WASHINGTON––In order to ensure efficient regulation that appropriately balances costs and benefits, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) today is announcing its intention to postpone the effective date of the final rule establishing Anti-Money Laundering/Countering the Financing of Terrorism Program and Suspicious Activity Report Filing Requirements for Registered Investment Advisers and Exempt Reporting Advisers (IA AML Rule) and to revisit the scope of the IA AML Rule at a future date. FinCEN anticipates delaying the effective date of the IA AML Rule from January 1, 2026, until January 1, 2028.
The IA AML Rule seeks to address ongoing illicit finance risks, threats, and vulnerabilities posed by criminals and foreign adversaries that exploit the U.S. financial system and assets through investment advisers. FinCEN recognizes, however, that the rule must be effectively tailored to the diverse business models and risk profiles of the investment adviser sector. FinCEN also recognizes that extending the effective date of the rule may help ease potential compliance costs for industry and reduce regulatory uncertainty while FinCEN undertakes a broader review of the IA AML Rule.
While FinCEN will work through the rulemaking process to extend the effective date, FinCEN intends to provide the IA sector with regulatory certainty by issuing appropriate exemptive relief delaying the effective date. During the delayed effective date, FinCEN intends to revisit the substance of the IA AML Rule through a future rulemaking process and, together with the Securities and Exchange Commission, also intends to revisit the joint proposed rule establishing customer identification program rule requirements for investment advisers, Customer Identification Programs for Registered Investment Advisers and Exempt Reporting Advisers.
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