As required by the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2020 (AMLA), the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) published its first-ever Priorities list for anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CTF) policy. Financial institutions can begin taking steps to prepare for the increased scrutiny in each of these published Priorities. Taking a proactive approach will show the examiners that the criticality is understood and taken seriously.
Download to learn:
- What financial institutions should take away from these Priorities
- Steps to take now to ensure preparedness across the pillars of BSA
- Ways to ensure each Priority has been incorporated into your institution’s BSA/AML program
Looking for additional insight into the published AML/CFT Priorities? Watch our webinar, FinCEN AML/CFT Priorities: What Do They Mean for Your Institution?
The decision to bank cannabis-related businesses (CRBs) is not an easy yes or no question. There are multiple things to consider as you make this decision and many things to do afterwards to ensure you maintain compliance. This list of questions isn’t exhaustive and is meant to serve as a basis for the questions you should ask as you navigate this space. Laws, regulations, and even cannabis itself are always changing and you and your staff need to be aware of the latest laws and developments, including variants. Download this checklist for questions to ask as you make your decision of whether or not to bank CRBs.
Download this checklist to learn:
- Aspects to consider if you are planning on banking CBD, hemp, or marijuana
- Areas of your policy and procedures to review, whether or not you are banking CRBs
- Questions regarding risk assessment and monitoring to ensure you maintain compliance
Gain insight on how to manage regulatory compliance and maintain a risk-based program, should your institution decide to bank CRBs. View our webinar, Navigating Regulatory Haze: Banking Cannabis-Related Businesses and Managing Risk.
When purchasing new compliance software, financial institutions should carefully perform due diligence when comparing service providers. Once a decision is made and software implementation is complete, the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) recommends periodic ongoing monitoring of the service provider. Use this checklist to review fundamental steps to help your institution through the BSA compliance vendor selection and monitoring process.
Download this checklist to learn:
- Due diligence steps for selecting a compliance vendor
- Focus areas to review including financial statements, legal, and regulatory compliance
- Ongoing monitoring to perform once a vendor is selected
Discover key areas for your BSA compliance training program with our Introductory BSA Guidebook.
Financial institutions investing in their commercial and business lending departments often find that deals fall into three categories: easy approval, easy denial, or the gray area. Credit teams often get into trouble when dealing in the gray area due to internal policies, competitive pressures, and technology limitations. Use this checklist to identify the common credit analysis mistakes and how to avoid them.
Download to learn:
- Signs of ineffective credit policies or practices
- What analysts should not do in tight credit situations
- Key data fields that should be captured in credit process
With human trafficking generating $150 billion annually and 25 million victims worldwide, it’s no surprise that financial institutions are looking for new ways to stop these horrific crimes. Financial institutions continue to play a pivotal role in detecting and reporting trafficking, making them a crucial part of their community’s safety. While human trafficking typologies are sometimes difficult for financial institutions to detect, it is possible. For financial institutions to help detect human trafficking, it is important not only to understand how victims become victims but also to understand who the traffickers are. Download this checklist to learn key behavioral and transactional indicators that are human trafficking red flags to identify both victims and traffickers within your customer base.
Download this checklist to learn:
- Key human trafficking red flags to help identify potential victims in your customer base
- How to adequately monitor your transactions for trafficking, with examples of transactional red flags to look for
- Behavioral indicators to watch for, including the presence of a third party in transactions
- How the 2014 FinCEN guidance still applies today and the key indicators identified by FinCEN
Interested in learning more about trafficking and better understanding what to look for in your own community? Watch our webinar Human Trafficking – Close to Home.
Economic relief payments are often subject to fraud, and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) is no exception. More than $4 billion in PPP loans have already been flagged for fraud, and that number is likely to increase. Extensive due diligence is critical to prevent risk exposure and possible financial loss to the financial institution.
Download this checklist for:
- Customer due diligence elements to review
- Key enhanced due diligence items to review
- Additional information on reporting suspected fraud and identifying COVID-19-related fraud
Remain Compliant While Preparing to Bank Cannabis
As cannabis continues to be legalized by states across the country, more financial institutions are seeking guidance on how to bank cannabis-related businesses while staying compliant with their regulators. This checklist compiles some essential concepts into a quick one pager to help you ensure that your AML/CFT program is fully prepared to handle this change successfully.
Download to learn:
- How to adjust customer due diligence
- When to conduct risk assessments
- The need for an exit plan
- The importance of an open dialog with your front line and examiners
If you are looking for a solution to help you manage CRB and MRB banking Abrigo’s BAM+ CRB Scenarios can help you manage these relationships and stay compliant.
Talk to a specialist to learn more.
Many financial institutions are looking to make the asset/liability management function more meaningful. Answering the following questions may help your institution identify specific needs related to developing an effective asset-liability committee (ALCO) process. Each section represents a critical step toward an improved ALCO.