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Every day there is a team of people at CU*Answers assuring your credit union is running at optimal efficiency. This team is OpsEngine.
OpsEngine is a dynamic function at the heart of credit union business. Our team assures your credit union members are able to transact business. Reliable performance, efficient design, flexible implementation, scalable solutions, increased security, maximized uptime. These are the qualities that OpsEngine is known for.
For years, credit unions had no reason to work on Sundays. Members stayed home, stores were closed and there was no internet. Along came technology, changing the way we do business. Members shop 24 hours a day. Businesses are open 7 days a week. Members shop everywhere and everyday. All of this changed the way credit unions perform. The world has changed the way we think.
Dedicated to Your Future – What’s This Site All About
- Reliable performance
- Efficient design
- Flexible implementation
- Scalable solutions
- Increased security
- Maximized uptime
CU*Answers is dedicated to the future of data processing. OpsEngine has dedicated our time, technical resources and talented staff to the ability to serve your members 24 hours a day 7 days a week. This website is dedicated to our major business approaches. Here you will find information relative to what is changing, how things are changing, when things are changing and what all of this means to you, our credit unions and your members. Stay tuned to this site for updates and web conference recordings all intended to assure you receive the most current information, when you need it.
ACH Updates
Updates about upcoming changes in ACH processing will be posted here as a discussion. Most recent changes include:
- 9/23/16: Same-Day credit entries made available by close of business day.
- 9/15/17: Same-day credit and debit entries available by close of business day.
- 3/16/18: Same-day credit and debit entries by 5:00pm local time.
Same-Day ACH: Additional Rules In Effect on 9/20/19
Rules adopted by NACHA (National Automated Clearing House Association) will be enacted by the FRB (Federal Reserve Bank) effective September 20, 2019. This is part of an ongoing initiative by NACHA to move payments more quickly through the ACH network. This particular change will impact same-day credit items included in the file for 12:00pm ET target distribution. On 9/20/19, these credits will need to be posted by 1:30pm local time.
In the May 2019 release, CU*Answers included the infrastructure to handle a fourth ACH posting configuration. If you check your ACH Posting Controls Configuration, you will already see four posting configurations – but the second one is inaccessible and set to ‘Do not post any items’ – for now.
On Monday, July 22, OpsEngine will begin bringing in the 10:30am ET deadline files when they are available or shortly after noon. This will mean that you will see an earlier RACHXX report; however, the items will be posted at their regular time in the afternoon (5:00pm ET target deadline).
We anticipate that on September 9, this configuration will be active and will be defaulted initially to ‘Post credits only’. At that point, you will begin seeing four daily postings:
- Run 1: Posting of FRB file with 6:00am ET target distribution; we generally complete this by 5:30am ET.
- Run 2: Posting of FRB file with 12:00pm ET target distribution; this will be posted by 1:30pm ET effective 9/20/19. [COMING SOON!]
- Run 3: Posting of FRB file with 4:00pm ET target distribution; this is posted by 5:00pm ET.
- Run 4: Posting of FRB file with 10:00pm ET target distribution; this is posted by close of processing day. ***NOTE: This is currently received and posted with Run 1 in the early morning. When this change goes into effect, reports for this posting will cycle through out-queue routing and will not be in your DAILYXX print queue in the morning.
Other Upcoming Changes
Watch for details on the following changes based on changes in rules and regulations for ACH processing as the dates for these items draw closer.
- 3/20/20 – Per-transaction dollar limit increases to $100,000.
- 3/19/21 – Additional same-day item processing window to be added. The objective is to allow same-day item file transmission deadlines to be extended to 4:45pm ET.
CU*Answers Response to Our Ability to Perform Business in an Online World
Time Zone Processing, Processing 7 Days a Week, Enhancements to ACH Processes and Remote Deposit Capture in Near Real Time are all ways OpsEngine Teams are making your credit union accessible to members 24 hours a day. 7 Days a Week.
Processing – the 24 in 24/7
We are continuing to make major changes in our processing approach to help you keep up with the speed of business today. We are focused on making our processing environment work for you for as much of the day as we can. We call it Time Zone Processing, and it’s designed so that no matter where you are, we’re working on your schedule.
Processing Seven Days a Week – the 7 in 24/7
Business and life do not stop on Sunday; neither should your credit union. While you may not open your doors on Sunday, we will continue to serve your members effectively, consistently, and securely no matter what day it is – so we’re adding Sunday Processing. We’re focused on your business 24/7, 365 days a year.
