Last week FinCEN held it’s annual Law Enforcement Awards Program ,which recognizes cases that have been successfully prosecuted using reports provided financial institutions, and emphasized how BSA reporting really does make a difference. The stories are always interesting but I think they also serve as a reminder to our teams that the work they do is important and has a real impact. And for many, this might be a much-needed reminder. Often, there is no
Yesterday, FinCEN announced a filing deadline extension for Beneficial Ownership Information for companies created or registered in 2024. Beginning January 1, 2024, reporting companies will be required to file information with FinCEN regarding their beneficial ownership. The rule requires new reporting companies, that is those created after January 1, 2024, to file their initial report within 30 calendar days of “receiving actual or public notice that the creation or registration of the reporting company is
On Tuesday November 21, 2023, FinCEN announced the largest settlement in U.S. Treasury Department History with virtual currency exchanger Binance Holdings Ltd. Binance, the largest virtual currency exchanger in the world, must pay approximately $4.3 billion in total to resolve violations of the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), failing to register as a money transmitter, and sanctions violations. The settlement with FinCEN is part of a coordinated effort with OFAC, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission
Last week, the CFPB announced its approval of an application piloting disclosures for construction loans. In this initiative, the CFPB establishes guidelines for testing alternative disclosures in real-market scenarios, recognizing the enhanced accuracy of such tests compared to lab-based evaluations. The CFPB stated that testing in-market would allow them to gauge the potential necessity more accurately for regulatory adjustments. In short, lenders can now apply to test modified origination disclosures for construction loans to improve
On November 14, 2023, OFAC released its Guidance for the Provision of Humanitarian Assistance to the Palestinian People to “clarify that U.S. sanctions do not stand in the way of legitimate humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people.” The Guidance reinforces existing prohibitions and authorizations, along with a brief review of applicable general licenses and Q&A. Hamas and other organizations have used NGOs to support financing of their operations, making due diligence on suspect transactions and
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The ever-changing laws, regulations, proposals, deadlines, and guidance are a lot for anyone to manage and keep up with so let us do the work for you. Our blog is designed to help compliance professionals by releasing updates as soon as the news breaks. Our Compliance Resource team is researching, following, and monitoring government agencies and regulators to give you all the latest and greatest compliance news. Our goal is to work harder so you don’t have to.