January 27, 2026 – US financial institutions are encountering growing operational pressure in their compliance screening workflows, with high rates of delays, data concerns, and false positives emerging as persistent pain points, according to new findings from the LSEG Risk Intelligence North America survey of senior decision‑makers.
8 in 10 US institutions report encountering onboarding or payments delays at least occasionally, and almost a third experience delays often.
Manual remediation remains a significant contributor: 80% report manual review workload as their biggest challenge across sanctions, PEPs, and adverse media screening. This is followed by high false positives (78%).
Integration with existing systems is another area of concern. Roughly three‑quarters of US organizations report integration limitations, underscoring a continued need for screening solutions that connect seamlessly into legacy infrastructures without disrupting workflow continuity.
When selecting a screening solution, US leaders prioritize real‑time access to sanctions and risk data, with over two‑thirds rating it as most important followed by ease of integration (60%). Real time access is also the most important factor when it comes to switching screening provider with 28% of respondents prioritizing this followed by automation and workflow support on 22%.
Across the region, firms consistently say they need speed, accuracy, automation, and tailored data — capabilities that better equip compliance teams to move quickly and confidently in a rapidly shifting risk landscape.
Chad Shafferman, North America Lead for LSEG Risk Intelligence, commented: “US institutions are clear in their priorities: they need screening that is fast, precise, and integrated. Our focus is enabling real‑time insight with fewer false positives, so compliance teams can maintain both speed and confidence in their decisions.”
About Risk Intelligence
LSEG Risk Intelligence provides a suite of solutions to help organisations efficiently navigate risks, avoid reputational damage, reduce fraud and ensure legal and regulatory compliance around the globe. From screening solutions through World-Check, to detailed background checks on any entity or individual through due diligence reports, and innovative identity verification, account verification and digital onboarding services – you can trust us to help you successfully manage your risk, so you can operate more efficiently, more effectively and more confidently.
See Also:
New LSEG Risk Intelligence dataset reveals ownership drives a third of sanctions-linked securities exposure | Disruption Banking
