Bank Secrecy Act (BSA)

Summary: The Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) is a federal law that requires financial institutions to report suspicious activity and maintain records of certain financial transactions in order to help detect and prevent money laundering and other financial crimes.

What is the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA)?

The Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) is a set of laws in the United States that require financial institutions to report certain financial transactions to the government. The BSA was enacted in 1970 to help combat money laundering and other financial crimes.

Purpose of the BSA

The primary purpose of the BSA is to prevent financial crimes such as money laundering, terrorist financing, and tax evasion. It requires financial institutions to report certain financial transactions to the government, which can then be used to identify and investigate suspicious activity.

The BSA also requires financial institutions to maintain records of certain financial transactions and make them available to government agencies upon request. This helps to ensure that financial institutions are not being used to facilitate illegal activities.

BSA Requirements

Under the BSA, financial institutions are required to report certain financial transactions to the government, including:

Currency transactions over $10,000
Suspicious activity reports (SARs)
International money transfers over $3,000
Financial institutions are also required to maintain records of these transactions and make them available to government agencies upon request.

BSA Compliance

Financial institutions must comply with the BSA and its requirements in order to avoid penalties and fines. This includes implementing internal controls and procedures to identify and report suspicious activity, as well as training employees on BSA requirements.