SEC taps military judge as Enforcement Division Director
The SEC has named Margaret “Meg” Ryan, a senior military judge and Harvard Law lecturer, as its next Enforcement Division Director—an unconventional pick that could signal changes in enforcement strategy.
CFPB makes move to stake a claim against bankrupt Synapse, the fintech software company
Synapse Financial Technologies, the troubled California fintech software provider, has agreed to let the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) eventually file a claim on its bankrupt estate.
CPE Webcast: Banking Compliance in 2025: Key Trends and Future-Proofing Strategies
In addition to a loosening of traditional banking regulation and supervision in areas like capital requirements, stress testing and liquidity, U.S. banking regulators have indicated they will be more receptive to innovation than the previous administration, particularly in the use of Artificial Intelligence, and in digital assets.
‘Extraordinary cooperation’ pays off for PFS Investments
As regulators shift toward rewarding transparency, self-regulation and self-reporting, the way PFS Investments handled a longstanding problem serves as an example of how proactive remediation can turn a costly compliance error into a manageable regulatory outcome.
Nine regulatory initiatives under SEC’s “Project Crypto” aim to redefine crypto market rules
Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Paul Atkins has launched “Project Crypto,” a major regulatory overhaul aimed at shifting the agency from enforcement to innovation. Atkins’ address outlined as many as nine Commission-wide initiatives to revamp the SEC’s rulebook for the digital finance era.
CFPB could run out of money by fall, report says
The Trump administration declawed the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau from the very beginning of his second term. It now appears the agency might be running out of money.
U.K. proposes streamlining regime meant to hold fin serve executives to account
When growth slows, governments often cut rules to attract investment, as the U.K. has in its financial services sector, which contributes 8.8% of GDP, but easing the “compliance burden” raises concerns about oversight, governance, and prioritizing profits over safety.
U.K. regulator urges auditors to explain AI use in audits
Plans to push audit firms to disclose how they use AI in audits have been broadly welcomed, but concerns remain over how corporate data is used, secured, retained, and potentially exposed.
SEC dodges commitment on climate rule enforcement
The SEC refused to say whether it would enforce its landmark Climate-Related Disclosure Rules in a status report filed Wednesday, deepening uncertainty as the regulation faces legal challenges.
Interactive Brokers to pay $11.8M to settle thousands of U.S. sanction violations
A brokerage and investment firm will pay $11.8 million for providing services to individuals under U.S. sanctions, as well as people located in countries sanctioned by the U.S.
U.K. extends bullying and harassment rules to 37,000 financial services firms
Serious bullying and harassment count as misconduct in regulated financial services firms, per a July 1 clarification by the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority, which said non-financial misconduct rules now applied only to banks will extend to 37,000 more firms starting September 1, 2026.
Florida alleges that Robinhood Crypto’s fee disclosures are inaccurate
The state of Florida is investigating Robinhood Crypto for falsely claiming it charges the lowest fees for processing crypto transactions.
U.K. updates pension and asset manager rules, but internal auditors flag governance gaps
Will “taking an axe to” red tape and onerous reporting commitments free up trillions invested in U.K. pensions and increase the value of assets managed by regulated financial services firms?
CFPB drops $95M enforcement action against Navy Federal, without explanation
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has dropped a $95 million enforcement action against Navy Federal Credit Union, the latest regulatory pullback by the agency under President Donald Trump.
FCA drops ‘naming and shaming’ approach – except in ‘exceptional circumstances’
The UK’s financial regulator has had a rough ride over the past couple of years as its strategy to “name and shame” firms it opened investigations into was widely slammed by the industry and lawmakers over concerns that companies could be unfairly maligned.
Atkins says SEC to embrace innovation, criticizes regulatory uncertainty around tokenization
SEC Chair Paul Atkins pointed to the growth of tokenized shares as a key development reshaping private markets, suggesting the agency is preparing to update its rules to keep pace with new forms of digital asset trading and settlement.
FHFA chief orders Fannie and Freddie to consider crypto assets in mortgage assessments
In another sign of President Donald Trump’s focus on cryptocurrency, the head of the U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) ordered Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to create proposals to consider crypto assets for a single-family home mortgage.
UK’s Failure to Prevent Fraud law may expose firms to unlimited fines and prosecution, says Moody’s compliance risk expert
Fraud now accounts for around 40% of all crime in the U.K., posing a major problem for banks and consumers. Ted Datta, head of industry practice for financial crime compliance at Moody’s, warns that the risk is growing fast.
OFAC hits GVA Capital with $216M penalty for servicing sanctioned Russian oligarch
A San Francisco venture capital firm will pay a $216 million fine to the U.S. Treasury for violating U.S. sanctions by managing investments for a Russian oligarch.
SEC Chair Atkins signals end to ‘regulation by enforcement’ in line with Trump’s pro-crypto agenda
The Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Paul Atkins explained his agency’s shift on cryptocurrency regulation to a Senate committee as legislators bargain over President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” and the GENIUS Act, which would have the federal government invest heavily in cryptocurrency.
DOJ says BlackRock, Vanguard, State Street pressed ESG goals to lower U.S. coal output
The Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission have bolstered a conservative legal effort to dismantle environmental, social, and governance-based investment strategies from three large asset managers by claiming they illegally conspired to artificially raise energy prices.
Why tight controls matter for financial content on social media, says FPC’s O’Shaughnessy
Financial Planning Corporation is a regulated financial planning firm founded 40 years ago, gaining coveted Chartered status in 2008. As the U.K. financial regulator, the FCA promises to clamp down on unregulated “finfluencers” on social media. Moira O’Shaughnessy, managing partner and head of risk and compliance at FPC, explains why ...
Not just for the rich: SEC may make closed-end funds available to retail investors
Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Paul Atkins indicated he favors changing the agency’s requirement that only the wealthy can invest in so-called “closed-end” private equity funds and hedge funds.
FTC shuts down student loan firms over deceptive debt relief practices
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) took action against a pair of student loan debt relief companies for allegedly deceiving borrowers. The move came despite the Trump administration’s broader efforts to roll back enforcement actions against businesses since taking office.
SEC Chair Atkins advances Trump’s pro-crypto efforts, promising first market rules
The head of the Securities and Exchange Commission promised new sets of rules around cryptocurrency assets, saying his team intends to lay out regulatory frameworks around custody and “qualified custodians,” as well as guidelines around issuing and trading. The expected move marks the latest step in the U.S. government’s embrace ...
CFPB drops Google Payment oversight, latest enforcement pullback under Trump
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau continued advancing President Donald Trump’s pullback of corporate oversight last week, as it halted supervision of Alphabet’s Google Payment subsidiary. The move followed similar efforts by the Trump administration to weaken government enforcement efforts, particularly concerning digital currencies.
SEC drops Morgan Stanley cash sweep case: Sign of the times?
A decision by the Securities and Exchange Commission to close an investigation into the cash sweep program at Morgan Stanley may affect decision-making at other financial institutions under similar scrutiny.
Buy now, pay later firms catch a break as CFPB backs off enforcement
The U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) signaled a softer regulatory approach last month, easing its investigation of financial firms following the U.S. government’s broader efforts under President Donald Trump to scale back regulatory enforcement on businesses. The agency reaffirmed this pivot as it will ease scrutiny of “Buy Now, ...
FinCEN proposes bar on Cambodian company due to alleged money laundering
A Cambodian financial company, the Huione Group, has laundered billions of dollars for international criminals and those linked to North Korea, according to the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). The agency proposes that the company should be severed from having access to the U.S. financial ...
NYDFS to continue crypto enforcement, Superintendent Harris says
The New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS), led by Superintendent Adrienne Harris, doesn’t intend to let up on cryptocurrency enforcement, even in the face of pullback from the federal government.
Delayed UK antitrust case underscores compliance, reputational risks
Antitrust infringement cases in the United Kingdom can run on for years, but there’s a question whether issuing fines that are dwarfed by the revenues of those organisations involved is a worthy deterrent—particularly if they are imposed over a decade after the misconduct ended. It’s also debatable whether the first ...
Trickle of CFPB lawsuit dismissals poised to become a flood
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has quickly become one of the most active agencies advancing the Trump administration’s pullback on prosecuting corporations, as it dropped yet another consumer protection lawsuit against a financial services company Wednesday.
UK’s deregulation drive raises compliance risk, say top lawyers
The United Kingdom’s latest effort to encourage regulators to pare down rules to attract companies and investment as a way to stimulate the economy has received mixed reviews from lawyers.
CFPB pullback signals further shift toward industry-friendly regulation
The U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau continues to unravel amid pressure from Trump administration officials to shutter the agency. Not only has the agency informed its employees that it will no longer be a watchdog for the financial services industry, it has also laid off employees despite court orders blocking ...
Ex-FBI informant says three things can save companies from themselves
Tom Hardin paid the price for crossing legal and ethical lines as a financial analyst accused of insider trading in one of the most notorious Wall Street scandals. Now he’s on a mission to save businesses from themselves. A keynote speaker at Compliance Week National, he built a second career ...
Trump’s CFPB, dismissing Comerica case, continues to cut down Biden-era lawsuits
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau dropped yet another consumer protection lawsuit against a bank or fintech provider since Donald Trump was sworn in as president in January. This time, it was with Comerica Bank.
Banks reported more than $1 B in suspicious activity–much of it fentanyl linked
Banks alerted authorities to $1.4 billion in suspicious transactions in 2024, a big assist in the nation’s fight against crime and fentanyl trafficking, according to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network.
U.K. aims to streamline regulation to boost economic growth as markets fall
The U.K.’s Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves has promised a “radical action plan” to cut the cost of regulation to businesses by a quarter and boost economic growth. Now the Cabinet Office has written to government departments requiring them to justify every quango, with the presumption that these semipublic ...
New cybersecurity requirements fast approaching for New York financial firms
Many financial firms have mere days to notify New York about whether they have complied with the state’s strict cybersecurity regulations, and to gear up for new requirements rolling out May 1 and beyond.
California Attorney General Bonta warns businesses that FCPA still in full force
The federal government may have paused enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), but that’s not the case in California, where bribes to foreign officials will be prosecuted, Attorney General Rob Bonta warned.
Republican-led SEC abandons climate rule; Dem commissioner calls move ‘unlawful’
The Securities and Exchange Commission’s Republican leadership is abandoning the climate-related disclosure rule package passed last year by Democrats, hoping that the courts will kill regulations already on life support.
FRC fines PwC, auditor combined $4.1M over 2019 work of Wyelands Bank
The U.K. Financial Reporting Council issued penalties against PwC and a former auditor over deficiencies on work related to the 2019 financial statements of now shuttered Wyelands Bank.
Treasury reversal of OFAC sanctions against Tornado Cash signals eroding AML scrutiny
The U.S. Treasury Department lifted its sanctions against cryptocurrency mixer Tornado Cash on Friday after a federal appeals court ruled in November the penalty levied by the agency’s Office of Foreign Assets Control was an overreach.
Making a pitch for compliance: The great chase for stakeholder engagement
Speakers at Compliance Week’s Ethics and Compliance Summit swapped engagement strategies rooted in human behavior, including with through the use of generative AI, free merchandise, and live events, to meet employees where they are.
Trump picks Fed vice chair of supervision, aims to roll back 2023 bank protections
Federal Reserve Board member Michelle Bowman has been nominated as the board’s vice chair for supervision, a position that oversees regulation of the nation’s largest banks.
CCO who was ‘sole person controlling’ investment firm charged with recidivist concentration violations
An investment company and its founder, president, and chief compliance officer flagrantly kept violating mutual fund rules for multiple years after settling with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the SEC said in a complaint against the company.
Expert: Treasury’s move to ‘narrow’ BOI requirements would gut AML law
The U.S. Treasury’s effort to dramatically narrow the focus of the Corporate Transparency Act through “emergency” rulemaking would gut the law’s anti-money laundering efforts, a transparency expert said.
SEC postpones compliance date for amendments to investment company names rule
Investment companies will have six additional months to comply with an update to the Securities and Exchange Commission rule aimed at making investment fund names more accurate.
‘Abject failure’: U.K. lawmakers sound off on FCA’s failed 'naming and shaming' enforcement
U.K. lawmakers slammed the country’s chief financial regulator’s hopes of “naming and shaming” firms as part of its efforts to beef up enforcement, denting its credibility in the process and questioning the leadership of its chief executive.
EU drives ‘omnibus’ of simplifications through landmark sustainability reporting directives
The European Commission has adopted proposals for radical simplifications to the EU’s trailblazing environmental regulations. The commissioners argue that this is a pragmatic response to changing global economics and indicates that they have listened to the concerns of smaller businesses that are struggling to comply with onerous and conflicting rules.