Senators demand answers from U.S. Bank on fake accounts scandal
Democratic senators are calling on U.S. Bank to answer questions before a Senate committee regarding an alleged fake accounts scandal the bank recently paid $37.5 million to settle.
Morgan Stanley reaches $200M agreement over unauthorized electronic messages
Morgan Stanley has reached agreements in principle totaling $200 million with the SEC and CFTC to settle charges its employees used messaging platforms not approved by the financial services company.
Roundup: Goldman Sachs, Citi, Robinhood disclose regulatory investigations
Goldman Sachs Group, Citigroup, and Robinhood Markets each issued quarterly filings disclosing regulatory investigations they are respectively facing into varied business practices.
Wells Fargo confirms DOJ probe into diversity hiring practices
Wells Fargo disclosed in a regulatory filing the Department of Justice has opened an investigation into the bank’s “hiring practices related to diversity.”
Robinhood Crypto fined $30M for AML, cybersecurity failures
Robinhood Crypto agreed to pay a $30 million fine to the New York State Department of Financial Services for “significant failures” in its Bank Secrecy Act/anti-money laundering and cybersecurity compliance programs.
Judge: Ex-JPMorgan compliance exec’s retaliation claims credible for trial
A jury could conclude allegations made by a former JPMorgan Chase compliance executive who said she was fired for blowing the whistle have merit, a federal judge ruled.
U.S. Bank fined $37.5M over fake accounts scheme
U.S. Bank agreed to pay a $37.5 million fine and to return fees charged to customers related to the bank’s alleged opening of accounts and access of credit reports without their permission, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced.
JPMorgan, UBS among 3 fined by SEC over ID theft programs
The Securities and Exchange Commission separately settled charges with three financial institutions that each allegedly failed to provide reasonable policies and procedures to identify relevant red flags of customer identity theft.
Court: RBS whistleblower should not receive award
A federal appeals court has denied the whistleblower claims of a former Royal Bank of Scotland employee seeking compensation for a tip he said generated more than $10 billion worth of settlements.
MidFirst Bank avoids penalty in OFAC resolution
MidFirst Bank will not pay a civil penalty after self-reporting to the Office of Foreign Assets Control apparent violations of weapons of mass destruction proliferator sanctions at the bank.
Bank of America reserves $200M for enforcement over banker personal device use
Bank of America has set aside $200 million in anticipation of an enforcement action related to unauthorized use of personal devices—an area in which U.S. regulators are cracking down.
Bank of America fined $225M for freezing unemployment benefits during pandemic
A pair of regulators slapped a total of $225 million in fines on Bank of America for failures related to unemployment benefit disbursements the bank made during the pandemic.
Michael Barr confirmed as Fed’s top banking regulator
Michael Barr, a professor and former top official at the Treasury Department, was confirmed by the Senate as vice chair for supervision at the Federal Reserve.
SEC questioned Citi for additional info on Russia exposure
The Securities and Exchange Commission recently posed a series of probing questions to Citigroup seeking to understand the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on the bank’s exposure in Russia.
Survey: Widening remit driving cost of compliance higher, retention lower
Compliance functionality is vital to the future of financial services firms, but many are “struggling to meet their commitments while maintaining an appropriate risk and compliance culture,” according to the “Cost of Compliance Report 2022” by Thomson Reuters.
CFTC fines BNP Paribas, JPMorgan for swap reporting violations
BNP Paribas and JPMorgan Chase agreed to pay penalties of $6 million and $850,000, respectively, in separate settlements with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission for swap reporting violations dating back years.
SEC’s Peirce weighs CCO enforcement case against liability framework
What would it look like if the SEC adopted a chief compliance officer liability framework? Commissioner Hester Peirce offered a preview in a statement regarding an enforcement action against the CCO of a formerly registered investment adviser.
Credit Suisse money laundering verdict start of new era of Swiss enforcement?
Credit Suisse became the first major Swiss bank to be prosecuted for money laundering in the country after the Federal Criminal Court of Switzerland found the bank guilty of washing money connected to a Bulgarian drug smuggling syndicate.
FINRA fines Barclays $2.8M over supervision, disclosure lapses
Barclays Capital agreed to pay $2.8 million as part of a settlement with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority for “failure to comply with customer confirmation and related supervision rules” that led to disclosure lapses.
UBS to pay $25M over ‘inadequate’ training, oversight in SEC fraud case
UBS Financial Services agreed to pay approximately $25 million to settle fraud charges brought by the SEC that cited “inadequate” training and supervisory oversight of the firm’s financial advisers regarding a complex options trading strategy.
FinCEN/BIS alert flags Russia export control evasion indicators
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network and Bureau of Industry and Security warned financial institutions to be on the lookout for new and novel ways individuals and entities in Russia and Belarus are attempting to evade export controls.
OCC risk report: Russian sanctions, staffing churn increase compliance challenges
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency warned banks and financial institutions about elevated operational risks caused by geopolitical tensions and a heightened compliance risk environment complicated by regulatory changes, policy initiatives, and difficulties in hiring qualified professionals.
FCA fines Ghana International Bank $7.1M for AML failings
The U.K. Financial Conduct Authority fined Ghana International Bank £5.8 million (U.S. $7.1 million) for deficiencies in its anti-money laundering controls over its correspondent banking activities.
Compliance deficiencies faulted in Western International Securities Reg BI case
Western International Securities and five of its brokers have been charged by the Securities and Exchange Commission with violating Regulation Best Interest when they sold high-risk debt securities to investors who weren’t aware of the risks.
USAA whistleblowers want to be heard—and now
Jaclyn Jaeger reflects on feedback received from former and current USAA employees following her three-part series detailing alleged violations of law and mismanaged compliance culture at the financial services giant.
Weiss Asset Management lauded for cooperation in $6.9M settlement
Weiss Asset Management reached a $6.9 million settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission after it self-reported alleged short selling violations.
SEC to Schwab: Return $187M for robo-adviser misstatements
Three Charles Schwab subsidiaries have agreed to pay $187 million to settle SEC charges the units were allocating investors’ cash holdings in a way that was less profitable under most market conditions and misled investors about the strategies involved.
SEC charges investment adviser, CCO with selling fraudulent securities
A.G. Morgan Financial Advisors, its owner, and its former chief compliance officer were charged by the SEC with securities laws violations for unlawfully offering and selling more than $500,000 worth of unregistered, fraudulent securities.
Lummis-Gillibrand bill would regulate crypto for first time
The Responsible Financial Innovation Act, introduced by Sens. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), seeks to regulate digital assets, blockchain technology, and cryptocurrencies in the United States for the first time.
FinCEN launches rulemaking on no-action letter process
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network launched rulemaking for a no-action letter process, which the agency said might help spur innovation in financial services for anti-money laundering/countering the financing of terrorism and compliance functions.
Indictment: Ex-CCO charged with wire fraud over misappropriated funds
Jennifer Campbell, a former chief compliance officer at an unnamed investment adviser in Buffalo, N.Y., faces criminal and civil charges for allegedly misappropriating approximately $500,000 in funds from client accounts.
Investment advisers fret over SEC’s proposed ESG disclosure rule
Investment advisers and companies worry a recently proposed rule by the SEC that would require enhanced disclosures about funds that claim ESG strategies drive investment choices would have “substantial impact” without providing useful information to investors.
Former Danske Bank CCO Philippe Vollot resigns
Danske Bank Chief Administrative Officer Philippe Vollot, who was promoted to the position from chief compliance officer in November, has resigned, the Danish bank announced.
Deutsche Bank asset management head resigns amid greenwashing probe
Asoka Woehrmann, chief executive of DWS Group, has resigned amid an investigation by German officials into allegations of greenwashing within the asset management unit’s investment portfolio.
Banco Popular to pay $255K for violating Venezuela sanctions
Banco Popular de Puerto Rico has agreed to pay more than $255,000 as part of a settlement with the Office of Foreign Assets Control to resolve its civil liability for 337 transactions processed in violation of U.S. sanctions.
Report: Westpac New Zealand progressing on risk culture improvements
An independent report ordered by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand into Westpac New Zealand has found the bank is “moving in the right direction” in addressing risk culture deficiencies.
SEC rule proposal would order investment firms to back up ESG claims
The Securities and Exchange Commission proposed a new rule that would require registered investment advisers, investment companies, and business development companies to submit enhanced disclosures about funds that claim ESG strategies drive their investment choices.
Best practices, common pitfalls in working in high-risk countries
A panel of compliance professionals discussed the increasingly relevant topic of working in high-risk countries, sharing their experiences and lessons learned at Compliance Week’s National Conference in Washington, D.C.
BNY Mellon fined $1.5M by SEC for misstatements on ESG mutual funds
BNY Mellon Investment Adviser has agreed to pay a $1.5 million fine to the Securities and Exchange Commission for making “misstatements and omissions” on environmental, social, and governance mutual funds it managed over three years.
Wells Fargo unit fined $7M for AML transaction monitoring failures
For the second time in five years, a subsidiary of Wells Fargo has been charged by the Securities and Exchange Commission with failing to file suspicious activity reports in a timely manner due to deficiencies in the system it used to flag transactions.
Expert: Combating modern slavery starts with understanding the issue
Matthew Friedman, an expert on international human trafficking with more than 30 years of experience, discussed the importance of companies addressing modern slavery in their supply chains as part of a virtual fireside chat on the human factor of ESG at Compliance Week’s National Conference.
Allianz unit pleads guilty in $6B fraud settlement
Allianz Global Investors U.S. and three former portfolio managers were charged with lying to investors about a complex options trading strategy, as well as forging documents to cover up the scheme, leading to multibillion dollar losses.
Citi names Tom Anderson as new chief compliance officer
Tom Anderson will be the next chief compliance officer at Citi, effective June 1. His appointment comes two months after Mary McNiff stepped down from the role.
FCA fines, bans director over unauthorized compliance duties
Thomas Ward, a former head of compliance at an investment management firm who once worked as a compliance inspector for a U.K. regulator, was fined 416,558 pounds (U.S. $513,000) and banned from working in the financial services sector following a tribunal ruling.
New sanctions add ban on U.S. accounting, management consulting work in Russia
The Treasury Department unveiled a host of new sanctions against Russian and Belarusian individuals and banks, in addition to a ban on U.S.-based accounting, management consulting, and trust and corporate formation services to any person located in the Russian Federation.
Whistleblower to OCC: USAA had 400,000 undisclosed Military Lending Act violations
USAA Bank engaged in an estimated 400,000 violations of the Military Lending Act, a former director of compliance within the bank reported to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency in documents seen by Compliance Week.
A look inside USAA’s ‘catastrophically mismanaged’ compliance culture
In exclusive interviews with Compliance Week, former USAA insiders describe a risk and compliance culture in which numerous individuals either were given the axe or quit because the problems were so endemic.
Whistleblower: USAA ‘actively lying to regulators for years’ regarding violations of law
Senior executives at USAA ignored warnings from compliance staff and consultants for years regarding violations of U.S. federal banking laws and hid from regulators the scope of the company’s illegal practices, a former USAA director of compliance turned whistleblower told Compliance Week.
Wells Fargo in resolution negotiations regarding potential OFAC violations
Wells Fargo disclosed in a regulatory filing it has entered resolution discussions with a U.S. authority or authorities regarding potential sanctions violations it voluntarily self-disclosed to the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control.
CFPB fines Bank of America $10M over deficient garnishment protocols
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau fined Bank of America $10 million for processing “unlawful” garnishments of customer accounts dating back to 2011.