Risk Management | Certain Risk

Photo of the Euro sign outside of the European Central Bank on a snowy day

ECB Questions Banks on their AI Risk Exposure

The European Central Bank has stepped up its scrutiny of how exposed euro-area lenders are to the fast-growing artificial intelligence industry, reflecting concerns that banks may be building credit risk in hard-to-track ways and that AI could reshape parts of the financial sector.

A black-and-white view of the Charles Schwab office in Manhattan, with the sign edited to be gold — Attribution (CC BY-SA 4.0): “53rd St 6th Av td 19 - CBS Building.jpg” by Tdorante10, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution–ShareAlike 4.0 International. This version was edited using AI (the “Charles Schwab” sign was recolored to gold; the rest remains black-and-white).

Charles Schwab and the Palace Epstein Tried to Buy Days Before His Arrest

Long after his 2008 conviction for procuring a minor for prostitution and just days before his final arrest in 2019, Jeffrey Epstein had his eyes on a palace in Morocco. He wanted to buy it, but he needed help.

A photo of an old Swedbank building in Knivsta. — The old Swedbank building, Knivsta.jpg Author: Brorsson Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_old_Swedbank_building,_Knivsta.jpg License: CC BY-SA 3.0 — https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ Changes: Cropped from original

Swedbank Faces Fresh Investigation Over AML Controls

Sweden’s Financial Supervisory Authority (FSA) has launched an investigation into whether Swedbank is complying with the country’s anti-money-laundering (AML) rules on customer due diligence.

Fed Governor Bowman participated in a discussion on the view from the Federal Reserve at the Exchequer Club Luncheon in Washington, D.C. on February 21, 2024.

Lawmakers Question Bowman on Fed Reforms

A group of six Senate Democrats is demanding that the Federal Reserve turn over information about the ongoing overhaul of its bank supervision division following reports of internal tension linked to staff cuts and the alleged sidelining of examiners.

A soldier in the Ukraine-Russo war launching a drone by hand — “Vostok2018-10.jpg” — Vadim Savitsky (Mil.ru), via Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vostok2018-10.jpg. Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. This version was edited and enhanced using AI by Certain Risk, 2026

How Hong Kong Firms Bypass Trade Restrictions to Fuel Russia’s War Machine

Asian trading networks continue to route European-made dual-use technology into Russia’s war economy, exploiting gaps in the continent’s sanctions designations and enforcement, according to new research published by the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong (CFHK) Foundation.

A view of the headquarters of BIS and the Bank for International Settlements. — “Basel - Bank für internationalen Zahlungsausgleich4.jpg” — Wladyslaw Sojka (Taxiarchos228), own work, via Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Basel_-_Bank_f%C3%BCr_internationalen_Zahlungsausgleich4.jpg Licensed under the Free Art License (Licence Art Libre): http://artlibre.org/licence/lal/en No changes made.

Basel Committee Calls for Close Monitoring of Synthetic Risk Transfers

The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision is warning that a fast-growing market for banks to offload credit risk to private investment funds needs close monitoring because it is creating new vulnerabilities for the global financial system.

Stablecoins: The Crypto of Choice for Sanctions Dodgers and Large-Scale Launderers

Stablecoins have become both core crypto “plumbing” and a key rail for the most consequential forms of crypto-enabled crime, with illicit activity increasingly concentrated in a handful of large, sanctions-linked networks.

A photo of a Maersk Line cargo ship full of shipping containers.

Tariffs and Complex Rules are Driving Demand for Trade-Compliance Experts

Businesses attempting to navigate the shifting shoals of international tariffs, sanctions, and export controls are increasingly turning to trade-compliance professionals for guidance.

U.S. Oversight of MSBs is Weakest in Years as Crypto Usage Surges

Cryptocurrency usage is surging in the United States. You wouldn’t know that from the number of federal examiners tasked with supervising the industry for anti-money-laundering (AML) compliance though.

A photo of a London train passing in front of Canary Wharf in London with the offices of Barclays and HSBC in the background — “DLR / Barclays, HSBC” — Images George Rex, via Flickr, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/). Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/rogersg/15367736711 (edited/modified).

Bankers to Create Alternative to Mastercard and Visa to Shield UK from Trump

Senior UK banking figures are set to hold their first meeting this week to establish a British alternative to Visa and Mastercard, amid growing concerns that U.S. President Donald Trump could one day use his position to close off access to the payment rails.