Question

Difficulty: MediumAnti-Money Laundering (AML), KYC, and Sanctions Compliance

A compliance officer is conducting an anti-money laundering (AML) training session for newly registered representatives at a FINRA member broker-dealer. Which of the following statements accurately describe federal regulatory obligations regarding Customer Identification Program (CIP), Currency Transaction Reports (CTRs), or Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs)?

  1. A Currency Transaction Report (CTR) must be filed with FinCEN within 15 calendar days for aggregate physical cash deposits or withdrawals exceeding $10,000 in a single business day.Answer
  2. Under Customer Identification Program (CIP) requirements, a broker-dealer must verify a customer's identity using documentary or non-documentary methods within a reasonable time before or after account opening.Answer
  3. C
    A Suspicious Activity Report (SAR) must be filed within 15 calendar days whenever a customer conducts a routine securities trade using cash equivalents exceeding $10,000.
  4. D
    A registered representative may notify a long-standing client that a Suspicious Activity Report (SAR) was filed if the client formally demands an explanation for an account restriction.

Answer

The correct statements are the requirement to file a CTR for aggregate physical cash transactions exceeding $10,000 within 15 calendar days and the obligation under CIP rules to verify customer identity within a reasonable timeframe surrounding account creation.
The correct choices accurately state that CTR filings are required for aggregate cash transactions exceeding $10,000 within 15 calendar days, and that CIP rules require broker-dealers to verify customer identity within a reasonable timeframe around account opening.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze Currency Transaction Report (CTR) rules and parameters.
CTRs apply to physical cash transactions exceeding $10,000 in a single business day and must be filed with FinCEN within 15 calendar days.
FinCEN regulations mandate currency reporting to track large cash movements across financial institutions.
2
Analyze Customer Identification Program (CIP) identity verification obligations.
Broker-dealers are required to collect mandatory customer information (name, DOB, physical address, TIN) and verify identity within a reasonable period before or after account opening.
USA PATRIOT Act Section 326 mandates identity verification to prevent illegal account access and impersonation.
3
Evaluate and eliminate incorrect statements regarding SAR thresholds and confidentiality.
Statements conflating CTR cash rules with SAR requirements ($5,000+ threshold, 30-day filing window) or asserting that clients may be informed of SAR filings are false.
SAR filings are strictly confidential by federal statute, and filing parameters differ significantly from cash CTR rules.

Key Concept

Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Compliance: CIP, CTR, and SAR Requirements
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