Content & voice
In a compliance product the words are the product. A misplaced "must" can read as legal advice; an alarmist empty state can panic a one-person compliance shop. This is the law for how Charter writes — voice, the regulatory line, terminology, and formatting.
Voice & tone
We write for the overworked compliance officer at a small bank — often a department of one. Four traits, in priority order.
Calm
Never alarmist. A deadline is informative, not a fire alarm. Red is earned, not default.
Plain
The reader's words, not the regulator's. Short sentences. Define the term once, then use it.
Precise
Compliance rewards exactness. Cite the source, name the date, show the threshold. No vague "soon."
Human
On the reader's side. We help the little guy keep up with the big banks — write like a trusted colleague.
Say this, not that
The same message, written two ways.
We say
Reg B's small-business rule takes effect October 1. Here's what applies to you.
3 items need attention before your exam.
We couldn't reach the Federal Register. Showing your last synced copy from June 3.
Argus drafted this from your policy. Review before sending.
Not
You must comply with 12 CFR 1002 by the effective date or face enforcement.
Warning! You have 3 critical violations!
Error: source fetch failed (503).
Here is the answer to your question.
- Describe, attribute, date. "Reg E requires…" with a citation — not "You are required to…"
- No directives. Prefer "applies to institutions that…" over "you must." Let the reader map it to themselves.
- AI output is information, always cited, never advice. See AI / Argus.
- When in doubt, point to counsel. "Consult your legal or compliance counsel for application to your institution."
Terminology
We chose banker nomenclature over CMS-speak. Use the canonical term everywhere — UI, docs, and AI output — so the product speaks one language.
| Concept | We say | Not | Definition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Program | Program | Module | A regulatory area a bank manages (BSA/AML, Fair Lending, Flood). |
| Obligation | Obligation | Requirement | A specific thing a regulation asks of the institution. |
| Posture | Posture | Status | How the bank currently stands against an obligation (Current / Watch / Action / Overdue). |
| Evidence | Evidence | Attachment | A document or record that demonstrates compliance for an exam. |
| Workflow | Workflow | Task / ticket | A guided, multi-step procedure that ends in a defensible outcome. |
| Radar | Radar | Feed / news | Incoming regulatory change relevant to the bank's programs. |
| Impact | Impact | Alert | Why a specific regulatory change matters to this bank. |
| Argus | Argus | The bot / AI | The advisory assistant. Always capitalized; never "the AI" in UI copy. |
Microcopy
The three places tone matters most: when something breaks, when there's nothing yet, and when an action can't be undone.
| Situation | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Error | What happened · what we did · what they can do. No codes, no blame. | We couldn't save your evidence. It's still here — try again, or download a copy. |
| Empty state | Reassure, then point to the first action. Empty is often good news. | Nothing overdue. You're current across all 8 programs. |
| Confirmation | Name the consequence and who's affected; never a bare "Are you sure?" | Remove Dana from the BSA program? They'll lose access to 4 open workflows. |
| Success | State the outcome plainly; no confetti. | Filed. Your CTR is logged with a timestamp for the audit trail. |
Formatting
Numbers and dates are data — they get tabular figures and consistent shapes so they scan in a column and never lie about precision.
| Type | Format | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Date | Mon D, YYYY | October 1, 2026 |
| Date (compact / table) | Mon D | Oct 1 |
| Date + time | Mon D, YYYY · h:mm AM TZ | Jun 5, 2026 · 2:14 PM CT |
| Currency | $ + grouping, no cents unless needed | $1,250,000 |
| Percentage | Whole unless precision matters | 82% · 4.25% |
| Threshold | Operator + value, spelled relation | ≥ $10,000 (over the CTR threshold) |
| Citation | Common name (formal cite) on first use | Reg B (12 CFR 1002) |
| Reg section | § + section | § 1002.107 |
| Capitalization | Sentence case everywhere — headings, buttons, labels | Start workflow · Open items |
.u-mono / data styles) so digits align in a column. Never abbreviate a dollar figure in a compliance context ("$1.25M") where exactness is expected — write it out.