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by Kas Stewart, SVP & AAP

Let’s talk cents!! We all know that no more pennies will be minted. So, what happens  now? There are billions of pennies still in circulation - one estimate is that there are 426 pennies for every person. There was a surge in demand for pennies, so there may be hoarding rather than circulation of pennies. Pennies are still considered legal tender, and The Federal Reserve is monitoring supplies weekly. The Federal Reserve is still accepting penny deposits, but as distribution centers run out of supplies, they will stop accepting deposits, so there may be shortages and businesses may begin rounding up to the nearest nickel or only accepting card payments.  Bankers can promote circulation by removing any barriers to consumer deposits like wrapped coin only.

2026 ACH Rule Changes: Detailed information is available on the NACHA website: NACHA.org. Search for New Rules and Risk Management Framework.   

There are various deadlines and, in some instances, particular groups that are targeted.  

NACHA will be requiring real time fraud monitoring in 2026. There has been a noticeable change in credit push transactions. This will become a part of the annual ACH audit and processes and procedures need to be in place.  

Two Standard Entry Descriptions are also changing. Wages, salaries or any other type of compensation will need to be PAYROLL and e-commerce transactions will now be PURCHASE. Begin working with your originators now as the deadline is “No Later Than” March 20, 2026.  

Faster Payments are always on the radar, but with the announcement from the U.S. Treasury Department that some payments will be made using FedNow, there is an expectation that interest in implementing this customer service product may increase. Where are you in this journey?  Have you vetted providers?

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