Meet Alex—a compliance analyst onboarding a new corporate client. The company looks legitimate, but beneficial ownership is often more complex than it appears. With layers of holding companies and indirect stakeholders, missing key details could mean regulatory trouble—or worse. Fortunately, with the right system, Alex’s beneficial ownership reviews can be streamlined, secure, and insightful.
Alex’s Approach to Beneficial Ownership Reviews
Instead of hunting through emails and databases, Alex pulls director filings, shareholder lists, and organizational charts automatically from trusted global sources. This gives him an instant overview of the company’s structure and connections—even across multiple jurisdictions. Once the data is collected, Alex focuses on identifying individuals with 25% or more ownership or control. He cross-checks these key players against watchlists, sanctions, and adverse media to flag potential risks early.
To close the loop, Alex compiles findings into an audit-ready report—no manual spreadsheets or patchwork PDFs. With one click, he generates a detailed summary that tracks every step of his review, making audits painless and ensuring regulatory requirements are met. Real-time alerts and built-in compliance checks mean Alex stays proactive, not reactive.
Key Considerations for Complex Beneficial Ownership
Trusts, Shells, and Hidden Layers: Ownership isn’t always direct. Many firms use trusts or shell companies to obscure control. A robust compliance platform helps uncover indirect ownership and manage ownership percentages with transparency.
Global Variations in Ownership Laws: Each jurisdiction may have different thresholds and definitions for beneficial ownership. Your system should adapt to local regulations while maintaining a unified global view.
Dynamic Ownership Changes: Ownership structures evolve due to mergers, investments, and leadership shifts. Continuous monitoring ensures you catch changes that could impact compliance long after onboarding.
Make Compliance Your Strength
With iComply, beneficial ownership reviews become an integral part of a smarter, more secure due diligence process. Automating data collection and verification saves time, reduces errors, and keeps your compliance team a step ahead. Ready to transform your approach? Let’s get started.
Sarah, a compliance manager at a U.S. broker-dealer, had seen it all—delays, endless emails, and frustrated clients. She knew her team needed something better.
That’s when she found iComply.
Step 1: Simplify from Day One No more patchwork solutions. Sarah’s team set up iComply’s KYC and AML modules in days—not weeks. With custom workflows and a branded client portal, onboarding felt seamless, not stressful.
Step 2: Automate the Boring Stuff Instead of manually tracking sanctions lists or verifying documents, Sarah’s team let iComply handle it. Real-time alerts kept them ahead of risks, while audit-ready reports were just a click away.
Step 3: Keep It Secure, Keep It Compliant Data encryption, secure API integrations, and role-based access meant no more sleepless nights about data breaches or failed audits.
Quick-Start Checklist for Compliance Teams
Map your current onboarding process.
Enable only the compliance features you need.
Automate document requests and approvals.
Set up real-time alerts for PEPs and sanctions.
Customize reports for audit season.
In minutes, not months, Sarah’s team had a smarter compliance process that saved time and improved client trust.
Want the same results? Let’s make compliance seamless together.
Meet James—a compliance officer at a FINRA-regulated firm managing security tokens and tokenized funds. James is used to navigating complex regulations, but the FATF Travel Rule has added a new layer of pressure.
It starts with a client transferring cryptoassets to another platform. James knows the Travel Rule requires his firm to collect and share key information—names, wallet addresses, and account details—every step of the way. But the process quickly becomes overwhelming.
First issue: His team is manually verifying transaction details across different tools.
Next challenge: There’s no standard way to securely share data with other platforms.
Final complication: International transfers bring inconsistent rules that make compliance feel like guesswork.
By the end of the day, James feels more like a crisis manager than a compliance leader.
Now imagine a different scenario—where compliance with the Travel Rule is frictionless, thanks to iComply’s integrated compliance platform.
Simplifying the Travel Rule with iComply
With iComply, James’ compliance process transforms from reactive to proactive. When a client initiates a tokenized fund transfer, the system automatically collects and verifies all required data.
Automated Data Collection: Instead of juggling spreadsheets, iComply pulls client data, validates it, and attaches it to the transaction in real time.
Secure, Seamless Transmission: Information is shared through secure APIs, ensuring encrypted, standardized communication across platforms.
Regulatory Intelligence: iComply stays updated on regulatory changes globally, helping James’ firm remain compliant across jurisdictions.
The result? No more manual checks, last-minute fixes, or uncertainty during audits.
Turning the Travel Rule Into a Competitive Edge
The FATF Travel Rule is a reality for SEC and FINRA-regulated firms—and non-compliance isn’t an option. But firms that adopt smart solutions like iComply can:
Enhance data security: Protect sensitive client information with automated, encrypted verification.
Simplify workflows: Replace manual steps with streamlined processes that save time and reduce costs.
Build trust: Show clients and regulators that your firm is proactive, not reactive, about compliance.
James no longer spends his day scrambling to keep up with regulatory demands. Instead, he has confidence that his compliance framework is future-proofed and built to scale.
The Travel Rule doesn’t have to be a burden—it can be a chance to lead. With iComply, your firm can turn complexity into confidence. Ready to make compliance a competitive advantage? Let’s talk.
Meet Alex—a compliance analyst onboarding a new corporate client. On the surface, the company seems legitimate, but Alex knows due diligence requires digging deeper to identify the true owners behind the business. The process can feel like chasing puzzle pieces across multiple data sources and emails. Time-consuming, frustrating—and risky if something slips through the cracks.
But with the right system, Alex’s beneficial ownership review can be simple, thorough, and fast.
Alex’s Checklist for Beneficial Ownership Reviews
Gather Ownership Data: Enter company details and automatically pull director filings, beneficial owner lists, and corporate structures from trusted sources.
Verify Beneficial Owners: Identify individuals with 25% or more ownership and cross-check them against global watchlists, sanctions databases, and adverse media reports.
Document and Report: Compile findings and generate a complete audit-ready report in one click—no spreadsheets, no manual stitching of data.
A Better Way Forward
With iComply, Alex’s review is seamless, secure, and efficient. Automated data collection and verification help him spot risks faster, store everything in one place, and stay compliant with confidence. Beneficial ownership reviews don’t have to be a headache—they can be a key part of a smarter compliance strategy.
Ready to streamline your due diligence? Let’s make it easier to do the right thing. Contact iComply today.
Meet Sarah—a busy professional trying to open an investment account, finalize her legal agreement, and file her taxes. Her to-do list is long, but verifying her identity for each service shouldn’t be the hardest part of her day.
Her first stop is her credit union. They require a face-to-face meeting, but the next available appointment is five days away. Sarah’s lawyer calls next—“We’ll need you to bring your ID in for verification.” Great. Another trip. Finally, her accountant sends a casual request: “Just email me a picture of your driver’s license.” Alarm bells go off in Sarah’s mind. Isn’t email unsecured?
By the end of the day, Sarah is frustrated and overwhelmed. Verifying her identity feels outdated, unsafe, and time-consuming.
Now imagine a different experience—one where Sarah completes everything from her phone, securely and in minutes, thanks to a platform powered by iComply.
A Seamless Verification Journey
Sarah opens her credit union’s branded verification portal—powered by iComply—on her phone. Instead of scheduling a meeting, she’s prompted to take a quick selfie and scan her driver’s license.
Within seconds, the system:
Confirms her ID’s authenticity by checking security features like watermarks and MRZ codes.
Runs a biometric facial recognition check to ensure the selfie matches her ID.
Cross-references her information against real-time government databases, ensuring compliance with KYC and AML regulations.
No back-and-forth emails. No trips to an office. No guesswork about data security. The same smooth process happens when Sarah logs into her law firm’s and accountant’s portals. iComply’s flexible platform allows each business to use the same seamless verification process—no siloed tools or manual checks.
Why This Future Matters
iComply eliminates friction for clients like Sarah and strengthens trust in every transaction. For businesses, it’s a win-win: secure onboarding that meets global regulatory standards while enhancing customer experience. Instead of patchwork solutions that create inefficiencies, iComply’s unified platform integrates everything—document verification, biometric checks, and continuous monitoring—into one turnkey system.
This isn’t just identity verification—it’s a future where customers like Sarah feel valued and safe, not inconvenienced or exposed. When compliance is this seamless, it stops being a hurdle and becomes a competitive advantage.
It’s time to leave in-person waits and unsecured emails behind. Ready to show your customers the future? Discover how iComply can empower your business today.
The U.S. Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) has proposed new regulations requiring businesses performing Know Your Customer (KYC) checks to collect robust geolocation data. IP addresses alone are no longer sufficient due to their vulnerability to masking and manipulation. This regulatory shift aims to enhance customer verification and strengthen defenses against financial crime.
The Regulatory Shift: Why Geolocation Matters
IP addresses, long used to infer a user’s location, can be spoofed or masked by VPNs and proxies. FinCEN’s latest regulations call for more precise geolocation data as part of Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Counter-Terrorism Financing (CTF) efforts. This ensures financial institutions can confidently verify where their users are located during key transactions.
iComply’s Advanced Edge-Computing Solution
To help our clients meet these new requirements, iComply has released a significant enhancement to our edge-computing platform, integrating:
Precise Geolocation Tracking: Uses multiple data points—including GPS and Wi-Fi positioning—for an accurate, real-time user location.
Device Fingerprinting: Creates a unique device profile based on hardware and behavior to detect fraud attempts and unauthorized access.
Live Biometric Verification: Confirms that the user completing verification is physically present and matches their registered identity.
Why This Matters to Your Business
Regulatory Compliance: Stay ahead of new FinCEN requirements with secure, compliant KYC workflows.
User-Friendly Experience: Our seamless integrations keep the verification process quick and frictionless for users.
Stay Compliant and Confident
The financial compliance landscape is evolving rapidly. iComply’s latest technology ensures you can meet these stricter regulatory standards without sacrificing security or user experience.
Get in touch today to learn how iComply can future-proof your KYC and KYB processes and keep your business compliant, secure, and trusted by your customers.
“Chandy,” is a technology and risk expert with executive experience at Boston Consulting Group, Citi, and PwC. With over two decades in financial services, digital transformation, and enterprise risk, he advises iComply on scalable compliance infrastructure for global markets.
Thomas is a global tax and compliance expert with deep specialization in digital assets, blockchain, and tokenization. As a partner at MME Legal | Tax | Compliance, he advises iComply on regulatory strategy, cross-border compliance, and digital finance innovation.
Thomas is a renowned identity and cybersecurity expert, serving as CTO of Connection Science at MIT. With deep expertise in decentralized identity, zero trust, and secure data exchange, he advises iComply on cutting-edge technology and privacy-first compliance architecture.
Rodney is the former President of ADP Canada and international executive with over two decades of leadership in global HR and enterprise technology. He advises iComply with deep expertise in international service delivery, M&A, and scaling high-growth operations across regulated markets.
Praveen is a serial entrepreneur and technology innovator, known for leadership roles at Lucent Bell Labs, ChargePoint, and the Stanford Linear Accelerator. He advises iComply on advanced computing, scalable infrastructure, and the intersection of AI, energy, and compliance tech.
Paul is a Canadian RegTech leader and founder of Maple Peak Group, with extensive experience in financial services compliance, AML, and digital transformation. He advises iComply on regulatory alignment, operational strategy, and scaling compliance programs in complex markets.
John is a seasoned business executive with senior leadership experience at CIBC, UBS, and Accenture. With deep expertise in investment banking, private equity, and digital transformation, he advises iComply on strategic growth, partnerships, and global market expansion.
Jeff is a former CFTC official and globally recognized expert in financial regulation, fintech, and digital assets. As founder of Bandman Advisors, he brings deep insight into regulatory policy, market infrastructure, and innovation to guide iComply’s global compliance strategy.
Greg is a seasoned investment banker with over 35 years of experience, including leadership roles at BMO Capital Markets, Morgan Stanley, and Citigroup. Greg brings deep expertise in financial strategy and growth to support iComply's expansion in the RegTech sector.
Deven is the former President of S&P and a globally respected authority in risk, data, and capital markets. With decades of leadership across financial services and tech, he advises iComply on strategic growth, governance, and the future of trusted data in AML compliance.
