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In this episode, David Schwartz, President & CEO of FIBA, is joined by Kenneth A. Blanco, former Director of FinCEN and Managing Partner at Arktouros PLLC, to examine a financial regulatory landscape undergoing significant change.
Executive orders, notices of proposed rulemaking and new guidance intended to relieve regulatory burdens have been met with evolving interpretations and court rulings—from lower courts to the Supreme Court—creating new questions for financial institutions. Against this backdrop, the episode examines what these changes really mean, where regulation may be headed, and how financial institutions should approach compliance during a period of uncertainty.
Drawing on Blanco’s extensive experience in financial crime enforcement and compliance—including serving as Deputy Assistant Attorney General and Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Criminal Division at the U.S. Department of Justice, where his responsibilities encompassed nationwide and international extraterritorial matters, as well as Director of FinCEN and a bank compliance and financial crimes executive—the episode explores the shift that began with the January 2025 “Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation” executive order and its emphasis on reducing regulatory burden, encouraging economic growth and innovation, strengthening U.S. competitiveness, and protecting national security.
Key Topics Include:- The impact of deregulation efforts on financial institutions and the broader compliance landscape
- Balancing reduced regulatory burden with national security and financial-crime prevention
- Proposed changes to AML/CFT programs and the need for greater regulatory clarity and consistency
- The evolving role of FinCEN and concerns surrounding resources and implementation
- Drug trafficking, cartels and Foreign Terrorist Organization designations as financial-crime priorities
- Why fraud is becoming an increasingly important component of financial-crime programs
- Correspondent banking and the growing importance of understanding the controls of foreign financial institution partners
- Board and senior management accountability for AML/BSA programs
- Cryptocurrency, digital banking and balancing innovation with effective risk management
Stay tuned for more insights from FIBA’s FORCE – FIBA on Risk and Compliance Excellence podcast as regulatory developments continue to reshape the financial services industry.
