Michael Torres
Compliance Director
Michael Torres is a Compliance Director with over 14 years of expertise in BSA/AML regulations, FinCEN requirements and OFAC sanctions enforcement. A former bank examiner with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), he has conducted more than 120 compliance examinations across community banks, credit unions and money service businesses. He holds a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center and is a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS) as well as a Certified Regulatory Compliance Manager (CRCM). His career spans both the regulatory and private sectors, giving him a unique perspective on building compliance programs that satisfy federal and state examiners while remaining operationally efficient. He specialises in the intersection of regulatory technology and traditional compliance frameworks in the US market.
Articles
Third-Party Risk Management (TPRM): Complete US Guide 2026
Complete US guide to third-party risk management (TPRM): FinCEN, BSA, OCC guidance, vendor risk assessment, continuous monitoring and federal compliance requirements 2026.
Compliance Risk Assessment: A Practical Guide for US Financial Institutions
How to identify, evaluate, and mitigate regulatory risks under BSA, FinCEN, and OFAC requirements. Step-by-step compliance risk management guide for US firms in 2026.
Governance Risk Management Compliance (GRC): US Guide 2026
What is GRC in the US? FinCEN, BSA, OFAC requirements explained. Learn how to build a governance risk management compliance framework that meets federal and state standards.
Vendor Compliance Certificate Verification: US Guide 2026
How to verify vendor compliance certificates in the US: IRS tax clearance, FinCEN CDD, OFAC screening, state-level requirements, and automated vendor due diligence tools.
KYC: The Complete Guide for US Businesses in 2026
What is KYC in the USA? FinCEN requirements, BSA obligations, CIP rules and AML best practices for American businesses. Updated compliance guide for 2026.
Right to Work Check: US Employer Compliance Guide (I-9 & E-Verify)
Complete US employer guide to employment eligibility verification: Form I-9, E-Verify, acceptable documents, penalties up to $27,894, and ICE audit compliance.
Due diligence explained: complete checklist for US businesses
A practical guide to due diligence for US businesses: BSA/AML requirements, FinCEN CDD Rule, OFAC screening, and a complete checklist covering legal, financial, and ESG domains.
Anti-Money Laundering: Complete US AML Compliance Guide
Complete US anti-money laundering guide: BSA requirements, FinCEN rules, OFAC obligations, SAR filing, CIP program, and AML compliance tools for US businesses.
AMLD6 Beneficial Ownership Verification Requirements
AMLD6 lowers UBO threshold to 25% from July 2027. Complete guide to beneficial ownership verification obligations, interconnected registers, and PSC requirements.
eIDAS 2.0: The EU Digital Identity Wallet
eIDAS 2.0 mandates an EU Digital Identity Wallet by late 2026. How the EUDI Wallet transforms KYC, document verification, and identity workflows.
Public Sector: Automating Document Verification
How governments and local authorities automate document verification for procurement, grants, and permits at scale. Sovereignty, GDPR, and accessibility.
Deepfakes and Synthetic Documents in 2026
Deepfakes surged 700% since 2024 and digital forgeries now exceed 57% of all fraud. AI-generated identity documents and how multi-layer detection fights back.
Build vs Buy: Document Validation In-House?
Honest comparison of building document validation internally vs buying a SaaS platform. Hidden costs, maintenance burden, and a structured decision framework.
Document Validation: API, Webhooks, and ERP
Technical guide to connecting document validation to Salesforce, SAP, or custom tools via REST API and webhooks. Architecture patterns and code examples.
Documents by Financial Partner: Checklist
Required documents by financial partner: GRENKE, SIEMENS, LEASECOM, REALEASE. 23% of file rejections are avoidable with the right checklist and comparison table.
Generative AI vs Extraction: Document Validation
GPT-4, Claude, OCR, IDP: which technology validates business documents? Honest comparison of strengths, weaknesses, and the case for hybrid architecture.
KYC 2026: New Document Verification Requirements in Europe
KYC 2026 compliance guide: AMLD6 directive, AMLA enforcement, new penalties up to 10% of turnover, and AI-powered document verification for obliged entities.
Manual Document Validation: True Cost (TCO)
Calculate the real cost of manual document validation: labor, errors, delays. Complete TCO methodology with concrete figures and breakeven analysis.