AML Conversations

In this week's episode of This Week in AML, John Byrne and Elliot Berman unpack a wide-ranging set of developments shaping the financial crime compliance landscape. They discuss the evolving geopolitical environment, including sanctions activity involving Iran, Russia, and North Korea, and examine new reports highlighting how cryptocurrencies are being used to evade international sanctions.

The conversation also explores the rise and risks of meme coins, recent SEC efforts to combat retail investor fraud, FINRA's independent review of its enforcement program, and the Federal Reserve's proposed AML program rule. John and Elliot further discuss policymakers' growing interest in AI governance, including questions surrounding financial crime prevention, customer identification, and responsible adoption of emerging technologies.

Whether you're focused on AML, sanctions, fraud prevention, regulatory policy, or AI in compliance, this episode delivers timely insights on the trends reshaping financial crime risk management.

In this episode of AML Conversations, host John Byrne sits down with longtime DOJ prosecutor and anti-corruption expert Jonathan Rusch to unpack a rapidly shifting enforcement landscape.

From the scaling back of DOJ anti-corruption resources to the growing use of presidential pardon power in bribery cases, Rusch offers a candid assessment of what these changes signal for accountability in the U.S. and globally. He also breaks down why anti-corruption still matters—highlighting its economic, political, social, and legal impacts—and what happens when those guardrails weaken.

Drawing on his experience at the Justice Department and in the private sector at a major global bank, Rusch shares practical insights for financial institutions navigating today’s environment: balancing deregulation pressures, evolving expectations around “de-banking,” and the enduring realities of laws such as the FCPA.

The conversation closes on a note of cautious optimism—exploring what resilience looks like for compliance professionals, regulators, and institutions committed to maintaining integrity in uncertain times.

In this week's episode of This Week in AML, John Byrne and Elliot Berman examine major developments shaping the financial crime compliance landscape. They discuss newly released presidential financial disclosures, FATF's priorities under new President Giles Thomson, and a new FATF report on terrorist financing risks tied to social media, messaging apps, and streaming platforms.

The conversation also covers the Rome Statement on Art Market Integrity, Binance's licensing challenges under the EU's MiCA framework, FinCEN and FBI actions targeting cartel-linked fuel theft and human smuggling networks, and the UK's evolving crypto asset regulatory regime.

Additional topics include Europol's latest assessment of organized crime networks, the SEC's enforcement action against Merrill Lynch for SAR reporting failures, and the potential business and regulatory implications of a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision affecting independent federal agencies. The episode concludes with a preview of upcoming AML RightSource content, including a discussion on AI and financial compliance.

In this episode of This Week in AML, Elliot Berman and John Byrne break down key developments from the latest FATF plenary—highlighting a growing global emphasis on fraud, stronger public-private collaboration, and updated guidance on payment transparency and targeted sanctions.

They also explore the Wolfsberg Group’s refreshed framework for a truly effective risk-based approach, centered on proportionality, prioritization, and outcomes—not just compliance for compliance’s sake.

Back in the U.S., the conversation turns to the evolving regulatory landscape around stablecoins, including new proposed rules extending KYC and CIP requirements—and concerns about whether they go far enough to address illicit finance risks.

It’s a wide-ranging discussion that reinforces a central theme: effectiveness—not just effort—is becoming the defining standard in AML.

This week on This Week in AML, Elliot Berman and John Byrne unpack major developments shaping the financial crime landscape. They discuss FinCEN’s guidance expanding Section 314(b) information-sharing to include fraud and what it means for financial institutions. The conversation also covers new CFPB guidance on lending and immigration-related risks, increased IRS scrutiny of nonprofits, and enforcement actions from the UK and New Zealand.

Plus, they explore growing concerns about the future of U.S. anti-financial crime leadership, the challenges of beneficial ownership transparency, and ongoing investigations tied to high-profile cases.

In this episode of Third Party Risk Perspectives, host Elliot Berman sits down with Christopher Sindik of Blue Umbrella to explore what clients are truly looking for in today’s third-party risk management and due diligence landscape.

From the growing demand for scalable technology platforms to increased reliance on ongoing monitoring and managed services, organizations are rethinking how they build and maintain effective compliance programs—often while being asked to do more with fewer resources. The conversation also highlights the rising importance of speed, with a notable increase in expedited due diligence requests as companies look to move faster without sacrificing risk oversight.

Tune in for practical insights into how customer expectations are shifting—and what that means for building more efficient, responsive, and resilient risk management programs.

This week on This Week in AML, Elliot Berman and John Byrne break down a wide range of developments shaping the financial crime landscape. They unpack a new joint advisory from FinCEN and federal banking agencies targeting risks tied to unauthorized labor and its implications for banks. The conversation then turns to escalating concerns about “debanking,” including controversy over blocked charitable donations and its implications for access to the financial system.

The episode also dives into a congressional hearing on Chinese money laundering networks and how evolving typologies are challenging traditional approaches to tracking money. Plus, insights on prediction markets and potential manipulation, fraud trends tied to social media platforms, EU sanctions targeting crypto, and progress in combating antiquities trafficking.

In this episode of This Week in AML, John Byrne and Elliot Berman break down key developments shaping the financial crime and compliance landscape. The conversation opens with reflections on Federal Reserve independence following Chair Jerome Powell’s recent remarks, before turning to U.S. policy updates and bipartisan actions with implications for governance and oversight.

The discussion then shifts to practical compliance takeaways, including OFAC’s newly released sanctions overview and a $1 million settlement highlighting how sanctions risks can arise through indirect client relationships. Internationally, the hosts examine Finland’s national money‑laundering risk assessment, the evolving EU transparency rules on beneficial ownership, and growing concerns about human trafficking linked to major global sporting events.

The episode also explores ongoing investigations into fintech and payments firms, emerging risks in cross‑border money movement, and a new Basel working paper on stablecoin liquidity and regulation.

In this episode of AML Conversations, John Byrne is joined by Sarah Beth Felix, author of Dirty Money Weekly, for an in-depth discussion on the biggest developments impacting financial crime compliance professionals. From recent OCC and FDIC consent orders to evolving executive orders shaping fintech and AML regulation, Sarah shares sharp, practical insights drawn from the front lines.

The conversation highlights why “a clean audit is not a good audit,” the risks hidden in fintech-bank partnerships, and how even small institutions can fall into critical compliance gaps. Sarah also breaks down the real-world challenges posed by new policy directives—and why many may be harder to implement than they appear.

The episode closes with a must-hear reminder for AML teams: focus on what truly matters—identifying and reporting suspicious activity that law enforcement can actually use. If you’re not getting feedback on your SARs, it may be time to take a closer look at your program.

In this episode of Third Party Risk Perspectives, Elliot Berman is joined by Christopher Sindik of Blue Umbrella to break down the latest trends shaping due diligence and third-party risk management in 2026. Drawing on real client data and global insights, they explore how shifting supply chains are driving a 15% migration in due diligence activity across regions, particularly toward India and Latin America.

They also discuss the growing demand for deeper investigative methods, including reputational inquiries and on-the-ground site visits, which have seen a notable rise as organizations seek to validate what can’t always be uncovered through desktop research alone.

Finally, the conversation dives into the growing importance of identifying ultimate beneficial ownership (UBO), as organizations go beyond surface-level ownership to uncover hidden risks amid evolving global regulations.

Whether you're navigating new markets or strengthening your compliance framework, this episode offers practical insights to help you stay ahead of emerging third-party risks.