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Practical guidance for MSBs, PSPs, fintechs and VASPs navigating AML and financial-crime regulation across Canada, the UK, the UAE and the US, from the people who build and defend compliance programs for a living.

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Regulatory updates

Bank of America Hit With $1.2 Billion FinCEN Penalty: AML Failures and Compliance Lessons

Bank of America faces coordinated $1.21 billion-plus FinCEN, OCC and OFAC actions. Learn what went wrong in AML monitoring and what U.S. MSBs can take away.

October 13, 2026
14 min read
Regulatory updates

Outsourced Transaction Monitoring for Remittance MSBs: What a Good Review Cycle Looks Like

A practical guide for Canadian remittance MSBs to supervise outsourced transaction monitoring, review alert queues, manage escalations, assess vendor quality and control backlogs.

October 13, 2026
10 min read
Regulatory updates

From Spreadsheet to FINTRAC API: Building EFTR and LVCTR Templates Mapped to the JSON Schema

How to map spreadsheets to FINTRAC EFTR and LVCTR JSON schemas, validate field types and party references, and track API submissions.

October 13, 2026
10 min read
Regulatory updates

Ongoing AML Monitoring for PSPs Using Third-Party Onboarding Tools

A practical guide to PSP ongoing AML monitoring after outsourced KYC onboarding, with customer risk reviews, vendor controls and data-integration examples.

October 12, 2026
10 min read
Regulatory updates

How to Write an AML Request for Information (RFI): Practical Templates for MSBs and PSPs

Three practical AML RFI templates for Canadian MSBs and PSPs, with response assessment, STR safeguards, privacy controls and an investigation log.

October 12, 2026
10 min read
Regulatory updates

What Data to Collect From Payment Partners Before Filing a FINTRAC EFTR

A practical guide to collecting, validating and reconciling payment-partner information before filing a FINTRAC Electronic Funds Transfer Report (EFTR).

October 12, 2026
10 min read
Regulatory updates

FINTRAC AML Training Requirements: Training Plan, Frequency, Role-Based Training and Records

Practical guide to FINTRAC AML training programs and plans, role-based training, frequency, evidence records, effectiveness testing and real enforcement lessons.

October 9, 2026
19 min read
Regulatory updates

FINTRAC MSB Change of Information: 30-Day Deadline, Change Form and Update Checklist

Practical FINTRAC MSB and FMSB change-of-information guide covering 30-day notices, the official Change form, ownership and agent updates, late filings and evidence.

October 9, 2026
23 min read
Regulatory updates

Missed FINTRAC EFTRs? How to Identify, File and Remediate a Reporting Backlog

A practical process for identifying missed FINTRAC EFTRs, reconciling transactions, filing outstanding reports, documenting remediation and preventing repeat failures.

October 9, 2026
22 min read
Regulatory updates

Crypto Off-Ramps and FINTRAC: When an LVCTR, an EFTR, Both or Neither Applies

A customer sends virtual currency and you pay out fiat. FINTRAC does not treat that as one reportable object. The crypto leg and the fiat leg are tested separately, each against its own trigger, valuation rule, aggregation rule and deadline.

October 5, 2026
19 min read
Regulatory updates

FINTRAC Compliance for Real Estate Brokers and Developers in 2026

FINTRAC's real estate rules turn on who is acting for whom: the brokerage, the individual representative or the developer. This guide maps who is covered, when identity must be verified, what changed on October 1, 2025, what must be reported and kept, and what a defensible transaction file shows.

October 5, 2026
25 min read
Regulatory updates

KYC Document Verification: 7 Signs an ID or Residence Permit May Have Been Altered

No single visual clue proves an ID has been altered, and no single clean check proves it is genuine. A professional KYC review compares format, data consistency, security features, machine-readable data, the correct issuing-country version and the applicant, then escalates anomalies instead of declaring fraud.

October 5, 2026
21 min read
Regulatory updates

FinCEN Form 107 Renewal: Common MSB Re-Registration and Filing Errors to Avoid

How FinCEN MSB registration renewal, re-registration and correction differ, how the two-calendar-year cycle sets your deadline, and what to check so the registration data on file stays accurate.

October 1, 2026
21 min read
Regulatory updates

How Much Does an Independent BSA/AML Audit Cost for a U.S. MSB or Fintech?

What drives the cost of an independent BSA/AML review for a U.S. money services business: scope, transaction testing, agents, data quality and quote mechanics, without invented prices.

September 30, 2026
19 min read
Regulatory updates

RPAA Operational Risk Management Framework: Preparing for Bank of Canada Supervision

What the Retail Payment Activities Act requires of a payment service provider’s risk management and incident response framework, how the Bank of Canada expects it to operate, and the records to keep for supervision.

September 30, 2026
34 min read
Regulatory updates

Buying a Canadian PSP in 2026: When an Acquisition Triggers Re-Registration Under the RPAA

Buying or acquiring a Canadian PSP can trigger a new Bank of Canada registration application. Learn how section 24 control thresholds, deal timing and buyer diligence work.

September 28, 2026
16 min read
Regulatory updates

Authorized Delegate Oversight for U.S. MSBs: FinCEN Agent-List Rules and State Licensing Controls

Learn how U.S. MSBs should manage agents and authorized delegates across FinCEN agent-list rules, state controls, risk-based monitoring, due diligence and NMLS reporting.

September 28, 2026
19 min read
Regulatory updates

FinCEN MSB Registration vs. State Money Transmitter Licensing: What U.S. Fintechs Need in 2026

FinCEN registration and state money transmitter licensing are separate requirements. Learn when a U.S. fintech may need one, both, or a deeper state-by-state licensing analysis.

September 26, 2026
15 min read
Regulatory updates

FINTRAC Imposes $816,750 in Penalties on Four Credit Unions: Compliance Lessons for Financial Entities

FINTRAC announced $816,750 in penalties against four Canadian credit unions. See the findings, recurring AML weaknesses, and practical compliance lessons.

September 26, 2026
11 min read
Regulatory updates

IRS Title 31 Examination for MSBs: What to Expect and How to Prepare

What happens when the IRS selects an MSB for a Title 31 BSA examination, including Letter 4313, Form 4564, record requests, transaction testing, findings and preparation steps.

September 23, 2026
37 min read
Regulatory updates

Bank of Canada Notice of Violation Under the RPAA: Reviews, Appeals & the 30-Day Deadline

What a Bank of Canada Notice of Violation under the RPAA means, the 30-day response deadline, how prescribed review works, and when Federal Court appeal rights arise.

September 23, 2026
30 min read
Regulatory updates

FINTRAC Desk Examination: How to Produce Requested Records Within 30 Days

FINTRAC has notified your business of a desk examination. Learn how the 30-day record-production rule works and how to retrieve, validate, package and submit requested records.

September 21, 2026
28 min read
Regulatory updates

Fractional BSA Officer vs. Independent BSA/AML Reviewer: Why the Same Person Cannot Perform Both Roles

Learn how U.S. MSBs should separate fractional BSA officer and independent BSA/AML reviewer roles under 31 CFR § 1022.210 and FinCEN guidance.

September 20, 2026
25 min read
Enforcement

FINTRAC Mandatory Compliance Agreements: What Happens After a Prescribed Violation

FINTRAC’s 2026 rules make compliance agreements mandatory after prescribed violations. Learn deadlines, remediation steps, compliance orders and penalties.

September 20, 2026
20 min read
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