Agencies release Bank Secrecy Act/Anti-Money Laundering Examination Manual.The Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council The Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council, or FFIEC, is a formal interagency body of the United States government empowered to prescribe uniform principles, standards, and report forms for the federal examination of financial institutions by the Board of (FFIEC) released on June 30, 2005, the Bank Secrecy Act/Anti-Money Laundering Examination Manual (FFIEC BSA/AML Examination Manual). The manual's release marks an important step forward in the effort to ensure the consistent application of the BSA to all banking organizations, including commercial banks, savings associations, and credit unions. The FFIEC BSA/AML Examination Manual was developed by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System The managing body of the Federal Reserve System, which sets policies on bank practices and the money supply. (Board), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), an independent U.S. federal executive agency designed to promote public confidence in banks and to provide insurance coverage for bank deposits up to $100,000. (FDIC), the National Credit Union Administration The National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) is responsible for chartering, insuring, supervising, and examining federal credit unions (FCUs) and for administering the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund. (NCUA), the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (or OCC) was established by the National Currency Act of 1863 and serves to charter, regulate, and supervise all national banks and the federal branches and agencies of foreign banks in the United States. (OCC), and the Office of Thrift Supervision The Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS) was established as a bureau of the Treasury Department in August 1989 as part of a major Reorganization Plan of the thrift regulatory structure mandated by the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989 (FIRREA) (12 U.S.C.A. (OTS) (collectively referred to as the federal banking agencies) in collaboration with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network Noun 1. Financial Crimes Enforcement Network - a law enforcement agency of the Treasury Department responsible for establishing and implementing policies to detect money laundering FinCEN (FinCEN), the delegated administrator of the BSA. In addition, through the Conference of State Bank Supervisors, the state banking agencies played a consultative role. The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) collaborated on the development of core overview and examination procedures addressing compliance with regulations enforced by OFAC. The FFIEC BSA/AML Examination Manual emphasizes a banking organization's responsibility to establish and implement risk-based policies, procedures, and processes to comply with the BSA and safeguard its operations from money laundering and terrorist financing. The BSA/AML examination procedures will guide examiners through an evaluation of a banking organization's BSA/ AML compliance program regardless of its size or business lines. The majority of the FFIEC BSA/ AML Examination Manual provides narrative guidance and resource materials rather than specific examination procedures. This includes an overview of the BSA requirements and the federal banking agencies' supervisory expectations in this area. The Board, the FDIC, the OCC, the OTS, and FinCEN have planned a series of events to brief the banking industry and field examiners on the FFIEC BSA/AML Examination Manual. These events include nationwide conference calls, regional outreach meetings, and a simulcast via the Internet. Banking organizations are encouraged to participate in these voluntary sessions. |
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