Despite leading global bodies recognizing that financial exclusion can undermine efforts to fight money laundering and terrorism financing, the high cost of complying with their requirements paradoxically makes it harder for financial services providers (FSPs) to reach underserved and unserved populations. Fortunately, new technologies, business models and ways of collaborating are emerging in the public and private sectors that could put us on the path to resolving this paradox.

This blog series investigates and highlights developments that could make customer due diligence (CDD) more efficient and effective, while potentially lowering compliance costs for providers. The series uses “KYC utilities” as a starting point, but reaches beyond this model to identify promising applications — and their implications — in the brave new world of collaborative customer due diligence.