancillary product provider’s contracts. His efforts, along with the Paladin business analyst and negotiation team, have resulted in millions of dollars saved for my clients.

Todd's focus is on understanding the Client’s needs to best understand how to approach each engagement individually. He is very organized and detailed, which can be attributed to the extensive research he does prior to each client meeting. He wants to ensure he has a response to anything that could possibly come up in a conversation. Because of this approach Todd was able to quickly build trust with a client. Todd also has a great understanding of the FinTech market that allows him to talk through new technologies and vendors that are coming to market which may be of interest to his clients.

Todd is a great team player and is always willing to go the extra mile to ensure a successful engagement is achieved. It was truly a pleasure working with Todd and I would absolutely recommend him to join any organization.

Todd's knowledge is insurmountable when it comes to dealing with clients. He handles every discussion with integrity, backed up by thorough research and dedication to clients receiving the best outcome. His calm demeanor and style of building rapport with clients and teammates is unmatched. I would highly recommend him to any organization that is looking for structured leadership and guidance in negotiations.

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If there is one phrase that I would use to describe Todd, it would be "team player". I have had the pleasure of working with Todd in multiple different verticals at Fiserv and he's always willing to go above in beyond what his role calls for in order to do what is best for both the client, as well as the company. Todd has always been very responsive, and you can always count on him to get the job done quickly and thoroughly, which is a talent that you don't find most places. Anyone would be lucky to have Todd on their team, as he brings a professional attitude and desire to overachieve to the table. Keep killing it, Todd! I look forward to when our paths cross next!

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Focus on the Client and the" Client’s Needs" is one of Todd's solid attributes. Working with Todd has been a tremendous experience. Attention to details and understanding the needs of the client has been one reason he has been a success. Always making sure that we are working on the same "End in mind". Very Professional to work with!

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Todd is one of the best Client Partners I have ever worked with! I had the pleasure of working with him during his time as a Client Partner with Fiserv. Todd did an excellent job of collaborating with other teams, including mine, to ensure that the customer receives the best possible experience. Whether it was finding documents for the billing team or jumping on a call to solve an issue that had been lingering for some time, Todd would make time in his day for collaboration for his clients. Todd is a great asset to any team and has earned my highest recommendation.

Todd is a great team player! I have had the pleasure to work with Todd over the last couple of years and his ability to do what’s best for our clients and collaborate across business units is phenomenal. He cares about his customers, and you can tell by his tactful and strategic ways in which he makes sure everyone involved positively wins. His communication style and ability to work with everyone shows his commitment to team success and cooperation.

I will miss working directly with Todd on a day-to-day basis.

While I was serving as an Account Executive at Fiserv, Todd was in charge of implementation for one of my clients. During this difficult project he did everything he could to go above and beyond scope to ensure client satisfaction. He was able to work through some difficult scenarios, always remained professional and treated the client with dignity and respect. I believe he will excel in his role as an Account Manager.

Todd has been a reliable resource to help my clients solve their technical problems. His calm and sure manner comforted and reassured clients searching for better ways to use the solutions I sold. Todd's ability to listen and provide feedback when a client was frustrated helped to diffuse their anxiety, especially when he used his technical know-how to fix whatever was not working properly. I

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I had the pleasure of working with Todd on 2 occasions. His extensive knowledge allows him the ability to analyze business issues as well as manage projects or vendors and improve business processes. His software documentation and SQL knowledge is outstanding. Most importantly, customers like Todd because he is knowledgeable, patient and kind. Todd was always willing to help whether it be a customer or fellow employee. Todd is truly an asset to Open Solutions.

As an Implementation Manager, I had the pleasure of working with Todd as a member of the Allied Sales Team. He was a pleasure to work with and really cared about the financial institution's needs and how to best provide the products that would meet their goals. As a former banker, I appreciated that. It made my job so much easier.

Todd is a friend to all, a sales professional, a team player, and most of all takes pride in his work. He is enthusiastic and always looking towards the future.

Any company that has Todd as an employee will indeed be fortunate.

Recommendations from Former Associates

I have worked with Todd for three years, first as coworkers, and then reporting directly to him.

Todd is a driven individual who challenges those working with him and for him to be the best they can be. While he was my manager, he consistently set goals that challenged me to learn more and be better at my job than I was before.

Todd is results driven, but not at the expense of relationships - as a team member, I always felt my work and input were valued by Todd, and he found ways to get the best out of me while adjusting his management style to give me what I needed as an employee.

One of the best things I learned from Todd was to stop thinking of my own product from within a silo. He challenged me to begin to think about all the pieces and products that interact with DNAweb, and as I've done that it's helped me to grow in my understanding of DNAweb and all the dependencies of the product.

I would work for Todd again in a heartbeat, and I'm thankful for the time I've had to learn from Todd and grow under his leadership.

I had the pleasure of having Todd as my manager. Todd was the first person I worked for who was able to combine the skills needed to be a great leader and a great manager. Todd was able to look at our group and determine what needed to be done to move us forward as a whole and put in place a path to get us there. He was able to assess each individual and determine their strengths, weaknesses and what motivated them. He provided thoughtful and strategic direction to tie all decisions back to our department goals and performance criteria. Todd is a great asset to any team and is missed on ours!

I have worked with Todd for over a year now and have found him to be very self-motivated. While under his management I was encouraged and motivated to constantly improve myself. I found this very refreshing and rewarding. He took a personal interest in each team member's professional development. Todd possesses the drive and ability to be highly successful. Best Wishes, Todd