Blogs

The Machines Are Rising in Payments

By James Kallergis posted 7 days ago
If you’ve ever watched movies like The Terminator , you know the fear — artificial intelligence (AI) taking over, humans sidelined…even in the payments space. Using AI in the industry is a double-edged sword. It’s hard not to see the benefits of AI as a tool. It can spot fraud faster than any human, help financial institutions personalize products and even improve client experience. But there’s a flip side: AI can also “hallucinate,” producing results that look correct, but are actually wrong. And in compliance, “almost right” can still mean noncompliant. Potential Benefits AI offers several advantages in the ACH space. It can answer basic ACH ...

EPCOR Members Featured on Most Powerful Women in Banking List

By Hoot-E posted 19 days ago
The following article originally appeared on October 7, 2025, on AmericanBanker.com. Financial institutions went into 2024 already juggling seismic change. Throughout the year and into 2025, executives were forced to prioritize trade-offs between growth, innovation-fueled transformation and safety in their strategic decision-making, capital allocation and appetite for risk. Several economic and market factors directly influenced how payments professionals framed their growth strategy. Higher-for-longer interest rates drove up net interest income but raised deposit costs and pressured borrowers, making loan growth a balancing act. Consumer ...

Ask Hoot-E: Tips for a Fraud-Free Holiday

By Hoot-E posted 19 days ago
Special thanks to @Trevor Witchey , AAP, APRP, NCP, Senior Director, Payments Education for helping me write this blog! It’s no surprise fraudsters made Santa’s naughty list. The holiday shopping rush means increased transactions, which gives them the perfect chance to hide scams, steal information and disguise fraudulent activity. Your account holders are at greater risk this season as they use their debit cards more frequently, shop online through unsecured websites and send money ...

Third-Party Sender Audits: What Should ODFIs Be Doing?

By Matthew Wade posted 21 days ago
Nacha issued ACH Operations Bulletin #3-2025 on September 11 th announcing that, beginning in October 2025, proof of audit requests will move to an automated process and will be sent directly to the ODFI, which must provide the requested documentation. This change will make requests more efficient and secure while allowing Nacha to increase the total number of audit requests, including those for Third-Party Senders. With the first batch of automated requests having gone out recently, now is a great time for our financial institution members to review their processes for verifying Third-Party Sender ACH Audit compliance. Many of our ...

Paymentspalooza Rocks the Payments World! 🎶

By Hoot-E posted 10-20-2025
EPCOR Payments Conference – Fall 2025 hit all the right notes, bringing together nearly 300 payments professionals and industry experts for three days of high-energy education, networking and insights into the latest trends shaping the payments landscape. From preconference workshops to deep-dive panels and live demonstrations, our members with actionable strategies, amplified skills and fresh inspiration. Preconference Workshops Set the Stage Paymentspalooza kicked off with two preconference workshops. ACH Reclamations and Garnishments , led by Shelly Sipple, ...

Rule Change Rundown: Nacha and the Federal Reserve’s Latest Updates

By Trevor Witchey posted 10-20-2025
The Federal Reserve Bank (FRB) on October 9 th and Nacha on October 14 th announced rule and regulatory updates that could impact your organization. Leading up to these announcements, both the FRB (in 2024) and Nacha (in 2024–2025) released Requests for Comment (RFCs) and Requests for Information (RFIs) to gather feedback. EPCOR also hosted Special Industry Update webinars to collect member feedback, and we submitted responses to both the FRB and Nacha on behalf of our members. Let’s review each of these potential changes and how you can incorporate them into your strategic planning ahead of their proposed or expected effective dates. ...

🎉 Cheers to Our New APRPs!

By Hoot-E posted 10-16-2025
An Accredited Payments Risk Professional (APRP) is an individual who has demonstrated a comprehensive knowledge of risk management strategies, concepts and mitigation techniques within the payments ecosystem. Earning the APRP credential demonstrates a mastery of the complexities of risk management for ACH, check, wire, debit, credit and prepaid cards and emerging and alternative payments. We are excited to welcome 34 new Accredited Payments Risk Professional (APRPs) into the EPCOR family! Congratulations to the following: Max Anderson, APRP of Embers Credit Union Melissa Asher, AAP, APRP of EPCOR Crystal Bilquist, APRP of Hawthorn ...

Ask Hoot-E: Implementing Organization-Wide Payments Education

By Hoot-E posted 10-03-2025
Special thanks to @Marcy Cauthon , AAP, AFPP, APRP, NCP, Senior Director, On-Demand Education for helping me write this blog! EPCOR saw strong growth in 2024 and 2025 in the number of members purchasing the Electronic Resource License , which provides an organization’s entire staff access to on-demand payments education courses. With the license, organizations can access over 125 on-demand courses and recorded webinars. While courses are also available individually, the license provides a comprehensive ...

From Chaos to Clarity: How Documentation Impacts Audit Results

By Amy Donaghue posted 10-03-2025
The old saying “garbage in, garbage out” holds true when it comes to audit results. Most audit processes require organizations to provide a list of requested documents for review by your auditor(s). Based on experience, if the staff handling the documentation is unfamiliar with your processes, policies, procedures, system capabilities or supporting materials, it can increase the risk of audit findings. Experienced staff offer the advantage of providing documentation that is accurate, complete and well-organized, helping audits run more smoothly and efficiently. Yet, many organizations unintentionally make mistakes that can slow down the process or lead to audit ...

Defend, Detect, Educate: Cybersecurity Awareness Month

By Hoot-E posted 10-03-2025
October marks Cybersecurity Awareness Month , a national initiative aimed at highlighting the importance of protecting personal and organizational data against an ever-evolving landscape of threats. For financial institutions, this month serves as both a reminder and a call to action: fraudsters are constantly innovating, and defending against them requires vigilance, education and the right tools. Fraud tactics shift with technology, but many schemes remain effective because they exploit human behavior, system gaps and outdated security practices. Some of the most prevalent threats financial institutions face today include: Phishing and Business ...

Navigating the Future of Payments: Insights from the Faster Payments Council Meeting

By Brandie Thacker posted 09-19-2025
I recently had the privilege of attending the Faster Payments Council Meeting , an event that always provides invaluable insights into the evolving landscape of financial services. I'm excited to share some of my key takeaways, particularly as they relate to our work at EPCOR and the broader industry. The Global Perspective: U.S. vs. The World A recurring theme was how other countries have surpassed the U.S. in faster payments adoption, even when faced with significant challenges. For example, in Indonesia, nearly a third of the population is unbanked, yet their faster payments infrastructure has flourished. This highlights that while the U.S. ...

Five Imperatives for Payments Strategy in 2026 and Beyond

By Brandie Thacker posted 09-15-2025
I’ve been in the payments game for a long time, and constant change is the one thing you can always count on. But what we’ve seen in the last five years is different. It’s been a perfect storm of digital adoption and groundbreaking innovation. With a click, the pandemic forced us all into a digital-first mindset. At the same time, Fintechs and new payment rails like FedNow ® have come in, not just to compete, but to redefine what’s possible. For the rest of us, the question isn’t if we need to change, but how quickly we can. This isn't just about keeping up; it's about navigating a new reality where traditional playbooks are being torn up. As you shape ...

Help Your Originators Stop Fraud Before It Hits Payroll Friday

By Jess Bee posted 09-15-2025
It’s Friday morning, and you stroll into the office at 8 AM, hot coffee in hand and high hopes for an easy day before the upcoming weekend. Those hopes are dashed when you spot two missed calls and a frantic message from an Originator. Anyone who’s worked in ACH operations knows the sinking feeling : early morning calls on payday almost always mean trouble. Your Originator has fallen victim to corporate account takeover. A fraudster hacked into their online banking, added a fraudulent employee to their payroll template and was able to originate a $5,000 credit to their account at another financial institution. Immediately, you should contact the RDFI ...

Outsmarting Scammers Starts with Three Simple Habits

By Hoot-E posted 09-15-2025
Fraud is sneaky. It doesn’t always show up as a shady-looking email full of typos anymore. Today’s scammers are polished, fast and creative — and they count on catching you off guard. The good news? Protecting yourself doesn’t require fancy tools or a cybersecurity degree. It comes down to three everyday habits: Stop. Think. Verify. Why Scams Work Most scams succeed because they trigger emotion before logic. A text that says “Your account is locked!” makes you panic. An email that says “Pay this bill immediately or lose service” pushes you into fear mode. Even a message that looks like it came from a friend can tug at your ...

Request for Information (RFI) on Potential Actions to Address Payments Fraud

By Shelly Sipple posted 08-29-2025
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and Federal Reserve issued a Request for Information (RFI) on June 16, 2025, related to payments fraud. The RFI offers interested stakeholders the opportunity to: (1) Identify potential areas for improvement in mitigating payments fraud and (2) Suggest actions these agencies could take collectively or independently to assist consumers, businesses and financial institutions mitigate check, ACH, wire and instant payments fraud. Comments are due September 18, 2025.   We worked with the EPCOR ...

Ask Hoot-E: Faster Payments Means Faster Growth for Your Organization

By Hoot-E posted 08-29-2025
Special thanks to @Sharon Hallmark , AAP, AFPP, APRP, Director, Payments Education for helping me write this blog! The payments landscape is undergoing a seismic shift. With nearly 1,500 financial institutions joining the Federal Reserve’s FedNow ® Service since its launch in July of 2023, and the continued expansion of The Clearing House’s RTP ® N etwork , financial institutions of all sizes have an unprecedented opportunity to transform how they deliver value, ...

Member Appreciation Month: YOU Cooked Up Magic! ✨

By Hoot-E posted 08-29-2025
What a feast of fun Member Appreciation Month has been! From sizzling food debates and laugh-out-loud MadLibs to foodie detective challenges and mouthwatering recipe sharing, YOU made this celebration unforgettable! We’ve been stirring up excitement all month long — and just like every great recipe, our members are the main ingredient that makes it all come together . Thanks to you, every contest was full of flavor. Here’s a look back at the winning dishes and delights: For Week 1, you weighed in on some of the most debated food questions, and the results were deliciously surprising! Pineapple on pizza: 60% voted yes. 🍍🍕 Milkshakes and ...

Welcome to our newest members! 🥳

By Hoot-E posted 08-28-2025
We have welcomed an additional eight new members into the EPCOR family! Please join us in welcoming the following: AgVantis in Wichita, KS Bank of Steinauer in Steinauer, NE FocusOne Mortgage in Houston, TX Gusdorf Law Firm, LLC in St. Louis, MO JPMorgan Chase in New York, NY Premier Banking Consultants in Mount Washington, KY SRA Consulting LLC in Glen Allen, VA Wilmington Savings Bank in Wilmington, OH

2025 Payments Institute Scholarship Winner Shares Insights and Experience

By Hoot-E posted 08-15-2025
Scholarship winner Leah Thomas (center) with EPCOR staff members @Casey Demma (left) and @Myranda Brown (right). Leah Thomas, AAP is our 2025 Payments Institute (TPI) scholarship winner! At FORUM Credit Union, Leah is a vital part of her institution, managing ACH exceptions, disputes, stop payments, wire processing and much more to keep daily operations running smoothly. She recently wrapped up her time at Nacha’s Payments Institute in Atlanta, GA, from July 13–16, and we can’t wait to share the highlights from her experience. Leah described her TPI experience as refreshingly different from other conferences she’s attended. ...

Mobile Deposit Due Diligence for Consumers: Is That a Thing?

By Raven Smith posted 08-14-2025
When financial institutions think about due diligence for Remote Deposit Capture (RDC), the conversation almost always centers on business users. It's easy to see why: larger check values and volumes make commercial RDC users feel like the apparent risk. But What About Consumers? Today, mobile deposit is typically considered a standard feature for consumer checking accounts. Financial institutions often provide access by default when mobile banking is enabled or after a brief enrollment process. So, where exactly does due diligence fit in? What Do the Rules Say? The 2009 FFIEC Risk Management of Remote Deposit Capture ...