Banker's Academy Library

The Banker's Academy Library is an online resource center for Banks, Credit Unions and Money Services Businesses (MSBs) to find vital and current industry information such as regulatory references, forms, articles and other important documents. The industry experts at Banker's Academy continue to add new information every day, so please check back often.

Bank Secrecy Act (BSA)

Aids in detecting illegal activity by tracking certain monetary transactions, including currency transactions over $10,000, beneficiaries and originators of funds transfers over $3,000, and sales of monetary equivalents (money orders, cashier's checks, traveler's checks) between $3,000 and $10,000.

 

Basel II

The second of the Basel Accords, which are recommendations on banking laws and regulations issued by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision. The purpose of Basel II, which was initially published in June 2004, is to create an international standard that banking regulators can use when creating regulations about how much capital banks need to put aside to guard against the types of financial and operational risks banks face.

 

EU Directives - AML

EU directives lay down certain end results that must be achieved in every Member State. National authorities have to adapt their laws to meet these goals, but are free to decide how to do so. Directives may concern one or more Member States, or all of them.

Each directive specifies the date by which the national laws must be adapted - giving national authorities the room for manoeuvre within the deadlines necessary to take account of differing national situations.

Directives are used to bring different national laws into line with each other, and are particularly common in matters affecting the operation of the single market (e.g. product safety standards).

 

FATF - 40 Recommendations

The 40 Recommendations provide a complete set of counter-measures against money laundering (ML) covering the criminal justice system and law enforcement, the financial system and its regulation, and international co-operation.

They have been recognised, endorsed, or adopted by many international bodies. The Recommendations are neither complex nor difficult, nor do they compromise the freedom to engage in legitimate transactions or threaten economic development. They set out the principles for action and allow countries a measure of flexibility in implementing these principles according to their particular circumstances and constitutional frameworks. Though not a binding international convention, many countries in the world have made a political commitment to combat money laundering by implementing the 40 Recommendations.

Initially developed in 1990, the Recommendations were revised for the first time in 1996 to take into account changes in money laundering trends and to anticipate potential future threats. More recently, the FATF has completed a thorough review and update of the 40 Recommendations (2003). The FATF has also elaborated various Interpretative Notes which are designed to clarify the application of specific Recommendations and to provide additional guidance.

 

FATF - 9 Special Recommendations (SR) on Terrorist Financing (TF)

Recognising the vital importance of taking action to combat the financing of terrorism, the FATF has agreed these Recommendations, which, when combined with the FATF 40 Recommendations on money laundering, set out the basic framework to detect, prevent and suppress the financing of terrorism and terrorist acts.

 

Flood Insurance Act of 1968 and Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973

The National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 created the Federal Insurance Administration and made flood insurance available for the first time. The Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973 made the purchase of flood insurance mandatory for the protection of property located in Special Flood Hazard Areas.

 

Flood Insurance Reform Act of 1994

This act resulted in major changes to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The law amended the Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973. It provides tools to make the NFIP more effective in achieving its goals of reducing the risk of flood damage to properties and reducing Federal expenditures for uninsured properties that are damaged by a floods.

 

Lending Acts

Lending Acts were put into place to protect consumers against unfair and deceptive practices and to provide for certain uniform lending standards in the lending arena.