News
HSBC’s Compliance Troubles Point to Big Settlement with Justice Department, Says Consultant
printEven prior to the disclosure last month by HSBC Holdings Plc that it would "likely" be the subject of a formal enforcement action related to anti-money laundering (AML) and other violations, things did not look good for the bank, according to Saskia Rietbroek, a partner with nomoneylaundering.com. By then, the London-based financial institution had already revealed that it was the subject of a federal probe into possible AML, sanctions and tax-related violations. In 2010, the same year that the bank received a cease-and-desist order from the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), lawmakers accused HSBC and other...
TO READ THE FULL STORY
Subscribe
Learn More
Related News
Not long ago, U.S. settlements in the hundreds of millions of dollars for violations of American law by a foreign bank seemed unlikely, if not out of the realm of possibility altogether. Then came the $780 million deferred prosecution agreement with UBS AG in 2009.
The axe may be falling on up to 50,000 positions at HSBC Holdings Plc but at least one department seems sheltered from the cost-cutting measures: the bank's compliance team.
Although headline-grabbing settlements north of $1 billion have become the new normal for depository institutions operating in the United States, how those deals are impacting bank behavior is still unclear, at least for now, according to Brandon Garrett.
London-based HSBC Holdings Plc could find itself paying more to rectify past compliance problems following disclosures this week about the bank's services for clients with criminal ties, according to analysts.
An expected strengthening of data privacy standards in Europe and elsewhere could hinder efforts by multinational banks to share information on suspicious clients with their foreign affiliates, say current and former U.S. officials.
Scrutiny of HSBC Securities Centers on Suspicious Activity Reporting, Transaction Monitoring: Source
Examiners from the nation's top regulators of broker-dealers are investigating whether HSBC Securities USA sufficiently scrutinized and reported suspicious transactions, according to an individual with knowledge of the matter.
Criticism of the U.S. Justice Department's apparent decision to forego indictments of HSBC and its employees misses a larger point: the department probably couldn't have won convictions if it tried, say prosecutors.
Standard Chartered Bank's pending settlement with U.S. authorities for violating sanctions against Iran demonstrates the high-stakes compliance challenge inherent in holding U.S. dollar clearing accounts, say analysts.
In the wake of regulatory crackdowns and multiple criminal probes, financial institutions operating in Mexico are spending millions of dollars to upgrade their anti-money laundering programs, say bank staff.
The New York banking regulator that imposed an unprecedented $340 million penalty on a London-based bank this month is likely to be equally tough on six other foreign banks identified as being the subject of similar investigations, say current and former government officials.
Most news accounts of Tuesday's U.S. Senate inquiry into HSBC Holding Plc's compliance failings led with the bank's anti-money laundering compliance chief's announced resignation before lawmakers. But what he meant, it turns out, is that he is only taking another job inside the bank.
HSBC Holdings Plc's compliance chief will step down from his current role, following allegations that the bank failed to better police the anti-money laundering programs of its subsidiaries and affiliates.
HSBC Holdings Plc will close all of its U.S. accounts in the Cayman Islands after a congressional investigation found that the Caribbean branch functioned solely as a dollar-clearing shell bank.
Poor anti-money laundering controls on affiliates and problematic oversight allowed a global bank to process tens of trillions of dollars with little to no compliance checks, according to a U.S. Senate subcommittee.
Toronto Dominion Bank will pay $170 million to victims of South Florida Ponzi schemer Scott Rothstein, the U.S. has pressured Dubai-based Noor Islamic Bank to stop processing transactions relating to Iran's oil sales, and more, in the midweek roundup.
HSBC Holdings Plc could pay as much as $1 billion for Bank Secrecy Act and U.S. sanctions violations, an amount that would overshadow previous fines for similar infractions, say sources.
The U.S. Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve issued separate enforcement actions Thursday against HSBC North America Holdings Inc. for systemic Bank Secrecy Act compliance violations.
HSBC USA is restructuring its compliance department in the wake of the disclosure last week that the bank is bracing for a potential fine over Bank Secrecy Act and sanctions violations.
The United States is investigating the U.S. operations of New York-based HSBC USA Inc. for potential Bank Secrecy Act and sanctions violations, the bank said in regulatory filings released Tuesday.
A U.S. Justice Department criminal investigation of HSBC Holdings Plc clients suspected of tax evasion may prove easier to prosecute than its case against UBS AG accountholders, say tax attorneys.