Regulation

Compliance Testing Regime Systematic auditing of adherence to regulatory requirements through continuous monitoring and periodic assessment.

Conflicts of Interest Disclosure The compliance obligation requiring financial firms to identify, manage, and disclose conflicts that could impair objective client service or advice.

Consolidated Audit Trail SEC system tracking market transactions across venues for surveillance, enforcement, and post-trade audit.

Consolidated Audit Trail (CAT) Reporting SEC's Consolidated Audit Trail system requiring broker-dealers and exchanges to report detailed order and trade lifecycle data for market surveillance.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau The CFPB is a federal agency that protects consumers from unfair, deceptive, or abusive financial practices by banks, lenders, debt collectors, and other financial service providers.

Cooling-Off Period for Rule 10b5-1 Plan Amendments SEC 2023 amendments requiring cooling-off periods before directors and officers can trade under new or modified Rule 10b5-1 plans; period lengths by role.

Correspondent Banking and AML Risk Why cross-border bank relationships concentrate money-laundering risks through layering, multiple jurisdictions, and limited visibility into end clients.

Correspondent Banking De-risking: Causes and Consequences Why global banks are terminating correspondent banking relationships in high-risk jurisdictions and what that means for financial access and economic development.

Cross-Border Data Transfer Compliance for Financial Firms Cross-border data transfer compliance for financial firms relies on Standard Contractual Clauses, adequacy decisions, and binding corporate rules to lawfully move personal data internationally.

Cross-Border Data Transfers in Financial Services Under GDPR Mechanisms for lawful cross-border data transfers in financial services under GDPR: adequacy decisions, standard contractual clauses, and binding corporate rules.

Currency Transaction Report The CTR filing requirement mandating banks to report cash transactions exceeding $10,000 to the FinCEN for anti-money-laundering compliance.

Currency Transaction Reporting Federal requirement to report cash deposits and transfers exceeding $10,000 using Form 8300 and FinCEN Form 104.

Customer Due Diligence Extended verification of higher-risk customers to identify beneficial owners and assess financial crime risk.

Customer Due Diligence Rule FinCEN's regulation requiring financial institutions to identify beneficial owners and assess customer risk profile at account opening and beyond.

Customer Due Diligence: Four Core Elements Explained FinCEN's 2016 CDD rule requires four core elements: customer identification, beneficial ownership identification, understanding the business relationship, and ongoing monitoring.

Dark Pool Reporting Obligations What off-exchange trading venues must report to FINRA and the public about dark pool transactions, and the timelines and rules governing disclosure.

De-Risking in Banking Why banks voluntarily exit entire customer segments to reduce anti-money laundering compliance exposure and enforcement risk.

Deferred Prosecution Agreement A settlement mechanism where regulators suspend criminal charges in exchange for monitored compliance reforms and financial penalties.

Deferred Prosecution Agreements in AML Enforcement DPAs allow banks to resolve AML failures without criminal conviction; they impose strict compliance obligations and carry reputational costs.

Deregistration from SEC Reporting The process by which a public company exits mandatory SEC reporting when shareholder count falls below regulatory thresholds.

Derivative Clearing Requirements Mandatory central clearing of standardized derivatives contracts by designated clearinghouses, a post-2008 regulatory reform to reduce systemic risk.

Dodd-Frank Act The Dodd-Frank Act of 2010 is the comprehensive post-financial-crisis law that overhauled financial regulation. It created the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, imposed capital standards on banks, regulated derivatives, and gave regulators emergency powers.

Dodd-Frank Act: Major Changes to Financial Regulation Explained Dodd-Frank Act major changes explained: derivatives clearing, systemic risk oversight, consumer protection, and resolution authority enacted after the 2008 financial crisis.

Dodd-Frank International Equivalence US recognition of comparable foreign regulatory regimes as equivalent to Dodd-Frank standards.

DORA: EU Digital Operational Resilience Act for Financial Firms The EU Digital Operational Resilience Act requires banks, insurers, and investment firms to manage ICT risk, report incidents, and oversee third-party services.

EMIR EMIR is the European Market Infrastructure Regulation that regulates over-the-counter derivatives, swaps, and clearing in the European Union. It imposes clearing, reporting, and risk-management requirements.

EMIR Reporting Obligations for Counterparties Which entities must report OTC derivatives under EMIR, what data fields are required, and how the two-sided reporting model prevents duplicates.

Enhanced Due Diligence Heightened verification procedures for politically exposed persons and high-risk customers, required under anti-money-laundering regulations.

Enhanced Due Diligence for High-Risk Customers Enhanced due diligence for high-risk customers involves deeper source-of-funds verification, senior-management approval, and intensified ongoing monitoring.

ESMA vs EBA: EU Financial Regulators Compared Distinguish ESMA and EBA: the European Securities and Markets Authority vs European Banking Authority, their mandates, and which regulates what under EU law.

EU Funds Transfer Regulation: Wire Transfer Rules Explained What information payment service providers must include with wire transfers under EU Regulation 2015/847, and how it aligns with the FATF Travel Rule.

EU Market Abuse Regulation The EU rule harmonising insider trading and market manipulation enforcement across member-state financial markets.

European Banking Authority EU agency coordinating banking regulation across member states and third countries

European Securities and Markets Authority The EU regulator that supervises credit-rating agencies, trade repositories, and benchmark administrators across member states.

Exchange Act Section 16: Insider Ownership Reporting Requirements Section 16 insiders must file Forms 3, 4, and 5 to disclose ownership and trading. Violations trigger profit disgorgement by the company.

FATF Grey List The Financial Action Task Force's watchlist of countries failing to meet anti-money-laundering and counter-terrorist-financing standards, signaling elevated risk for financial flows.

FATF Grey List and Black List FATF's public designations of high-risk jurisdictions that fail anti-money laundering standards, triggering correspondent banking restrictions and reputational costs.

FATF Grey List vs Blacklist: What Each Means for a Country How FATF's two watchlists — the grey list for increased monitoring and the blacklist for countermeasures — affect a country's access to banking, investment, and capital flows.

FATF Mutual Evaluation Process Explained Step-by-step overview of how FATF assesses countries' anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing frameworks through peer review.

FATF Recommendations The forty international standards that define the minimum anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing requirements for all jurisdictions.

FATF Travel Rule for Crypto Explained How the FATF Travel Rule requires crypto platforms to share sender and recipient information on transfers above a threshold, and the compliance challenges.

FCA Authorisation Process for UK Financial Firms FCA authorisation process in the UK requires firms to demonstrate threshold conditions, submit detailed regulatory business plans, and undergo period-of-time assessment before approval.

FDIC Insurance Limits by Account Type How the $250,000 FDIC insurance limit applies separately to different account ownership categories, so depositors know exactly how much is protected.

FDIC Regulator Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation that insures bank deposits and regulates member institutions to prevent insolvency.

FDIC vs NCUA Deposit Insurance: Key Differences FDIC vs NCUA deposit insurance difference: coverage limits, account types, institution failures, and which depositors are protected.

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation The FDIC insures bank deposits up to $250,000 per account. It also supervises insured banks and acts as receiver when a bank fails, selling assets and paying off creditors.

Federal Housing Finance Agency US regulator and conservator of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Home Loan Banks—critical to the mortgage market's plumbing.

Federal Reserve Regulation The Federal Reserve has the authority to set monetary policy and to regulate banks that are members of the Federal Reserve system. It issues regulations that govern bank reserves, lending, and risk management.

Federal Reserve Supervision Federal Reserve supervision is the examination and oversight of state-chartered banks and all bank holding companies to ensure they are safe and sound and comply with laws.

Fiduciary Duty Fiduciary duty is the legal obligation of a fiduciary (investment adviser, trustee, attorney) to act in the best interest of the beneficiary, putting beneficiary interests before their own.

Financial Action Task Force International body setting anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing standards.

Financial Conduct Authority UK's independent regulator overseeing financial conduct rules, market behavior, and firm compliance.

Financial Crimes Enforcement Network The US Treasury bureau that administers the Bank Secrecy Act, collects financial intelligence, and issues anti-money-laundering rule-making for financial institutions.

Financial Stability Board The international body established by the G20 that coordinates financial regulation across countries and identifies systemically important institutions.

Financial Stability Oversight Council FSOC is an interagency council chaired by the Treasury Secretary that monitors systemic financial risks and coordinates regulation. It has the power to designate non-bank financial institutions as systemically important.

Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) Explained How FSOC coordinates among U.S. regulators, designates non-bank financial institutions as systemically important, and addresses systemic financial risk.

FinCEN Reporting Mandatory reporting by financial institutions to the US Financial Crimes Enforcement Network; core pillar of AML/KYC compliance.

FINRA FINRA is a self-regulatory organisation that oversees stock brokers and dealers in the United States. It sets conduct rules, arbitrates customer disputes, and conducts exams of member firms.

FINRA 5% Markup Policy FINRA rule capping broker-dealer markups and markdowns at roughly 5% of prevailing market price, with factors determining fairness in practice.

FINRA Arbitration: How It Works for Investor Disputes Understand how FINRA arbitration resolves investor disputes with brokers—from filing through hearing and award—and why it differs from court litigation.