Purpose – Competences play a very important role in determining effectiveness and efficiency of work performance inside different organisations. If competences are used in combating money laundering and terrorism financing, question becomes even more complex and delicate. Bank operators are at forefront in combating financial crimes, so training activity to them addressed could be a strategic tool if designed – but especially evaluated – promoting knowledge retention and preventing or limiting knowledge leakage. This paper aims to review some training evaluation models to figure out which would be most effective, considering training programs on anti-money laundering and combating terrorism financing in banks. Design/methodology/approach – Reviewing training evaluation models will allow to making comments on their potentialities in promoting knowledge retention and limitation of knowledge leakage in bank operators. To achieve this goal, we will apply a deductive approach to obtaining information from extant literature over the years engaged in study and criticism of training evaluation models. These information will be organized in order to rank reviewed models according to criteria based on the features that should have an effective training evaluation model in theme of anti-money laundering and combating terrorism financing in banks. Originality/value – In this work, a different point of view on training evaluation is proposed, considering the field of anti-money laundering and combating terrorism financing in a particular type of organisation such as banks. Practical implications – This paper calls for an increased use of the evaluation of training programs in organizations, in the hope that it becomes an established practice, especially in banking sector and with reference to issues such as combating money laundering and terrorism financing, which go beyond mere business borders involving security and stability of entire economic system.