What changed
- FINRA's 2026 Annual Regulatory Oversight Report keeps AML, sanctions screening, and fraud detection as core exam focus areas under Rule 3310.
- The report points firms to customer due diligence, suspicious-activity monitoring, red-flag escalation, and transaction surveillance — and suggests adding detection for suspicious activity in omnibus accounts and small-cap offerings.
- In January 2026 FINRA fined the Cetera firms $1.1 million, citing supervisory and AML failures that missed signs of potential misconduct.
- In May 2026 FINRA announced settlements totaling more than $1.1 million with two firms whose AML programs were not reasonably designed to catch suspicious activity in low-priced securities.
Who's affected
FINRA member broker-dealers, their AML compliance officers, and clearing firms carrying omnibus or introducing-broker accounts.
What compliance teams should do now
- Screen customers, issuers, and promoters linked to low-priced and small-cap activity against sanctions and adverse media — not just at onboarding.
- Test that red flags actually escalate: a surveillance alert nobody researched is exactly what FINRA cites.
- Keep a written record of each investigation so you can reconstruct your SAR decision during an exam.
Get ahead of examiners — run your first correlated sanctions, PEP, and adverse-media search today. Create your free account →
How AMLX helps
AMLX lets AML analysts research a customer, issuer, or promoter across sanctions, PEP, adverse media, and court records in one search, then export the findings to the case file.
Built for: Broker-Dealers (FINRA Rule 3310) · Investment Advisers & Fund Managers
Jurisdiction coverage: United States screening
Related regulatory updates
- FinCEN's 2026 AML/CFT Program Rule Overhaul — FinCEN has proposed a fundamental, risk-based reform of AML/CFT program requirements for every BSA-covered financial institution.
- Investment Adviser AML Rule Delayed to 2028 — FinCEN pushed its investment adviser AML/CFT rule from January 1, 2026 to January 1, 2028 — but the delay is a runway, not an exemption.
Frequently asked questions
What is the FINRA Rule 3310 AML compliance 2026 change?
FINRA's 2026 oversight report and a string of 2026 fines show where broker-dealer AML programs are failing — and what examiners will test next.
Who does this affect?
FINRA member broker-dealers, their AML compliance officers, and clearing firms carrying omnibus or introducing-broker accounts.
How can AMLX help us respond?
AMLX lets AML analysts research a customer, issuer, or promoter across sanctions, PEP, adverse media, and court records in one search, then export the findings to the case file. You can start on the free tier with no sales call.
Sources
- Orrick InfoBytes: FINRA fines firms $1.1M for AML supervisory violations involving low-priced securities
- RegEd: FINRA's 2026 Annual Regulatory Oversight Report — key insights
- FINRA Rule 3310 (AML Compliance Program)
This page summarises public regulatory developments for general information. It is not legal advice; confirm current status with the regulator or your counsel.