As compliance remains a top priority for financial institutions, Adam McLaughlin, AML Subject Matter Expert at NICE Actimize, provides key insights into sanctions screening challenges within real-time payments (RTP).
Real-time payments, which settle transactions in 10 seconds or less and operate 24/7—including weekends and holidays—bring unique challenges for sanctions screening. Unlike traditional payment systems, RTP requires real-time monitoring and instant updates to sanctions screening lists across the globe. Adam highlights that speed is the primary challenge. Payments processed in under 10 seconds allow no room for manual intervention, even with the fastest and most qualified sanctions experts. This reality forces financial institutions to focus on customer screening at the source bank to ensure payments are compliant before they are sent, rather than relying on receiving banks to block or release transactions.
Adam further explains that the technology required for effective sanctions screening in RTP is not new, but it must be capable of continuous, real-time monitoring. Regulators now require institutions to screen their customer base at least once a day and, critically, immediately after any update to a sanctions list. In practice, this means institutions may need to screen their entire customer base multiple times a day as updates occur. Meeting these demands requires technology that seamlessly connects to global sanctions lists and processes updates instantly. If current systems cannot handle this, financial institutions must modernise. Adam emphasises that failing to upgrade outdated systems will result in far greater costs than the price of adopting more effective, compliant solutions.
To prepare for the unique compliance demands of RTP in 2025, Adam recommends starting with a risk assessment. Financial institutions must evaluate their current technology, processes, and personnel to identify gaps and determine whether existing systems can meet the new regulatory requirements. If the current technology falls short, modernisation becomes unavoidable. While compliance is often viewed as a cost centre, the cost of non-compliance or maintaining outdated systems will far exceed the investment needed to upgrade.
Adam’s insights make it clear that agility, technology modernisation, and proactive risk management are critical for navigating the challenges of real-time payments.
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About Adam McLaughlin
Adam McLaughlin is the Global Head of AML Strategy and Marketing and the AML Subject Matter Expert at NICE Actimize. Adam possesses several years of operational experience in identifying and mitigating financial crime risks. Prior to joining the company, he spent many years managing financial crime teams and mitigating financial crime risk in financial institutions. Adam was also a Police Detective in the U.K. for 10 years, managing a Financial Crime investigation team in the City of London Police, the U.K.’s national lead force for Economic Crime for three of those years.
About NICE Actimize
NICE Actimize is a leading provider of financial crime, risk and compliance solutions for global financial institutions and government regulators. Leveraging AI and machine learning, their offerings include anti-money laundering, fraud prevention, and trade surveillance, safeguarding assets and ensuring regulatory compliance.
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