Bloomberg reports that global banks have paid $321 billion in fines since 2008 for an abundance of regulatory failings – ranging from money laundering to market manipulation to terrorist financing. And, according to The Boston Consulting Group, which compiled the statistics, that figure is sure to rise as European and Asian regulators adopt a more aggressive posture – more in line with their U.S. counterparts. In 2016 alone, banks paid $42 billion in fines – a 68% increase over 2015.

"As conduct-based regulations evolve, fines and penalties, along with related legal and litigation expenses, will remain a cost of doing business," analysts led by Gerold Grasshoff wrote. "Managing those costs will continue to be a major task for banks."

The era of ever-increasing regulatory requirements is here to stay, despite President Donald Trump’s pledge to roll back the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act.

"Regulation must be considered a permanent rise in sea level -- not just a flowing tide that will ebb or even a cresting tsunami that will recede," the authors wrote. "We expect this theme to hold despite recent political developments in the U.S."