The grammar of due diligence.
Clear, sourced guides to anti-money laundering, sanctions, screening and the UK public record. Written from the regulations and registers themselves — every factual claim links to where it comes from.
Foundations
The core concepts of anti-money laundering and due diligence, explained from first principles.
KYC vs CDD: what's the difference?
Know Your Customer (KYC) and Customer Due Diligence (CDD) are used interchangeably but are not the same thing. A plain-English guide to how they relate, the three tiers of CDD, and what each actually requires under UK rules.
Terrorist financing, and how it differs from money laundering
Terrorist financing and money laundering are tackled by the same AML systems but are not the same crime. A guide to the Terrorism Act 2000 offences, why the money can be clean, and what that means for due diligence.
The UK regime
How the Money Laundering Regulations, sanctions law, and UK registers actually work in practice.
The Money Laundering Regulations 2017, explained
What the UK's Money Laundering Regulations 2017 require: who they apply to, when customer due diligence is triggered, the occasional-transaction thresholds, and the duties around risk assessment, record-keeping and reporting — sourced from the regulations themselves.
UK financial sanctions, explained
How the UK sanctions regime works: the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018, the single UK Sanctions List that replaced the OFSI Consolidated List in January 2026, what an asset freeze means, and OFSI's strict-liability penalties — sourced from GOV.UK and OFSI.
Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) and the NCA
What a Suspicious Activity Report is, who must file one, and how the Defence Against Money Laundering (DAML) consent regime works — including the 7-working-day notice period and the 31-day moratorium, sourced from the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.
The role of the MLRO (nominated officer)
Every regulated firm needs a nominated officer — usually called the MLRO. What the role is, what the Money Laundering Regulations 2017 require, the difference between the nominated officer and the MLR-compliance officer, and why it carries personal responsibility.
Screening & checks
Sanctions, PEP, and adverse-media screening — what the lists are, and how a check is run.
What is a politically exposed person (PEP)?
Who counts as a politically exposed person under UK rules, the difference between domestic and foreign PEPs, why family members and close associates are included, and what enhanced due diligence actually requires — based on the FCA's guidance and MLR 2017.
What is adverse media screening?
Adverse media (or negative news) screening checks a person or company against credible negative information in the public domain. A guide to what it is, why the MLRs make it part of due diligence, its limits, and how to do it well.
Source of funds vs source of wealth
Two terms that sound alike but mean different things in due diligence. A clear explanation of source of funds and source of wealth, why enhanced due diligence requires both, and the single question that ties them together.
Sanctions vs PEP vs adverse media: the three screening checks
Name screening has three pillars — sanctions, PEPs and adverse media — and they are not interchangeable. What each one is, the very different consequences of a hit, and why a good screen runs all three together.
False positives and fuzzy matching in name screening
Why name screening throws up so many false matches, how fuzzy matching works, why transliteration and common names make it hard, and what good disambiguation looks like — so a screen produces signal, not noise.
Companies & charities
Reading the public record on UK companies and charities: filings, ownership, and red flags.
Beneficial ownership and the PSC register
Who really owns a UK company? A guide to beneficial ownership, the people with significant control (PSC) register at Companies House, the 25% threshold, the four PSC conditions, and why ownership transparency is central to due diligence.
How to read a Companies House record
A practical guide to what's on the public Companies House register for a UK company — the confirmation statement, annual accounts, directors, the PSC register and filing history — and how to use it for due diligence.
Charity due diligence: checking a UK charity
How to run due diligence on a registered charity in England and Wales using the Charity Commission register — trustees, finances, the annual return, and the red flags that matter when funding or partnering with a charity.
Shell companies and the red flags to watch for
Not every shell company is sinister, but shells are a favourite tool of money launderers and sanctions evaders. What a shell company is, the legitimate and illegitimate uses, and the red flags that should prompt a closer look.
Put it to work on a real name.
Screen any name against sanctions, PEP and adverse-media registers free, or commission an evidence-anchored report on any UK company or charity — every claim sourced, the way these guides are.