AML, FINTRAC & screening guides
Plain-English guides on FINTRAC and PCMLTFA compliance, sanctions, PEP and adverse media screening, KYB and the Travel Rule, written for Canadian fintechs, MSBs, PSPs and crypto VASPs.
Insight & Analysis
Analysis on regulatory change, enforcement trends and how screening technique actually works.
What is AML screening? The complete guide
The full discipline in one place: what AML screening is, the four screening types, name, entity and payment screening, the data layer, false positives, and the governance an examiner expects.
InsightSanctions lists explained: OFAC, EU, UN, UK & more
The major sanctions regimes explained: who issues OFAC, UN, EU, UK, Canada and Australia sanctions, what each covers, how they differ, and why the 50% Rule means named entries are only the start.
InsightWhat is entity resolution in AML screening?
The core technique behind fewer false positives: what entity resolution is, how it differs from fuzzy matching, and how it applies the 50% Rule.
InsightWhat is adverse media screening?
What adverse media screening is, why open-web negative news is so noisy, how relevance filtering works, and where it fits alongside sanctions and PEP screening.
InsightPEP screening explained: tiers, RCA & HIO
What PEP screening is, how tiering works, who counts as a relative or close associate, and the enhanced due diligence a PEP match triggers.
InsightTransaction monitoring vs AML screening
Monitoring watches behaviour over time; screening checks who a party is against lists. What each does, how they differ, and why you need both.
InsightAML screening requirements by region
How AML screening obligations work across the US, EU, UK, Canada and beyond on the shared FATF standard, for firms operating across borders.
InsightAML screening false positives: causes & fixes
Why the vast majority of AML screening alerts are false positives, what that noise costs a compliance program, and how entity resolution cuts it without dropping true risk.
InsightSanctions screening vs. PEP screening
Sanctions screening is a prohibition check, PEP screening is a risk-tiering check. What each actually checks, where they overlap, and how they run together in practice.
InsightAI governance framework for AML compliance
How to build an AI governance framework for AML and financial-crime compliance in Canada: the components, the build, and what a FINTRAC examiner will assess.
InsightAI model risk management for AML in Canada
How model risk management applies to AI in AML compliance in Canada, what OSFI's Guideline E-23 expects, and how non-bank reporting entities adopt the discipline.
InsightQuebec's AMF AI Guideline explained
What Quebec's AMF Guideline on the use of artificial intelligence requires, who it covers, when it takes effect, and what it signals for AI governance in Canadian financial services.
InsightExplainable AI in AML compliance
What explainable AI means in AML compliance, why a confidence score is not an explanation, and what an examiner needs to see behind an automated decision.
InsightAI governance for FINTRAC compliance in Canada
Canada's AI strategy is reshaping expectations for AI in AML. Why FINTRAC-regulated firms need AI governance now, and the framework to build it.
InsightPassive liveness detection explained
What passive liveness detection is, how it differs from active liveness, how it stops presentation and injection attacks, and why it matters for remote onboarding.
InsightSynthetic identity fraud in Canada
What synthetic identity fraud is, why generative AI made it cheap and scalable, where Canadian lenders and fintechs are exposed, and the controls that stop it.
InsightWill FINTRAC embrace AI in AML?
Is FINTRAC becoming more open to AI in AML, and is that good news for regulated entities? A balanced read on Canada's AI strategy and the effectiveness standard.
InsightPCMLTFA changes for newly captured industries
A long explainer on how recent PCMLTFA amendments brought title insurers, mortgage companies, and cheque cashing and factoring firms into FINTRAC's reporting tent.
InsightHow AI will transform AML compliance in Canada
Where AI is changing Canadian AML compliance today, what Bill C-12 requires of automated programs, and how regulated firms should adopt AI responsibly.
InsightBill C-12 FINTRAC compliance guide (2026)
Bill C-12 raised FINTRAC's standard to reasonably designed, risk-based and effective, and lifted AMP ceilings roughly 40x. Here is what your firm has to do.
InsightFINTRAC enforcement crisis facing Canadian MSBs
Three years of FINTRAC enforcement data expose a sector under extraordinary scrutiny, and Bill C-12 has raised the stakes. What MSB officers must know.
InsightFINTRAC's enforcement surge, 2024 to 2026
Administrative monetary penalties have accelerated sharply since 2024. What the pattern reveals about regulator priorities, and where lean teams are exposed.
InsightMarch 2026 FINTRAC AMP increase explained
March 2026 brought a substantial increase in administrative monetary penalty ceilings. What changed, why it matters, and how to gauge your firm's exposure.
InsightPCMLTFA amendments and what they change
Recent PCMLTFA amendments expand obligations for MSBs, PSPs, and crypto firms. A practical breakdown of what is new and what your program needs to absorb.
Industry Primers
Practical, sector-specific guides and how-to playbooks for building and running a compliance program.
AML screening for crypto exchanges & VASPs
Screening at crypto speed: sanctioned wallet exposure, travel-rule counterparty screening, unhosted-wallet risk, and screening without throttling throughput.
PrimerAML screening for banks at scale
Why large books over-generate alerts, what legacy screening-configuration debt is, and how entity resolution reduces alert volume at bank scale.
PrimerHow often to run AML screening
What drives AML screening frequency, why onboarding screening is only the start, and how to set a risk-based, ongoing monitoring cadence that holds up under examination.
PrimerAML risk assessment Canada: guide and checklist
A step-by-step guide and checklist for the AML risk assessment FINTRAC requires: the factors to score, how to mitigate high risk, and how to keep it current.
PrimerAge verification for online gaming in Canada
How regulated Canadian iGaming operators verify age and identity at registration without killing conversion, and meet FINTRAC casino-sector obligations in one flow.
PrimerAML & KYC glossary for Canada
Plain-English definitions of the AML, KYC, and identity verification terms that matter in Canada: CAMLO, PEP, liveness, KYB, STR, Travel Rule, beneficial ownership, and more.
PrimerBusiness verification (KYB) in Canada
Know Your Business verification for Canadian regulated firms: entity verification, beneficial ownership, and screening, with the material discrepancy check FINTRAC expects.
PrimerFINTRAC identity verification methods (2026)
The methods FINTRAC accepts to verify identity in Canada: the government-issued photo ID, credit file, and dual-process methods, plus how AI verification fits.
PrimerDeepfake detection in KYC (2026 Canada guide)
How deepfakes bypass KYC at onboarding, how detection works (liveness, injection, face-swap analysis), and what Canadian regulated firms must do under FINTRAC.
PrimerBeneficial Ownership Material Discrepancy Report
What the Beneficial Ownership Material Discrepancy Report obligation under the PCMLTFA is, when it triggers, what counts as material, and how to report it.
PrimerRetail Payment Activities Act (RPAA) explainer
A practitioner's explainer of Canada's Retail Payment Activities Act: who must register, the five core obligations, and how it sits next to the PCMLTFA.
PrimerMSB compliance primer: AML & sanctions in Canada
A Canadian MSB compliance primer: FINTRAC registration, the five PCMLTFA pillars, reporting (STR, LCTR, EFTR), sanctions screening, and the MSB tech stack.
PrimerPSP compliance primer: AML & sanctions in Canada
A Canadian PSP compliance primer: RPAA registration, PCMLTFA obligations, the five pillars, reporting, sanctions screening, and the PSP technology stack.
PrimerVASP compliance primer for Canadian crypto firms
A Canadian VASP compliance primer: FINTRAC MSB registration, the Travel Rule, LVCTR reporting, blockchain analytics, wallet screening, and the tech stack.
PrimerAML compliance primers: MSB, PSP, VASP (Canada)
Three Canadian AML and sanctions compliance primers (MSB, PSP, VASP): the PCMLTFA framework, the five pillars, reporting, screening, and the tech stack.
PrimerFINTRAC Travel Rule requirements in Canada (2026)
The Travel Rule under FINTRAC: who is covered, the originator and beneficiary data that must flow, EFT and virtual currency thresholds, and how to comply.
PrimerAudit-ready compliance program for FINTRAC exams
Examinations don't reward effort, they reward evidence. A practical playbook for documentation, workpapers, and habits that survive FINTRAC scrutiny.
PrimerCrypto Travel Rule mistakes for Canadian VASPs
Canadian crypto firms face overlapping registration, Travel Rule, and virtual currency reporting duties. The common failure modes, and how to fix them.
Technology Guide
Software and vendor comparisons: what to evaluate, what things cost, and how to buy.
Best AML compliance software for fintechs (2026)
Eight platforms ranked for fintechs: screening specialists, watchlist data, verification suites, orchestration and monitoring engines, compared on false positives, coverage and integration speed.
Tech guideHow to integrate AML screening via API
How a screening API works: the request and response, onboarding versus payment integration, ongoing monitoring, and keeping the audit trail in sync.
Tech guideHow much does AML screening software cost?
What drives the price: pricing models, the hidden cost of false positives, software-only versus software-plus-service, and how to compare total cost of ownership.
Tech guideAML compliance software in Canada: buyer's guide
What AML compliance software is, what a Canadian regulated firm should evaluate, software versus software plus services, and how to choose for FINTRAC.
Tech guideDocument verification software in Canada
How document verification software works for Canadian regulated firms: OCR, MRZ parsing, tamper detection and selfie cross-checks, and how to evaluate it under FINTRAC.
Tech guideSanctions & PEP screening software in Canada
PEP, sanctions, and adverse-media screening software for Canadian regulated firms: real-time and ongoing screening with recorded dispositions.
Tech guideIdentity verification software for Canada
How AI identity verification software works for Canadian regulated firms: passive liveness, deepfake detection, document OCR, and how to evaluate it under FINTRAC.
Tech guideCompliance-as-a-Service for Canadian MSBs & PSPs
Compliance-as-a-Service bundles AML software with a Canadian practitioner bench on one annual cost. What CaaS is, who it suits, and why lean firms choose it.
Put these guides into practice.
See our platform screen a live customer against global sanctions, PEP and adverse media data. Book a demo with our team.