Completing a SAR Narrative
A Suspicious Activity Report (SAR) requires financial institutions to provide a lot of detailed information. The five parts of a SAR include:
Part I – Subject information
Part II – Suspicious Activity Information
Part III – Information about Financial Institution Where Activity Occurred
Part IV – Filing Institution
Part V – Narrative
Part V (Narrative) is where you get to tell the story of what happened, but it can also cause the most problems. For instance, we commonly see where information provided in the Narrative doesn’t line up or even contradicts information provided in the other parts. A common example is when an institution completes a Part I for let’s say two suspects but in the Narrative additional suspects are named. All suspects identified should have a corresponding Part I.
Published 2026/05/26
Amy Kudlacek
Amy brings many years of banking and compliance experience to Banker’s Compliance Consulting. She has worked for both large and small financial institutions and spent time working in every area of a bank. She started out as a teller in college and eventually became a branch manager. Her love, however, was always compliance. Amy began her career with Banker’s Compliance Consulting in 2000. Her knowledge and experiences have allowed her to develop a well-rounded and practical approach to regulatory compliance. Amy is CRCM certified, has a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration and is a graduate of the ABA Compliance School. Amy & her husband have two children at home and stay busy following their activities. They spend a lot of time in the bleachers!