Skip to main content

Unraveling the future of FedNow for credit unions

The world of payments is ever-evolving, and a significant leap in that trajectory is the move towards real-time payments. A recent webinar delved deep into this topic, and toward the end, webinar attendees were able to ask their questions directly to Dan Gonzalez, VP of Customer Relations at Federal Reserve Financial Services, and Mark Majeske, SVP of Faster Payments at Alacriti. Here are some of the top questions, and what we learned from the Q&A session.

Q: What are some of the specific fraud mitigation tools put in place for the FedNow® Service?

A (Dan Gonzalez): The FedNow service will offer several tools for fraud mitigation:

  • Mandatory reporting of any fraud to the service, which then notifies both parties involved in the transaction.
  • Creation of negative lists to allow credit unions to block certain payments either in or out.
  • Introduction of dollar limits, initially set at $500,000 per transaction, but institutions can set their own maximum limits based on comfort levels.

Q: Does the Fed list, which service providers support, send capabilities?

A (Dan Gonzalez): The Fed lists certified service providers but doesn’t break them down by capabilities. The FedNow Explorer website does showcase vendors supporting the FedNow service, where they list their capabilities.

Q: With the introduction of real-time payments, how has the gap between receiving and sending capabilities evolved?

A (Mark Majeske): The time between wanting to receive and then send has shortened considerably. While both actions might not occur simultaneously, the interval between them is decreasing.

Q: Why wouldn’t institutions need to staff 24/7 to monitor and manage their accounts in real-time?

A (Dan Gonzalez): Initially, most credit unions will primarily receive funds, which means money is coming into their accounts. Managing liquidity is more critical when sending money. The challenge is more about ensuring enough money is available for outgoing transactions than monitoring incoming ones.

Q: Considering that some platforms offer free real-time payment services, is it viable for institutions to charge for the same?

A (Mark Majeske): While some platforms might offer free services to end-users, there’s intrinsic value in expedited payments. Financial institutions can potentially adopt a model where standard transfers remain free, but expedited ones come at a cost.

Q: Can international payments be made using the FedNow Service?

A (Dan Gonzalez): Initially, the service is domestic-only. While future capabilities may consider international payments, no timeframe has been set for this expansion.

Q: Are payments through the FedNow Service one-time or can they be scheduled in advance?

A (Mark Majeske & Dan Gonzalez): While the system can operate both ways, once a transaction hits the network, it processes instantly. Any scheduling needs to happen at the user interface level before the transaction is sent to the network.

Q: Given that transactions are irrevocable, how are institutions addressing issues like account takeover and potential fraudulent transfers?

A (Dan Gonzalez): The onus of confirming transactions lies with the sender. Once funds are received, the receiving institution isn’t obligated to return them. However, institutions need to be prepared and ensure that the transactions are valid before sending.

 

To get insights, strategies, and actionable steps to ensure your credit union is ready for the FedNow Service, watch the full webinar, The FedNow Service is Coming: Is Your Credit Union Ready?, featuring the Federal Reserve and Alacriti.

Alacriti’s centralized payment platform, Orbipay Payments Hub, provides innovation opportunities and the ability to make smart routing decisions at the financial institution to meet their individual needs. Financial institutions can take full ownership of their payments and control their evolution with ACH, Wire, TCH’s RTP® network, Visa Direct, and the FedNow® Service, all on one cloud-based platform. To speak with an Alacriti payments expert, please contact us at (908) 791-2916 or info@alacriti.com. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Please no profanity or political comments.

Popular posts from this blog

Sunday Reading - Changing the Map

  Changing the Map     Redistricting, explained Congressional redistricting is the process by which states redraw electoral district boundaries   that determine representation in the US House of Representatives. The Constitution, federal law, and court rulings require districts to have roughly equal populations, avoid discrimination against racial or language minorities, and, in most states, be geographically contiguous. For most of American history, redistricting has followed a predictable cycle, occurring every 10 years after the census.   Gerrymandering is the deliberate manipulation of district boundaries to advantage one political party. Common tactics  by both major American political parties include packing opposition voters i...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

Reuters: Trump Regulators Launch Biggest Bank Oversight Overhaul Since 2008

Is NCUA next? WASHINGTON—Federal banking regulators under President Trump are undertaking what Reuters described as the most significant overhaul of bank supervision since the 2008 financial crisis, shifting examiner focus away from process and compliance issues and toward what agencies consider “material” financial risks. According to Reuters, the Federal Reserve, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. have directed examiners to concentrate on risks that pose direct threats to a bank’s safety and soundness, rather than on paperwork deficiencies, governance concerns or procedural issues that do not immediately affect financial stability. Reuters reported that regulators have also moved away from evaluating banks based on “reputational risk,” a supervisory concept long criticized by banks as overly subjective. The change follows complaints from President Trump and others that financial institutions have used reputational-risk considerations...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

Hauptman Tells Congress CU Health is Strong; Responds to Questions from Committee

WASHINGTON — National Credit Union Administration Chairman Kyle Hauptman told members of the House Financial Services Committee on Thursday that the nation’s credit union system remains financially strong, while warning that rising delinquencies and consumer financial stress continue to warrant close monitoring. Hauptman also responded to a handful of questions from members of Congress, as well. Hauptman appeared as part of the regular hearings on Oversight of Prudential Regulators. Also appearing as witnesses were Michelle Bowman, vice chair for supervision with the Federal Reserve; Travis Hill, FDIC chairman, and Jonathan Gould, the acting Comptroller of the Currency. Kyle Hauptman In his prepared statement, Hauptman said federally insured credit unions remain well-capitalized and continue to meet members’ borrowing needs despite economic headwinds. He said the NCUA is focused on maintaining safety and soundness, protecting the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund and creating...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

Trump Accounts Program For Children Moves Forward With New Mobile App Launch

  WASHINGTON—The Treasury Department on Thursday announced the launch of the new Trump Accounts mobile app, marking the next phase of the Administration’s rollout of its new federally backed investment savings program for children ahead of the program’s official July 4 launch date. Donald Trump The app, now available through major mobile app stores, will serve as the primary platform for families to manage and activate Trump Accounts. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the app is intended to give parents and guardians a “simple, secure way” to participate in the program, which was created under the 2025 Republican tax-and-spending package. Families that already submitted IRS Form 4547 to enroll children in the program will begin receiving phased activation emails between now and July 4, according to Treasury. Under the program, eligible children born between Jan. 1, 2025, and Dec. 31, 2028, can receive a one-time $1,000 federal seed contribution into a tax-deferred investment ac...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

IRS Reporting Proposal Scaled Back, but Still 'Flawed'

On Tuesday, Senate Democrats distributed an update to the controversial IRS reporting requirements that the credit union industry has been very vocally opposed to since it was unveiled in late June. According to the updated proposal rolled out Tuesday, it would require financial institutions to report inflows and outflows of personal and business accounts, as well as transfers between accounts of the same owner, if it is more than $10,000 per year. The proposal floating around for the past four months had the threshold at $600 per year. The requirements do not apply to payroll deposits for wages or to those receiving Social Security benefits. In response to the updated IRS reporting proposal, NAFCU President/CEO Dan Berger said, “It has become abundantly clear that Americans oppose the IRS obtaining additional information on their financial accounts. The updated plan is nothing more than window dressing in an attempt to shore up support for a flawed proposal. Instead of creating financ...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

Proposed FOM changes would streamline ability to reach underserved

February 16, 2023 The NCUA Board proposed chartering and field-of-membership changes and issued its final cyber incident reporting rule at its Thursday meeting. The board also heard a quarterly update on the share insurance fund, which noted an increase in the fund's equity ratio to 1.30%." The proposal would amend the chartering and FOM rules through nine changes to enhance consumer access to financial services, especially in low- and moderate-income communities while reducing duplicative or unnecessary paperwork and administrative requirements. “Getting credit union services to more communities across the country is important to CUNA, state leagues and the credit unions we serve, and making that easier to achieve has a big impact on access,” said CUNA Deputy Chief Advocacy Officer Jason Stverak. “While we need to review the proposal in detail, we thank the NCUA board for working to streamline the ability of credit un...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

Visa, Mastercard Revisions Will Cost Merchants more Than $475 Million Annually, Economist Says

 NEW YORK—The two biggest U.S. card networks are preparing revisions to their interchange schedules that at least one research firm says will cost U.S. merchants an estimated $475 million in additional transaction fees. Though Visa Inc. and Mastercard Inc. have historically revised their rate schedules each April and October, “this April is particularly significant,” Callum Godwin, the Atlanta-based chief economist for CMSPI, a United Kingdom-based research firm, told Digital Transactions. The firm’s estimates indicate the changes in Visa’s rates will add up to a net $145 million in additional cost to acquirers. For Mastercard, the impact will net out to $330 million. The networks do not collect interchange. Merchant processors pay in...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

IRS Reporting Requirement Has Turned Into Uphill Battle for CUs

  It’s in. It’s out. It’s in again. On Thursday, NAFCU, CUNA and more than 100 associations sent a letter to all members of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate asking them to reject a proposed IRS reporting requirement that credit union trades have been pushing back against since July . The proposed IRS reporting requirement would require financial institutions, including credit unions, to report the inflows and outflows of personal and business accounts, as well as transfers between accounts of the same owner, if it is more than $600 per year. The proposal found new life inside the House version of the budget reconciliation bill after it was rejected in the version approved by the House Ways and Means Committee last month. On Tuesday, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said the IRS reporting requirement would be included in the House version of the bill. CUNA, NAFCU and other organizations voiced their objections to the proposal in a joint letter. While the l...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

The Role of the Board Chair

Tim Harrington, CPA   CEO, TEAM Resources The Role of the Board Chair Recently I had the chance to spend some time with a great group of board members . One of the things we talked about was the role of the board chair. I thought this well worth putting down on *paper* as it were. The role of the chairperson is multi-faceted, complex, and often changing within the context of the organization’s dynamic. Unfortunately, there’s no perfect set of “rules.” But there are some guidelines. Here are our “tips” on navigating the position successfully: Roles Facilitator  – The board chair must draw together the individual directors into a team, working together on behalf of the membership and the credit union. To do that, s/he must wrangle individual personalities, draw out conversation from some, and rein it in from others. Having a solid understanding of the personalities of each director … and the CEO helps the chair keep things on track, moving forward, and civil. ...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

Credit Where Credit's Due

  Credit Where Credit's Due   Credit reports 101 Used to calculate credit scores   and determine creditworthiness, credit reports are comprehensive documents that detail the credit history of a person or business, including current and former lines of credit, bankruptcy records, and more.  Credit assessments actually started in the 1700s   as a way to evaluate businesses’ financial standing rather than consumers’. The early 1800s brought efforts to standardize the credit reporting system as more businesses were started that needed loans, and the labor movement’s success in the second half of the 1800s led to an increased need for standardized c...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»