Immediate funds transfer (IFT) is a highly convenient, certain, secure, and economical means of payment using bank money. IFT is not available in the U.S. banking system, except for large-value business payments, interbank transfers, and specialized financial market transactions. This article...

This paper addresses concerns that the U.S. payment system is not keeping up with the rest of the digital economy in providing new methods of payment that give consumers immediate access to and use of their deposits held in accounts with banks and other deposit-taking institutions ("banks" for...