U.S. regulator will ask banks to consider effects before de-risking

A U.S. regulator said on Wednesday it would provide banks with more clarity on how to comply with anti-money laundering rules without simply shutting down relationships in riskier parts of the world.

The U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, which regulates large banks, will offer guidance on how banks evaluate foreign banking risks and make decisions on whether to shut down accounts, agency head Thomas Curry said at a Las Vegas conference for anti-money laundering specialists.

(Reporting by Joel Schectman in Washington, Editing by Soyoung Kim and Chizu Nomiyama)