AML training, short for anti"money laundering training, is the required education producers and staff receive on how to detect, prevent, and report potential money laundering and terrorist financing activities within insurance and financial services. Regulations under the USA PATRIOT Act and related laws require certain life insurers, broker-dealers, and financial institutions to maintain AML programs that include written policies, a designated AML officer, ongoing training, and independent testing. AML training covers red flags such as unusual premium payments, third-party payors, rapid policy lapses or loans, and clients unwilling to provide identification. Effective AML training helps ensure that producers understand their obligations, documentation requirements, and reporting channels for suspicious activity.

Advisors encounter AML training as part of carrier appointment and broker-dealer onboarding, and through periodic refresher courses required to maintain selling agreements. Completion certificates are often needed before applications can be submitted or commissions paid. Training modules present case studies, sanctions list concepts, and internal reporting procedures. Compliance departments track AML training dates and send reminders before expiration to avoid lapses. Advisors who internalize AML training are better able to recognize questionable premium flows or ownership structures and to escalate concerns appropriately. Understanding AML training helps producers see it not as a box-checking exercise but as part of protecting their practice, carriers, and clients from financial crime and regulatory risk.