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Bank fee analysis and banking cost reduction

Bank fee analysis is an independent review of every charge your banks bill you, benchmarked and then renegotiated. CFOs, treasurers and private equity operating partners hire FIRMA Advisory when bank costs have grown without review. The outcome is a documented fee baseline, repriced or removed fee lines, and new pricing verified on later statements.

When companies bring us in

Companies bring us in when bank fees grow faster than the business, or when nobody in finance can explain the monthly statement. These are the most common triggers.

  • Bank fees have risen year over year while transaction volumes stayed flat.
  • Account analysis statements arrive every month, but no one reviews them line by line.
  • Pricing was set when the accounts were opened and has not been revisited since.
  • A private equity owner wants a banking cost baseline for the value creation plan.
  • Acquisitions or entity changes have left more bank accounts than the business needs.
  • A credit facility renewal is coming, and the CFO wants fee concessions in the same negotiation.

What we deliver

Every engagement produces a fee baseline, a benchmark and a negotiation pack your team can use with each bank. The table shows what you receive and when.

DeliverableWhat it containsTypical timing
Fee baselineEvery fee line by bank, account and service code, with the annual run-rate cost.End of phase 1
Benchmark reportYour unit prices compared with external reference points and competing offers, with each gap priced.End of phase 2
Account rationalization planAccounts to close, merge or restructure, with the fee and balance effect of each change.End of phase 2
Negotiation packPrioritized requests for each bank, the supporting evidence and a proposed timeline.Start of phase 3
Verification reportNew prices checked against the following statements, with exceptions sent back to the bank.Phase 4

How an engagement runs

An engagement runs in four phases, from statement collection to verified new pricing. The number of banks and accounts sets the pace.

  1. Data collection and baseline, weeks 1 to 2. We collect recent account analysis or fee statements, fee schedules and pricing letters. Each charge is mapped to a service and an account.
  2. Benchmarking and analysis, weeks 2 to 4. Unit prices are compared with external reference points and with what the account structure actually needs. Each gap is sized and ranked by value and ease of change.
  3. Renegotiation, weeks 4 to 8. We prepare the requests with your team and support the conversations with each relationship manager. The bank receives a specific, evidenced request rather than a general complaint.
  4. Implementation and verification, weeks 8 to 12. Agreed prices are checked on the next statements. Accounts are closed or restructured, and billing errors go back to the bank for credit.

What changes for the client

Clients see the result on their bank statements, line by line. We report the outcome types below and only count what the statements confirm.

  • Fee lines removed, repriced or waived, counted for each bank.
  • Change in annual run-rate bank fees, measured from statements before and after.
  • Accounts closed or merged, and the maintenance fees removed with them.
  • Earnings credit or interest on balances, compared before and after where the bank offers it.
  • Billing errors identified and credited back by the bank.
  • A fee baseline that finance can refresh every month without outside help.

Why an independent former banker

Corporate bank pricing is built once, at onboarding, and rarely reopened. Federico Lleonart worked in cash management sales at J.P. Morgan and Barclays, so every review starts from how the bank built your price list.

How do banks build a corporate fee schedule?

A relationship team proposes a price list at onboarding, often inside a wider proposal for credit and cash management. Internal pricing teams approve exceptions against floors and the expected value of the relationship.

In the United States, charges appear on a monthly account analysis statement. Balances earn an earnings credit that offsets fees, so the net figure can hide rising unit prices.

Why is pricing set at onboarding rarely revisited?

Once accounts are live, nothing inside the bank triggers a repricing. Volumes grow, new services are added at list price, and temporary waivers can lapse without anyone noticing.

The relationship manager has little reason to raise the subject. The client rarely has the data to start the conversation.

How are fee schedules benchmarked?

Many US banks map their charges to AFP Service Codes, a standard published by the Association for Financial Professionals. That lets a consultant compare like with like across banks.

European banks use their own statement formats, and some send ISO 20022 billing files. We normalize those statements into the same structure before any comparison.

How is a renegotiation run without damaging the relationship?

Banks expect clients to review pricing, and they respond best to specific, evidenced requests. We help you ask for defined changes, link them to the business you bring, and allow time for internal approval.

We do not threaten a tender unless you intend to run one. When a tender is the right step, it is run properly as a bank RFP.

FIRMA Advisory sells no banking products and takes no commissions from banks. A senior former banker leads the work from the first statement to the last verification.

For consulting firms and private equity teams

Consulting firms bring us in as a specialist banking consultant when bank fees or bank relationships are in scope on a client engagement. Private equity teams use the same fee review across portfolio companies, and our partner model explains how we work alongside your team.

Frequently asked questions

These are the questions CFOs ask most often before a bank fee analysis. Each answer is short and direct.

What data do you need to start a bank fee analysis?

We need recent account analysis or fee statements for each bank, your current fee schedules and any pricing letters or proposals. A list of accounts with their purpose helps us find accounts you no longer need. Read only access to online banking is useful but not required, and we never need payment rights.

How much does it cost, and how is the engagement structured?

Pricing depends on the number of banks, accounts and countries in scope. Most clients start with a fixed scope diagnostic, then decide whether to continue into renegotiation as a project. Where it fits, part of the fee can be tied to savings verified on statements. See engagement models and fees for the available formats.

How long does a bank fee analysis take?

A typical engagement runs 8 to 12 weeks from first data to verified pricing. The baseline and benchmark come first, so you see the size of the opportunity early. The overall timeline depends mostly on how quickly each bank approves new pricing and loads it into billing.

Do you work remotely or on site?

Most of the analysis runs remotely, because it is built on statements, fee schedules and calls with your team. Bank meetings can take place by video or in person. On site workshops can be added to the scope where they help. Travel is billed at cost and approved in advance.

Which regions and languages do you cover?

We work with companies in the United States, Europe and Latin America. Federico Lleonart works in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and French, so statements and negotiations in those languages are handled directly. Multi-country reviews use one consistent method across every bank in scope.

How do you handle confidentiality?

Engagements are confidential by design. Statements, pricing and bank correspondence are used only for your engagement and are never shared with other clients or banks without your approval. Client names and results are not published without explicit consent. Documents can be shared through your own data room if you prefer.
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Related insight: How to read your bank's account analysis statement walks through the statement line by line.

Engage

Start with a bank fee baseline.

Book a short call with an independent banking consultant who has priced these services from the bank side. We will outline what a bank fee analysis would cover for your banks.

Book a 30 minute call [email protected]