Representatives from Federal Reserve Financial Services (FRFS) engaged with payment industry professionals across a number of spring events. These conferences offered opportunities to better understand and collaborate on timely and trending topics, such as growing instant payment adoption, fraud trends, data sharing and risk mitigation approaches, advancing security through interbank connectivity using ISO® 20022 industry standards, and more.
Here’s a look at key insights and themes from several spring conferences.
Nacha® Smarter Faster Payments® 2026
The Nacha Smarter Faster Payments 2026 conference (Off-site) was held this April in San Diego, bringing together a diverse mix of attendees — from banks and credit unions to fintech providers and core processors — to explore the latest developments in faster payments.
FRFS representatives actively contributed to these conversations through multiple panel discussions, sessions and topical talks on a range of topics, including instant payment use cases and fraud detection (such as artificial intelligence-based solutions). Sessions also focused on advancing the use of ISO 20222 to enable richer data and greater automation, as well as challenges and opportunities in building a faster, more secure payments ecosystem.
Fraud was a standout topic. Industry leaders shared recent fraud trends and emphasized the need for collaboration, education and smarter detection tools. FRFS experts contributed to conversations about consumer protection and how behavioral monitoring and real-time alerts can support early intervention.
The FRFS booth in the exhibit hall allowed attendees to learn more about timely FRFS payment innovations and upcoming support tools. Attendees also got to see a demo of the newly announced FedNow® Service network intelligence API.
Across all sessions, the Fed emphasized transparency, accessibility and partnership as essential pillars for moving the U.S. payment system forward.
Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) LIVE
In March, FRFS representatives participated at ICBA LIVE (Off-site) in Las Vegas. This annual conference of the Independent Community Bankers of America brought together community bankers, core service providers, fintechs and others to address key issues facing community banks and explore strategies for advocacy, growth and innovation. Attendees were encouraged to attend two FRFS “Meet the Expert” sessions:
- Staci Shatsoff discussed how the FraudClassifierSM (Off-site) and ScamClassifierSM (Off-site) models create a common language for consistent fraud tracking and accelerate feedback loops and response across payment types. She also highlighted FRFS’ Scams and Check Fraud Mitigation toolkits.
- Lance Wagner led a discussion on how send-side instant payment strategies can help community banks unlock new revenue, improve member satisfaction and streamline operations.
Mark Gould, FRFS chief payments executive, moderated the panel “Delivering Customer Value with Instant Payments,” which dove into how instant payments are transforming customer experiences and creating new opportunities for community banks. FRFS also had a booth in the exhibit hall to provide a hub for continued conversations on these topics and the Fed’s payment system improvement efforts.
America’s Credit Unions Governmental Affairs Conference (GAC)
The annual America’s Credit Unions Governmental Affairs Conference (GAC) (Off-site) was held in Washington, D.C. in March. GAC is the largest annual gathering of credit union advocates and brings together leaders and federal policymakers to network and advocate for policies, strength and well-being of credit unions, as well as innovation in financial services more broadly.
During an Industry Trends session, Lance Wagner shared with the credit union audience insights on turning instant payments into a strategic advantage for their institutions, while also overcoming instant payment adoption challenges such as fraud risk, liquidity management and partner readiness.
Attendees learned more about the FedNow Service and other service offerings when they visited FRFS booth in the conference’s exhibit hall.
Looking ahead
These spring conferences underscored the industry’s collective commitment to advancing the U.S. payment system. Federal Reserve Financial Services remains dedicated to engaging with stakeholders, sharing insights and collaborating on the future of payments.
Stay connected
Explore upcoming events and FRFS participation on our Industry Events page.
Note: The Federal Reserve Banks do not sponsor or endorse any of the non-Federal Reserve Bank-related products, parties or entities mentioned in this publication. “Smarter Faster Payments” is a registered trademark of Nacha – The Electronic Payments Association.
