Money laundering

The bank's release from a five-year-old enforcement action would mark progress in CEO Charlie Scharf's efforts to resolve its sprawling regulatory problems. But 10 more consent orders, including an asset cap imposed by the Federal Reserve in 2018, remain in place.

The agency said it may exempt certain institutions from having to file suspicious activity reports if they have “innovative solutions intended to meet Bank Secrecy Act requirements more efficiently and effectively." But in those circumstances, law enforcement may still require SARs.

Manual transaction monitoring doesn't scale to the acceleration of online activity, leading to many potential false negatives, and reduced efficiencies as teams demand quick growth and analysts take time to train properly, says Acuant's Jose Caldera.

The defense spending bill includes language requiring businesses to report their owners to Fincen.

A defense spending package includes a measure requiring new businesses to report their beneficial owners directly to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, shifting the burden away from banks.

Brooklyn-based federal prosecutors will staff a new task force to investigate and charge corporations and individuals who use the U.S. banking system to launder money, setting up a bigger role in white-collar cases that have historically been dominated by their Manhattan counterparts.

Using AI can manage both privacy and security as part of AML reform, says Giant Oak's Gary Shiffman.

Banks are responsible for reporting their business customers' beneficial owners, but a bill that would shift that anti-money-laundering duty to businesses themselves has been added to a must-pass defense spending package.

Bankers must identify money launderers and traffickers, and yet although not precluded, the current legal framework actually limits the sharing of data about potential suspicious activity and customers between institutions, says Giant Oak's Gary Schiffman.

Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., who would likely chair the Banking Committee if the GOP retains control of the chamber, signaled support for helping banks serve marijuana businesses. But he is skeptical of an anti-money-laundering bill backed by the industry and extensions of the Fed's pandemic programs.