FCA apologizes for mishandling fraud allegations against Collateral
The U.K. Financial Conduct Authority apologized to investors in peer-to-peer investment firm Collateral for not acting swiftly enough to prevent Collateral from defrauding its customers.
SeaCrest to pay $375K to settle charges that it failed to supervise rogue adviser
New York-based SeaCrest Wealth Management will pay a $375,000 fine for failing to properly prevent a cherry-picking scheme perpetrated by one of its investment advisers.
SEC fines Cantor Fitzgerald $6.75M for failing to disclose pre-IPO talks
Financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald will pay a $6.75 million fine to the Securities and Exchange Commission for making misleading statements regarding two special purpose acquisition companies that it controlled.
Worries DOJ is ‘dumping’ AI responsibilities on compliance departments in ECCP update
When the DOJ released its revised Evaluation of Corporate Compliance Programs, it turned some heads. Tucked into a section on risk assessments was a strongly worded series of questions that appeared to shoulder compliance teams with the responsibility for ensuring the safe use of AI tools by their firms.
U.K. can’t shake reputation of being a conduit to individual, institutional money laundering
London has long had the dubious reputation of being the world’s money laundering capital and it looks like it’s a title it is likely to retain for some time yet.
Overabundance of U.K. AML regulators stretching enforcement resources thin, experts say
The U.K. will struggle to shed its reputation as one of the world’s biggest conduits for dirty money due to a combination of patchy intelligence-sharing and poorly resourced enforcement agencies, experts told Compliance Week.
Compliance’s fit in AI governance: Reading between lines of DOJ’s updated ECCP guidance
The Department of Justice’s Evaluation of Corporate Compliance Programs has made the importance of artificial intelligence governance frameworks clear, but it didn’t say what role compliance should play. Here’s the answer.
SEC fines Morgan Stanley $15M to settle allegations of theft of client funds
A lack of supervision and internal controls at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney allowed four of its investment advisers to steal millions from customers before the behavior was detected, the SEC said in charging the firm.
Texas court halts FinCEN beneficial ownership reporting requirements
Business owners can stop preparing their 2025 anti-money laundering reports for the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, according to a Texas court, which ruled the Corporate Transparency Act requirement unconstitutional.
Whistleblower’s defamation case reveals scope of USAA ‘coverup’
A defamation lawsuit filed by a whistleblower against USAA, which a Florida judge recently dismissed on a technicality, revealed in public court records an estimated 400,000 violations of the Military Lending Act by USAA Federal Savings Bank (USAA Bank), an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of USAA.
Evolving sanctions rules make continuous screening, due diligence essential in 2025
The EU and U.K. have rushed to commit themselves to intensifying action on sanctions evasion after U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s victory, but any compliance managers who believe Trump will make global sanctions compliance easier in 2025 are likely to be disappointed.
Proposed CFPB rule would attempt to rein in data broker buying, selling
Data brokers have been getting away with selling Americans’ personal and financial data without adequate protections, an illegal practice that a new rule proposed by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will intend to stop, CFPB Director Rohit Chopra said.
U.S. Appeals Court ruling in Tornado Cash case opens door for AML regulatory unwind
In striking down penalties against cryptocurrency mixer Tornado Cash for violating U.S. sanctions, a federal appeals court may have started to chip away at anti-money laundering regulations established by Democrats even before President-elect Donald Trump takes office.
Could your firm potentially be the subject of a DOJ whistleblower action? Time to get ready
Now that the U.S. Department of Justice launched a new pilot whistleblower program, many questions remain. What types of companies might find themselves to be the subject of a criminal investigation stemming from a whistleblower tip? And what should they do to prepare for a whistleblower tip?
Top E&C fails of 2024: Boeing, TD Bank, RTX/Raytheon on compliance naughty list
The biggest Compliance Fails of 2024 show the real-world consequences of noncompliance for the companies that faltered, but also for their customers and their employees.
FCA fines Macquarie Bank $16M for control failures that allowed fake trades
The U.K. Financial Conduct Authority fined the London branch of Australian-based Macquarie Bank Limited more than 13 million pounds (U.S. $16.3 million) for “serious control failures” that allowed a trader to conceal hundreds of fictitious trades over a 20-month period.
Trump names Scott Bessent to be Treasury secretary, with a clear deregulation agenda
Hedge fund manager Scott Bessent, named by Donald Trump on Friday as his nominee for Treasury Secretary, has a clear mandate to deregulate the financial markets should he take the helm.
SEC enforcement priorities under Trump: Fewer disclosures, less ESG-focused, more crypto
Change is likely coming to the Securities and Exchange Commission’s enforcement priorities with the pending handover of the White House to Republican President-elect Donald Trump. Adjust your compliance priorities accordingly.
SEC Chair Gary Gensler to step down Jan. 20 after busy, controversial tenure
Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler will step down from his position as the top U.S. regulator of Wall Street when Donald Trump is sworn in as president on Jan. 20, ending weeks of speculation about his future.
Final CFPB rule requires Big Tech pay apps to comply with bank rules
Big Tech digital payment apps will be subjected to increased oversight and requirements–similar to that of banks and credit unions–under a finalized rule by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond examiner pleads guilty to insider trading
A bank examiner and senior manager at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond pled guilty to insider trading after allegedly misappropriating confidential information on seven banks to make profitable trades.
President-elect Trump’s Commerce Department pick Howard Lutnick to head tariff, trade agenda
President-elect Donald Trump announced he plans to appoint Cantor Fitzgerald President and CEO Howard Lutnick to lead the U.S. Commerce Department, as the incoming administration is expected to charge import tariffs against friends and foes.
Drexel Hamilton to pay $1.1M, four employees fined for ‘flipping’ municipal bonds
New York-based investment firm Drexel Hamilton will pay more than $1.1 million in penalties, with four current and former employees paying fines as well over committing hundreds of violations of rules regarding the sale of municipal bonds.
Experts explain why red flags can often be ignored due to ‘underlying systematic issues’
Companies spend huge sums on audit, risk management, and compliance to alert them about potential legal issues before they escalate into serious corporate governance failings. There’s only one problem, however–they often misread their own early warning signs or ignore them altogether.
MetLife subsidiary fined $178K by OFAC for issuing premiums to Iran-controlled entities
A subsidiary of MetLife will pay more than $178,000 for violating U.S. sanctions on Iran when it provided insurance policies to entities in the United Arab Emirates owned or controlled by Iran.
FinCEN alerts financial institutions to be wary of AI-enabled deepfakes
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network issued an alert to financial institutions about their obligations to report deepfakes, warning artificial intelligence has given bad actors additional tools in their arsenal.
CFTC cites ‘unreasonably delayed reporting’ for unevenly split $4M whistleblower award
“Unreasonably delayed reporting” cost one of two claimants whom will unevenly split a $4 million whistleblower award from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission for providing information that led to a successful enforcement action.
FCA slaps Metro Bank with $21M fine for inadequate AML monitoring
The U.K. Financial Conduct Authority has fined Metro Bank 16.6 million pounds (U.S. $21 million) for an alleged failure by its automated system to adequately monitor money laundering risks.
Navy Federal Credit Union to pay $95M in fines, redress over ‘surprise’ overdraft fees
Navy Federal Credit Union will pay a $15 million fine and return $80 million in “surprise” overdraft fees to its members to resolve an enforcement action from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
FINRA fines Morgan Stanley $1M for alleged documentation failures
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority fined broker-dealer Morgan Stanley $1 million over alleged documentation failures related to risk management controls and supervisory procedures involving violations of the Market Access Rule.
Underfunding of BSA/AML compliance made TD Bank an unwitting partner to cross-border crime
Law enforcement officials stumbled on TD Bank’s role in money laundering while investigating a Mexican drug cartel. They found that the bank’s corporate culture considered compliance, particularly BSA/AML compliance, a low priority. As they dug deeper, authorities discovered that multiple money laundering schemes had infiltrated the bank’s network.
CPE Webcast: Compliant First AI: Risk Management Best Practices for Financial Institutions in 2025
Attend this Compliance Week webinar to synthesize the current ”state-of-play” for current and proposed rules for the ethical and responsible use of AI in financial services settings.
Meta discloses potential CFPB lawsuit following probe into advertising, disclosure practices
Meta disclosed in a public filing that an investigation by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau related to financial product advertising on platforms Instagram and WhatsApp may lead to a lawsuit.
JPMorgan Chase to pay $151M in penalties, restitution to settle disclosure lapses
Two affiliates of JPMorgan Chase have agreed to pay $151 million to settle five separate enforcement actions for making misleading disclosures, breaching fiduciary duties, and other failures related to investors.
Speakers at Compliance Week AI & Compliance Summit talk future rules around technology
While companies are exploring and building artificial intelligence technology, lawmakers and regulators are trying to identify what ground rules they need to set. These guardrails are what companies and governments alike believe are essential parts of ensuring safe and responsible use of the technology.
How to adopt AI tools the right way at your company, from people who’ve tried
Companies are adopting artificial intelligence tools at a breakneck pace, but it’s increasingly clear that they set guardrails early. AI leaders say that approaching the technology with safety and ethics in mind will help ensure its upside benefits, while avoiding the significant risks it poses as well.
New CFPB data rights rule will modernize U.S. banking system, Chopra says
Banks, credit card companies and other financial mainstays will be required to comply with new data privacy and retail account portability regulations under a sweeping rule issued Tuesday by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
WisdomTree pays $4M SEC fine for including fossil fuel, tobacco securities in ESG funds
Fund management company WisdomTree will pay $4 million to settle allegations by the Securities and Exchange Commission that it improperly invested in fossil fuel and tobacco companies in environmental, social and governance (ESG) funds despite promising to avoid them.
NYDFS expects banks, firms to cut risks posed by AI, according to new guidance
New York financial institutions are expected to address cybersecurity risks posed by artificial intelligence, and new guidance from the New York Department of Financial Services is aimed at helping firms do just that.
Pace of innovation will make EU AI Act hard to enforce, experts say
Concerns about how robustly European member states may enforce the EU AI Act, which took effect on Aug. 1, are divided between if regulators will take a “light touch” approach or a sledgehammer for noncompliance. One thing’s for sure, the pace of AI innovation will make enforcement very difficult.
FCA fines TSB $14.2M for poor treatment of financially strapped retail customers
TSB Bank has been fined 10.9 million pounds (U.S. $14.2 million) for treating retail customers poorly while they were in arrears on mortgages, credit cards, loans, and overdraft accounts, the Financial Conduct Authority said.
SEC penalizes Rimar CEO, holding company board member $524K total for ‘AI washing’
The Securities and Exchange Commission ordered the owner of Rimar Capital and a board member of its holding company to pay nearly $524,000 in penalties for defrauding investors with false and misleading statements about its use of artificial intelligence.
TD Bank fined nearly $3.1B by U.S. regulators for AML compliance failures
TD Bank will pay nearly $3.1 billion in penalties to four U.S. regulators to settle charges that it “chose profits over compliance” when it allowed three money laundering networks to filter more than $670 million in dirty money through the company.
CPE Webcast: Trust and Technology: Cyber compliance in finance
In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, the stakes are high–protecting customer data, ensuring operational resilience, and maintaining trust are critical considerations for regulated industries.
DOJ steps up enforcement approach against AI-powered cybercrime
The Criminal Division of the Department of Justice plans to heighten its focus on cybercrime, according to division head Nicole Argentieri.
Starling Bank fined $38.5M for repeatedly onboarding high-risk customers
The U.K.’s Financial Conduct Authority fined Starling Bank, Britain’s first digital bank, nearly 29 million pounds (U.S. $38.5 million) for repeated failures related to onboarding high-risk customers.
TD Bank unit to pay $28M in penalties for failing to properly supervise rogue trader
Broker-dealer TD Securities failed to prevent a trader from placing and then withdrawing thousands of false trades over the course of a year in part because its compliance department failed to follow up on red flags generated by the illegal trades, three regulators said.
FINRA fines Merrill Lynch, BofA Securities $2.3M for reporting, registration failures
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority issued two separate fines against Merrill Lynch and BofA Securities totaling nearly $2.3 million for reporting violations and failing to timely file amendments on registration forms for their registered representatives.
FinCEN, OFAC sanction crypto platforms linked to Russia, cybercrime
U.S. and European law enforcement agencies have announced sanctions against two Russia-linked cryptocurrency platforms in their ongoing chase to snuff out Russian-linked financial platforms that assist cybercriminals.
DOJ updates ECCP to include AI risks, whistleblower protections
Companies under criminal prosecution by the Department of Justice for any reason must show they have robust compliance for any artificial intelligence in use–or risk heightened prosecution–under a DOJ policy update.