AML

Comptroller of the Currency Joseph Otting took office only late last year, but he is wasting little time in tackling a series of hot-button topics, including easing anti-money laundering regulations and lowering national bank fees.

The Seattle bank's improved loan yields offset higher expenses tied to Bank Secrecy Act remediation. Washington Federal had to delay a pending acquisition after issues emerged with its anti-money-laundering compliance.

The comptroller said he is looking to capitalize on the industry's strong profits and high capital reserves to reduce costs and lower exam fees next year.

Comptroller of the Currency Joseph Otting laid out an ambitious regulatory reform agenda Monday, telling a group of community bankers that he is committed to CRA upgrades, new flexibility in BSA compliance and other measures.

GSE reform a likely scratch from this year’s to-do list; banks’ difficulties in speaking emoji; reactions to Mick Mulvaney’s plans for the CFPB; and more.

Efforts by financial institutions to track "beneficial ownership" data in advance of a regulatory deadline next month is complicated by the challenge of getting customers to cough up the information.

Washington Federal, which is working through Bank Secrecy Act issues, also allowed Anchor to consider offers from other potential buyers.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions made headlines in January when he tightened federal marijuana enforcement. But the good news for financial institutions looking to service the pot industry is that the rest of the government has responded with a shrug.

Wells Fargo gets tipped off by OCC on investigation; HSBC is wading back into U.S. mortgage waters; a bank uses artificial intelligence to combat money laundering; and more.

Smaller bank stocks have outperformed the big banks with the prospect of Dodd-Frank rollbacks; Trump “very strongly” pondering TV analyst for adviser role.

OCBC Bank in Singapore has seen a 35% reduction in false positives in its tests of artificial intelligence-based anti-money-laundering software. Other banks could follow its lead, though there are regulatory and customer-protection questions.

The Minneapolis bank has been operating since October 2015 under a consent agreement that stemmed from deficiencies in its efforts to combat money laundering.

Money launderers are opportunists and the real estate sector is a weak link when it comes to regulation, writes Jay Ryan, an executive vice president at Accuity.

The Seattle company first disclosed an issue in September, when it withdrew an application to buy Anchor Bancorp.

Shares of the Providence, R.I., company plunged Monday after a news report that it faces possible legal risks from the latest charges filed against Paul Manafort, the former campaign manager for President Trump.

Foreign operatives' alleged use of fraudulent financial accounts to try to influence the U.S. political system shows again how difficult it is for banks to truly know their customers.

U.S. Bank's $600 million fine for AML lapses quickly drew readers attention, while acting CFPB Director Mick Mulvaney got the Cordray treatment on Capitol Hill and big banks made moves to speed real-time payments.

Bank’s alleged lax controls enabled a former customer to launder money in a payday lending scheme; digital currency has made back a chunk of its recent decline.

The bank’s unsullied image took a hit when it admitted to misleading regulators regarding its efforts to combat money laundering.

U.S. Bancorp has agreed to pay $613 million in penalties to state and federal authorities for violations of the Bank Secrecy Act and a faulty anti-money-laundering program.