The “projected total cost of financial crime compliance across all financial institutions reached $213.9 billion in 2021, surpassing the $180.9 billion recorded in 2020.” That projection is from the “True Cost of Financial Crime Compliance Global Report,” a white paper from LexisNexis Risk Solutions. Not surprisingly, the white paper also concludes that the “majority of… Read More >>
LJM Disputes Fraud Charges from SEC & CFTC
The Securities & Exchange Commission has filed a civil action against two related investment advisories and two portfolio managers. The commission alleges that LJM Funds Management Ltd. and LJM Partners Ltd. “fraudulently misled investors and the board of directors of a fund they advised about LJM’s risk management practices and the level of risk in… Read More >>
Senate Bill Could Help Save CFTC’s Whistleblower Program
The U.S. Senate has taken the first step in a rescue of a whistleblower program for the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) via a bill that got unanimous bipartisan support and may lead to new funding for a program running out of money. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), who proposed the bill, says that if it… Read More >>
Firm Fined for Alleged Regulation SHO Violations
FINRA, the financial industry’s self-regulatory authority, has charged Wolverine Execution Services with “inaccurately marking sell orders as long rather than short in 18,756 instances.” The firm, based in Chicago, also failed to “document compliance with the locate requirement in 556,388 instances during February 2018,” according to FINRA. Wolverine Execution Services, a subsidiary of Wolverine Trading,… Read More >>
Should the SEC Become a Crypto Cop?
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) may be taking on more oversight of the cryptocurrency trading world as there are many troubling regulatory gaps, says SEC Chair Gary Gensler in testimony May 26 before the subcommittee on financial services and general government, which is part of the U.S. House Appropriations Committee. In testimony that covered… Read More >>
CFTC Penalizes Firm $500K via Wash Sales Case
SummerHaven Investment Management, a firm that acts as a commodity trading advisor (CTA) and commodity pool operator (CPO), has been penalized $500,000 by the CFTC on charges that it engaged in wash sales and other non-competitive transactions. The firm has also been charged with falling short in supervising these activities, according to the CFTC. The… Read More >>
CEO Says PE Acquisition Gives Fenergo ‘Unicorn Status’
Fenergo achieved “unicorn status,” says Marc Murphy, president and CEO of the KYC and client management software solutions vendor, because it’s been acquired by private equity firms Astorg and Bridgepoint via a definitive agreement they signed with venture capitalist firm Insight Partners, which owned the Dublin-based provider. Several media outlets have reported a wide range… Read More >>
SIFMA, ICI and DTCC Launch T+1 Outreach
The Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA), the Investment Company Institute (ICI), and The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) are reaching out to financial services firms to gather more information for a new push to shorten the U.S. securities settlement cycle from T+2 to T+1, and they are aiming to complete their information… Read More >>
ABN AMRO Pays $575M to Settle AML Case
ABN AMRO Bank NV is paying approximately $575 million, which includes a fine and disgorgement, to the Netherlands government to resolve charges that the Dutch banking giant violated anti-money laundering (AML) and counter terrorism financing laws. The bank has accepted an offer from the Netherlands Public Prosecution Service (NPPS) in a case that encompasses violations… Read More >>
A.I. Is On the Regulators’ Radar
Almost all facets of securities operations are investigating or even embracing cutting-edge technologies, particularly the extensions of artificial intelligence (A.I.) such as machine learning, natural language processing (NLP), and deep learning. Many firms are also exploring how robotic process automation (RPA) may make their lives easier. But, as these advanced technologies become more prevalent, the… Read More >>
