Silvergate Bank to pay $63M to Fed, California over BSA/AML deficiencies
Crypto-friendly Silvergate Bank will pay a total of $63 million penalties to California and the Federal Reserve Board to settle charges that its anti-money laundering program failed to properly monitor over $1 trillion worth of customer transactions.
Banks must bolster awareness of fintech partner risks, experts advise at Fordham
During a panel at Compliance Week’s Financial Crimes and Regulatory Compliance Summit, held June 10-11 in New York, experts discussed nuances in bank-financial technology partnerships, offering best practices for how banks should protect themselves.
SCOTUS overturns Chevron doctrine, putting thousands of regulations in limbo
The Supreme Court of the United States overturned a long-held precedent in which courts deferred to federal agencies in interpreting complex or ambiguous regulations–a decision that could make thousands of federal regulations more vulnerable to legal challenges.
Bank of England report: ’Need to improve’ private equity risk management
A Bank of England report warned of private equity risk management deficiencies as interest rates remain stagnant, with international coordination important.
FinCEN proposes additional risk assessments for AML/CFT programs
Financial institutions would be required to conduct more thorough risk assessments on their anti-money laundering/countering the financing of terrorism programs under a new rule proposed by the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network.
SCOTUS decision upends in-house tribunals in SEC fraud cases
The Supreme Court of the United States ruled that the Securities and Exchange Commission’s practice of using in-house tribunals overseen by an administrative judge to adjudicate securities fraud cases is unconstitutional.
Mondo TV reaches $538K settlement with OFAC over N. Korea sanctions violations
Italy-based Mondo TV agreed to pay $538,000 to settle charges with the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control over 18 apparent violations of North Korea sanctions regulations.
Banking regs find flaws in resolution plans for BoA, JPM, Goldman Sachs, Citi
Two federal banking regulators found deficiencies with the sale of derivatives in the resolution plans of Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, and JPMorgan Chase, while the regulators disagreed on the severity of an issue with Citigroup’s plan.
OFAC sanctions drug cartel over China procurement; FinCEN issues advisory
The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control and Secretary Janet Yellen announced sanctions Thursday against the top leaders of La Nueva Familia Michoacana drug cartel over the illicit trafficking of synthetic opioid fentanyl in the United States.
CFPB proposes $3.95M fine against Freedom Mortgage over repeated data errors
Freedom Mortgage Corp. would have to pay a $3.95 million fine and carry out regular auditing and testing of its loan data under a proposed order by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
OCC emphasizes compliance’s role in FI’s operational resiliency
Compliance departments at financial institutions must become more involved in ensuring their firm’s operational resiliency to address emerging risks, the Treasury Department’s Office of the Comptroller of the Currency said in its semi-annual risk perspective.
CFTC awards whistleblower $8M despite involvement in misconduct
A whistleblower received an $8 million award from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission for uncovering fraud—even though the agency deemed the whistleblower was culpable in the misconduct.
Credit Suisse unit inks deal with OCC over BSA/AML obligations
The New York branch of Swiss bank Credit Suisse reached a deal with the Treasury Department’s Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) over compliance with its Bank Secrecy Act and anti-money laundering obligations.
SEC, CFTC actively probe off-channel comms violations, top officials say
Two senior officials from the Securities and Exchange Commission and Commodity Futures Trading Commission described how both agencies are committed to rooting out off-channel communications among registered entities for the long term.
Evolve Bank ordered by Fed to address AML, sanctions lapses
The Federal Reserve Board ordered an Arkansas bank that partnered with numerous financial technology companies to correct deficiencies in its anti-money laundering, sanctions, risk management, and consumer compliance programs.
Biden nominates CFTC’s Goldsmith Romero to head FDIC
President Joe Biden selected a commissioner at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission as his preferred choice to lead the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation in the aftermath of its toxic workplace culture scandal.
Anson Funds, affiliate to pay $2.25M for fund disclosure violations
Registered investment adviser Anson Funds Management and exempt reporting adviser Anson Advisers will combine to pay more than $2 million for allegedly misleading investors about their short fund strategy and related recordkeeping violations.
BIS’s Axelrod makes plea to financial services: ‘We want to work with you’
Matthew Axelrod, assistant secretary for export enforcement at the Bureau of Industry and Security, addressed efforts to reach financial services firms, working with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, and more during his fireside chat at CW’s Financial Crimes Summit.
CFTC’s Pham critical of agency stances on CCO liability, self-disclosure credit
Caroline Pham, a commissioner at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, said compliance officers have a lot to worry about if they or their firms are subject to CFTC enforcement during her fireside chat at CW’s Financial Crimes Summit.
Panelists break down robust sanctions landscape at TPRM Summit
Sanctions compliance officers face myriad challenges as complex geopolitical situations heighten risks worldwide, experts discussed during Compliance Week’s Third-Party Risk Management & Oversight Summit.
Photo gallery: Compliance Week Financial Crimes and Regulatory Compliance Summit
The Compliance Week Financial Crimes and Regulatory Compliance Summit took place June 10-11 at Fordham Law School in Manhattan, New York. Check out some of the sights from the summit in our photo gallery.
FinCEN BSA data: Fraud, money laundering top suspicious activities
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network published its latest collection of Bank Secrecy Act data, including number and type of suspicious activity reports.
OCC’s Hsu encourages banks to apply guardrails to AI use
Warning of an “eventual reckoning” on artificial intelligence use by financial institutions, the acting head of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency said the industry should learn lessons on how similar disruptive technologies evolved from being helpful to dangerous.
‘Why us?’ SEC lists reasons it conducts examinations of broker-dealers
A risk alert from the Securities and Exchange Commission listed top reasons why a registered broker-dealer might be the subject of an examination.
EU agencies examine efforts to identify and monitor examples of greenwashing
The European Securities and Markets Authority, European Banking Authority, and European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority issued reports on greenwashing in the financial sector, describing how they plan to call out examples of false or misleading sustainability claims.
Reignited calls to tighten up AML in London, crown dependencies
Despite repeated interventions, fines, and negative publicity, money laundering is rife in U.K. financial services firms, according to Deputy Foreign Secretary Andrew Mitchell.
Court overturns SEC private fund adviser rule, calls out agency overreach
A federal appeals court struck down the Securities and Exchange Commission’s private fund adviser rule, agreeing with industry advocates that the agency overstepped its authority.
Epoch Times CFO charged in $67M money laundering scheme
The chief financial officer of the Epoch Times was charged with laundering at least $67 million in illegally obtained funds to bolster the fortunes of the newspaper and himself.
CFPB to require nonbanks to register outside enforcement orders
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau passed a new rule requiring nonbank financial companies to register consumer protection orders filed against them by other federal agencies, courts, or states.
Big Tech data for finance: Will FCA plans set trend?
Plans in the United Kingdom to share Big Tech data with financial services firms could prompt other industry regulators to follow suit or result in “unintended consequences” that see Meta, Google, and others growing market share.
Podcast: SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce on regulatory demands, CCO input
Compliance Week’s Aaron Nicodemus sat down for an exclusive chat with SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce covering the flood of new regulation emanating from the agency, stresses on compliance at smaller firms, CCO liability, and more.
FINRA dings Bank of America unit over notification lapses
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority fined a Bank of America subsidiary $90,080 for filing untimely or inaccurate notifications related to security distributions and failing to adopt an adequate supervisory system.
BaFin relaxes growth restrictions on N26 following AML improvements
German financial regulatory authority BaFin lifted growth restrictions on N26, after the digital bank made improvements to its anti-money laundering program.
OCC’s Hsu advocates requiring mid-sized banks create ‘robust’ recovery plans
Acting Comptroller of the Currency Michael Hsu said he favors requiring more mid-sized U.S. banks to conduct the same rigorous recovery planning as the largest banks, part of a lesson learned from the collapse of three mid-sized banks in 2023.
Mass Ave Global fined $350K for compliance, communication lapses
Mass Ave Global agreed to pay $350,000 for alleged failures that led the investment adviser to make false and misleading statements to investors, according to the Securities and Exchange Commission.
TD Bank risk chief laments ‘procedural weaknesses’ in U.S. AML program
TD Bank Chief Risk Officer Ajai Bambawale said “procedural weaknesses” in the institution’s U.S. anti-money laundering program allowed bad actors to exploit its network.
Lifetime Achievement: Compliance lessons from a ‘Flea’
Felecia “Flea” Bowers, honored for Lifetime Achievement at the 2024 Excellence in Compliance Awards, shares advice for compliance professionals at every stage of their careers.
Lemont National, Comerica Bank unit avoid penalties in separate OCC deals
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency reached agreements with Lemont National Bank and Comerica Bank & Trust over concerns related to risk governance practices.
Broadway Financial discloses ICFR weaknesses due to training shortfalls
Los Angeles-based bank holding company Broadway Financial Corp. disclosed in a public filing weaknesses discovered in its internal control over financial reporting because of training shortfalls.
JPMorgan will pay additional $100M to CFTC to settle trade surveillance lapses
A subsidiary of JPMorgan Chase will pay an additional $100 million to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to settle charges it failed to adequately monitor and supervise its trading system.
HSBC fined $8M by FCA for mishandling customers in default
The U.K. Financial Conduct Authority fined HSBC nearly £6.3 million (U.S. $8 million) for failing to properly consider the financial position of customers who missed payments.
SEC orders Intercontinental Exchange to pay $10M over Reg SCI violations
Intercontinental Exchange and nine affiliates agreed to pay $10 million for allegedly failing to inform the Securities and Exchange Commission of a cyber intrusion as required by Regulation Systems Compliance and Integrity.
N26 fined $9.6M for not timely filing AML reports to BaFin
Germany’s financial supervisory authority issued a fine of €9.2 million euros against mobile bank N26 for “systematically” submitting late anti-money laundering reports.
FDIC chair to resign following report on toxic workplace culture
Martin Gruenberg announced he will step down as chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation following the release of an independent review that criticized the agency’s lack of response to employee claims of sexual harassment and discrimination.
Survey: Social media remains vexing issue for financial firms
A recent survey by surveillance technology firm SteelEye found most financial institutions do not monitor their employees’ use of social media or factor in market risks exacerbated by social media posts.
ESMA guidelines tackle greenwashing via fund names
The European Securities and Markets Authority published its final report containing guidance for the use of environmental, social, and governance- and sustainability-related terminology in fund names.
Fed governor: Regs should engage with industry on safe DLT use in banking
Federal Reserve Board Governor Michelle Bowman argued banking regulators should move from their current reactive posture on banking innovation to a position that actively encourages new technologies, business models, and ideas to solve age-old problems.
Treasury says closing AML regulation loopholes top priority
The Treasury Department’s efforts to eliminate regulation loopholes that help enable money laundering in the U.S. financial system will remain a top priority as part of the agency’s 2024 national illicit finance strategy.
Supreme Court rules CFPB funding structure constitutional
The Supreme Court rejected a claim that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s funding mechanism is unconstitutional, removing a legal challenge that had the potential to overturn all the agency’s regulations and enforcement actions.
SEC amends Reg S-P to require data breach notification within 30 days
The Securities and Exchange Commission will require broker-dealers and registered investment advisers to adopt written policies and procedures for handling data breaches of customer data and notify affected customers within 30 days.