Compliance, explained the way a friendly colleague would.

Guides, the latest regulator news, and free tools for everyday compliance work.

Start hereExplore tools

Featured guides

What is KYC?

How banks confirm who their customer really is, in plain words.

What is AML, and how does it connect to KYC?

How criminals hide money, and how banks stop them.

CDD vs EDD: when to go deeper

The standard check for everyone and the deeper check for higher risk.

UBO: how to identify the real owner

Trace through the layers until you reach an actual person.

Latest tool

Live

Sanctions Checker

Check a name against the UK, US, UN and EU sanctions lists, for free.

See all tools

Latest news

See all news

Guides

Plain-language guides on everything compliance.

✦ Free to read

Latest news

Fines, law changes and other compliance news from regulators and trusted sources worldwide.

● Updated daily

These are sample headlines. News from anywhere in the world appears under All, and under a country tab when it matches. Once the site is online, the feed refreshes by itself every day.

Tools

Free automations I have built, and the ones coming next. Personal projects, for learning and testing only.

✦ Free to use
Live
Live

Company Search

Search UK company records from Companies House, the FCA Register and the Charity Commission, and download the results.

Open tool
Live

Sanctions Checker

Check a name against the UK, US, UN and EU sanctions lists, with spelling variants and a CSV download.

Open tool
Coming soon
RE
Planned
UB
AD

Regulators and watchdogs

Who sets the rules and who enforces them, worldwide and country by country.

✦ Links to official websites
Global bodies

FATF – Financial Action Task Force

Sets the global standards against money laundering and terrorist financing, and checks how well each country follows them.

Visit website ↗

Egmont Group – Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units

A worldwide network of national financial intelligence units that share information to fight money laundering and terrorist financing.

Visit website ↗

Basel Committee – Basel Committee on Banking Supervision

Sets global standards for how banks are supervised, including how they manage money laundering risk.

Visit website ↗

UNODC – United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

The UN office that fights drugs, organised crime, corruption and money laundering, and helps countries build their own defences.

Visit website ↗

OECD – Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

An international organisation of mostly developed countries. It sets standards on tax transparency, anti-bribery and corporate governance, which support the fight against financial crime.

Visit website ↗

UNSC – United Nations Security Council

The UN body that can impose sanctions every member country must follow, and that keeps the UN sanctions lists, including those on terrorism.

Visit website ↗

Wolfsberg – Wolfsberg Group

An association of large global banks. It is not a regulator, but publishes widely used industry guidance on KYC, anti-money laundering and sanctions.

Visit website ↗
By country

USA

FinCEN – Financial Crimes Enforcement Network

A bureau of the US Treasury. It makes anti-money laundering rules, collects suspicious activity reports and acts as the country's financial intelligence unit.

Visit website ↗

OFAC – Office of Foreign Assets Control

A US Treasury office that runs and enforces US sanctions on countries, companies and individuals, and keeps the sanctions lists.

Visit website ↗

SEC – Securities and Exchange Commission

Regulates the US securities markets, including brokers, investment advisers and funds, to protect investors.

Visit website ↗

Federal Reserve – Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System

The US central bank. It supervises bank holding companies and state member banks, including their anti-money laundering controls.

Visit website ↗

OCC – Office of the Comptroller of the Currency

A US Treasury bureau that charters and supervises national banks and federal savings associations.

Visit website ↗

FINRA – Financial Industry Regulatory Authority

A self-regulatory body that oversees US broker-dealers and enforces rules, including anti-money laundering programmes.

Visit website ↗

UK

FCA – Financial Conduct Authority

Regulates financial firms and markets in the UK, and checks that firms have proper controls against financial crime.

Visit website ↗

OFSI – Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation

Part of HM Treasury. It puts UK financial sanctions into practice and takes action when firms break them.

Visit website ↗

NCA – National Crime Agency

Leads the UK fight against serious and organised crime. It also hosts the UK financial intelligence unit that receives suspicious activity reports.

Visit website ↗

UK FIU – UK Financial Intelligence Unit

Part of the National Crime Agency. It receives and analyses suspicious activity reports from firms.

Visit website ↗

UK Sanctions List

The official single list of people and organisations the UK has sanctioned, published by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Firms must screen against it.

Visit website ↗

India

RBI – Reserve Bank of India

The central bank. It regulates banks, non-bank lenders and payment systems, and sets the KYC and anti-money laundering rules they follow.

Visit website ↗

SEBI – Securities and Exchange Board of India

Regulates the securities market, including stock brokers, mutual funds and listed companies, to protect investors.

Visit website ↗

FIU-IND – Financial Intelligence Unit - India

Receives and analyses suspicious transaction reports and cash transaction reports, and shares findings with investigating agencies.

Visit website ↗

MHA – Ministry of Home Affairs (UAPA)

Under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), it declares individuals and organisations as terrorists and keeps the related lists that firms must screen against.

Visit website ↗

UAE

CBUAE – Central Bank of the UAE

Licenses and supervises banks, exchange houses and insurers, and sets the anti-money laundering rules they must follow.

Visit website ↗

DFSA – Dubai Financial Services Authority

The independent regulator of financial services in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC).

Visit website ↗

FSRA – Financial Services Regulatory Authority

The regulator of financial services in Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM).

Visit website ↗

SCA – Securities and Commodities Authority

The federal regulator of securities and commodities markets, brokers and investment firms in the UAE.

Visit website ↗

MoET – Ministry of Economy and Tourism

Supervises non-financial businesses such as real estate brokers, dealers in precious metals and stones, and corporate service providers for anti-money laundering.

Visit website ↗

UAE FIU – UAE Financial Intelligence Unit

Receives and analyses suspicious transaction reports from firms and shares findings with investigating authorities.

Visit website ↗

UAE Local Terrorist List

The list of individuals and groups the UAE itself designates as terrorists. Firms must screen against it and freeze the funds of anyone listed.

Visit website ↗

Singapore

MAS – Monetary Authority of Singapore

The central bank and single financial regulator. It supervises banks, insurers and capital markets, and sets anti-money laundering rules.

Visit website ↗

SGX RegCo – Singapore Exchange Regulation

The independent regulatory arm of Singapore Exchange. It supervises listed companies and exchange members.

Visit website ↗

STRO – Suspicious Transaction Reporting Office

Singapore's financial intelligence unit, part of the Singapore Police Force. It receives and analyses suspicious transaction reports.

Visit website ↗

Qatar

QCB – Qatar Central Bank

Regulates banks and other financial institutions in Qatar, including their anti-money laundering duties.

Visit website ↗

QFCRA – Qatar Financial Centre Regulatory Authority

Regulates the firms that operate inside the Qatar Financial Centre.

Visit website ↗

QFIU – Qatar Financial Information Unit

Qatar's financial intelligence unit. It receives and analyses suspicious transaction reports.

Visit website ↗

Qatar National Terrorist List

The list of individuals and entities Qatar designates as terrorists under its own counter-terrorism rules. Firms must screen against it.

Visit website ↗

KSA

SAMA – Saudi Central Bank (formerly Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority)

The central bank. It supervises banks, finance companies and insurers, and sets rules to prevent financial crime.

Visit website ↗

CMA – Capital Market Authority

Regulates the Saudi capital market, including listed companies, brokers and investment funds.

Visit website ↗

SAFIU – Saudi Arabia Financial Intelligence Unit

Saudi Arabia's financial intelligence unit. It receives and analyses suspicious transaction reports.

Visit website ↗

Saudi Local Terrorist List

The national terrorism list kept by the Permanent Committee for Counter-Terrorism. Firms must screen against it and freeze the funds of anyone listed.

Visit website ↗

China

PBOC – People's Bank of China

The central bank. It also leads the country's work against money laundering.

Visit website ↗

NFRA – National Financial Regulatory Administration

Supervises banks, insurers and other financial institutions in China.

Visit website ↗

CAMLMAC – China Anti-Money Laundering Monitoring and Analysis Center

China's financial intelligence unit, under the People's Bank of China. It collects and analyses large-value and suspicious transaction reports.

Visit website ↗

Japan

JFSA – Financial Services Agency

Supervises banks, insurers and securities firms, and sets their compliance rules.

Visit website ↗

BOJ – Bank of Japan

Japan's central bank. It runs monetary policy, keeps the financial system stable and examines the banks that hold accounts with it.

Visit website ↗

JAFIC – Japan Financial Intelligence Center

Japan's financial intelligence unit, within the National Police Agency. It receives suspicious transaction reports.

Visit website ↗

MOF – Ministry of Finance

Japan's finance ministry. It carries out asset freezes and other economic sanctions under foreign exchange law.

Visit website ↗

Germany

BaFin – Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht)

Supervises banks, insurers and securities firms, including their money laundering controls.

Visit website ↗

FIU Germany – Financial Intelligence Unit

Part of German Customs. It receives and analyses suspicious activity reports from firms.

Visit website ↗

EU Consolidated Financial Sanctions List

The European Commission's list of people and organisations under EU financial sanctions. It applies in every EU country, including Germany.

Visit website ↗

France

ACPR – Autorité de contrôle prudentiel et de résolution (Prudential Supervision and Resolution Authority)

Supervises banks and insurers, including how well they follow anti-money laundering rules.

Visit website ↗

AMF – Autorité des marchés financiers (Financial Markets Authority)

Regulates French financial markets, listed companies and investment firms.

Visit website ↗

TRACFIN – Traitement du renseignement et action contre les circuits financiers clandestins

France's financial intelligence unit, under the Ministry of Economy and Finance. It receives and analyses suspicious transaction reports.

Visit website ↗

EU Sanctions

Sanctions decided by the Council of the European Union. They are binding in France and every other EU country.

Visit website ↗

Canada

FINTRAC – Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada

Receives suspicious transaction reports and supervises businesses on money laundering rules.

Visit website ↗

OSFI – Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions

The federal regulator of banks, insurers and pension plans in Canada.

Visit website ↗

BOC – Bank of Canada

Canada's central bank. It runs monetary policy and works to keep the financial system stable.

Visit website ↗

GAC – Global Affairs Canada (sanctions)

Runs Canada's sanctions rules. Firms must screen against the lists it publishes.

Visit website ↗

Australia

AUSTRAC – Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre

Australia's anti-money laundering regulator and financial intelligence unit.

Visit website ↗

APRA – Australian Prudential Regulation Authority

Supervises banks, insurers and pension funds to keep them financially safe.

Visit website ↗

ASIC – Australian Securities and Investments Commission

Regulates companies, financial markets and financial services firms in Australia.

Visit website ↗

ASO – Australian Sanctions Office

Part of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. It runs and enforces Australia's sanctions.

Visit website ↗

Brazil

BCB – Banco Central do Brasil (Central Bank of Brazil)

Supervises banks and payment firms, and enforces financial rules.

Visit website ↗

CVM – Comissão de Valores Mobiliários (Securities Commission of Brazil)

Regulates the Brazilian securities market, including listed companies and investment funds.

Visit website ↗

COAF – Conselho de Controle de Atividades Financeiras (Council for Financial Activities Control)

Brazil's financial intelligence unit. It receives and analyses suspicious transaction reports.

Visit website ↗