21 External Training Sources for Financial Services

Regulations covering the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), Anti-Money Laundering (AML), Dodd-Frank, FATCA, and dozens of other requirements keep changing, and it’s tough for any L&D team to track all of it alone. That’s part of a broader pattern. Several forces are reshaping how financial services L&D teams operate, and keeping compliance current is one of the biggest. Supplementing your internal training with outside experts, backed by financial services print and training solutions that keep materials current across every location, gives your team access to instructors who specialize in one regulatory area and update their material as rules shift.

Most of these providers offer a range of formats, from in-person seminars to short webinars your team can complete at their desks.

What should you look for in an external training provider?

Three things matter most when picking a course for your team:

• What the course actually covers. Read the course description closely to confirm it matches the depth your learners need, and check whether it offers Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits or another recognized accreditation.
• Who’s teaching it. Look into the instructor’s background and how long they’ve worked in the field. Reviews from past attendees can tell you whether the pace and depth fit your team.
• How it’s delivered. Decide whether your team can attend in-person sessions, or whether a self-paced or webinar format fits their schedules and your budget better.

External training providers for financial services compliance

Anti-money laundering and financial crime

• ACAMS: Certification and training built around the CAMS credential, the industry benchmark for AML competency.
• Association of Certified Financial Crime Specialists (ACFCS): Certification and training covering AML, fraud, sanctions, and other financial crime disciplines.
• FIBA: AML certifications delivered in partnership with Florida International University, with a strong focus on international and correspondent banking.

General bank and credit union compliance

• American Bankers Association: Frontline compliance training free to ABA member banks, plus in-depth compliance schools for experienced officers.
• Banker’s Academy: Role-based BSA/AML training for tellers, lenders, compliance staff, and other bank roles.
• OnCourse Learning (formerly BankersEdge): Over 700 online courses covering governance, risk, and compliance for banks and credit unions.
• Center for Financial Training: Courses, webinars, and self-study programs for banks and credit unions, some eligible for college credit.
• Compliance Alliance: Monthly webinars and a training library covering lending, deposit, and operational compliance topics.
• ComplianceOnline: Webinars and seminars on BSA, Basel III, AML, and other banking regulations.
• America’s Credit Unions (formerly Credit Union National Association): Compliance training and certification built specifically for credit unions, formed from the 2024 CUNA-NAFCU merger.
• Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA): More than 450 courses aimed at community bank compliance, lending, and operations.

Securities and investment firms

• FINRA: E-learning courses covering AML, sales practices, and other Firm Element training requirements.
• Managed Funds Association (MFA): Operational, legal, and compliance training for hedge fund and alternative investment firms.
• National Futures Association (NFA): Educational resources and webinars for firms in the derivatives and futures industry.
• Thomson Reuters: A large library of customizable compliance courses covering financial crime, data privacy, and more.

Insurance and broader financial services

• LIMRA: AML and best-interest training built for insurance and financial services producers. It pairs well with training on why insurers are moving toward omnichannel service, since producer-facing compliance and channel strategy increasingly overlap.
• Fitch Learning: Certifications and training in financial regulation and compliance, with global delivery hubs.
• International Association of Risk and Compliance Professionals (IARCP): Certification programs in risk and compliance management, available in 57 countries.
• Kesdee: A large e-learning catalog covering banking, insurance, risk management, and regulatory compliance. Their fintech and digital banking modules are worth a look too, since understanding why fintech matters is becoming part of core compliance training, not a side topic.

International and specialized training

• Eureka Financial: In-person banking and finance courses in London and Dubai, plus custom in-house sessions.
• Financial Technologies Forum: Conferences and training for professionals in securities operations and post-trade technology.

Frequently Asked Questions

Things to remember

• External training works best as a supplement to your internal compliance program, not a replacement for it.
• Match the course’s depth, accreditation, and delivery format to what your team actually needs.
• Different providers specialize in different areas, so combining two or three sources often covers more ground than relying on one.
• A few names have changed hands recently. CUNA is now part of America’s Credit Unions, and BankersEdge now operates as OnCourse Learning.

Keeping your compliance team current takes more than a course list. Get started with training materials built to keep every regulatory update in one place.