Field notes from Canadian AML compliance.
Plain-English analysis of the regulatory shifts shaping FINTRAC compliance, written for the owners and operators who carry the risk. And whenever you want one, a free hour with a practitioner.
Your first hour with a practitioner is free.
Before any of the reading, book a free, no-obligation hour. It is the fastest way to understand what Bill C-12 changes for your firm, and where you stand today.
Free 1-hour training on the new FINTRAC expectations under Bill C-12
A focused, practical hour walking your team through what FINTRAC now expects under the post-Bill C-12 regime, followed by live Q&A on your own situation. It is an opportunity for you and your team to have a working conversation with a Canadian compliance practitioner.
How it's delivered
- On-demand, booked at a time that suits you
- Virtual, delivered across Canada
- In person or virtual in the GTA
- One hour of training, then live Q&A
For owners, operators, and compliance leads at Canadian MSBs, PSPs, and crypto firms.
What's changing in FINTRAC compliance, and what to do about it.
Our published analysis on the regulatory shifts that matter most to Canadian non-bank reporting entities. Each piece opens on britebase.ca.
The FINTRAC enforcement crisis facing Canadian MSBs: what the data actually shows
Three years of enforcement data expose a sector under extraordinary scrutiny, and Bill C-12, in force since March 2026, has materially raised the stakes. What compliance officers at Canadian MSBs and PSPs need to understand right now.
Read the articleFINTRAC's enforcement surge: what two years of penalties tell us
Administrative monetary penalties have accelerated sharply since 2024. What the pattern reveals about regulator priorities, and where lean compliance teams are most exposed.
Read the articlePCMLTFA amendments: what changed and how it affects regulated firms
Recent amendments to the PCMLTFA expand obligations for MSBs, PSPs, crypto firms, and others. A practical breakdown of what's new and what your program needs to absorb.
Read the articleInside the March 2026 AMP increase: new ceilings, new exposure
March 2026 brought a substantial increase in administrative monetary penalty ceilings. What changed, why it matters, and how to think about your firm's exposure.
Read the articleCrypto and the Travel Rule: where Canadian VASPs are getting it wrong
Canadian crypto firms face overlapping registration, travel rule, and large virtual currency reporting obligations. The most common failure modes, and how to fix them.
Read the articleBuilding an audit-ready compliance program for FINTRAC examinations
Examinations don't reward effort. They reward evidence. A practical playbook for structuring documentation, workpapers, and operational habits that survive scrutiny.
Read the articleHow ready is your firm for a FINTRAC examination?
Ten quick questions on the core of a FINTRAC compliance program. Answer all ten and we'll show you where your firm stands. This is a general self-check, not a formal assessment or legal advice.
1. Have you appointed a compliance officer responsible for your AML/ATF program?
2. Do you have written compliance policies and procedures, kept up to date as regulations change?
3. Have you completed a documented risk assessment of your products, clients, geographies, and delivery channels?
4. Do you deliver ongoing AML compliance training to relevant employees, agents, and mandataries?
5. Has your compliance program had an effectiveness review, the two-year review, within the last two years?
6. Do you apply documented client identification procedures before transactions where they are required?
7. Do you carry out ongoing monitoring of business relationships and keep client risk ratings current?
8. Do you screen clients and transactions against sanctions lists and applicable ministerial directives?
9. Do you retain client and transaction records for the required period and can you retrieve them on request?
10. Do you have a reliable process to file required reports, including suspicious transaction, large cash, large virtual currency, and electronic funds transfer reports, within FINTRAC's timelines?
Reading is useful. A conversation is faster.
Book a call and we'll tell you, plainly, where your program stands and what to fix first. No retainers. No hourly rates.