INTRODUCTION
This Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) Bank Secrecy Act
(BSA)/Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Examination Manual provides guidance to
examiners for carrying out BSA/AML and Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)
examinations. An effective BSA/AML compliance program requires sound risk
management; therefore, the manual also provides guidance on identifying and controlling
risks associated with money laundering and terrorist financing. The manual contains an
overview of BSA/AML compliance program requirements, BSA/AML risks and risk
management expectations, industry sound practices, and examination procedures. The
development of this manual was a collaborative effort of the federal and state banking
agencies1
and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), a bureau of the U.S.
Department of the Treasury, to ensure consistency in the application of the BSA/AML
requirements. In addition, OFAC assisted in the development of the sections of the
manual that relate to OFAC reviews. Refer to Appendices A (“BSA Laws and
Regulations”), B (“BSA/AML Directives”), and C (“BSA/AML References”) for
guidance