SAN DIEGO—It’s already been a busy year for Nacha and the ACH Network, but with more than half still to come this is no time to unbuckle your seat belt.

“2026 has a lot in store, from new Rules to innovations, making it an especially impressive year,” Jane Larimer, Nacha President and CEO, told Smarter Faster Payments 2026 attendees at the April 27 opening session. 

“Risk management is paramount,” said Larimer, and it’s at the heart of a package of new Nacha Rules which began rolling out in March and will continue into June.

One of the new Rules requires Receiving Depository Financial Institutions (RDFIs) to establish and implement risk-based processes and procedures designed to identify credit Entries initiated due to fraud. 

“It really was a sea change to have the receiving banks have a role to play,” said Larimer. 

Sarah Billings, Nacha Board Member, Executive Vice President, Head of Global Payments, PNC Bank, and Payments Conference Planning Committee Chair, agreed. Billings called risk management “the ultimate team sport.”

“We all have to be on our game with risk management. When it comes to risk and fraud unfortunately there’s no single silver bullet,” said Billings. “Everyone has to play their part, from financial institutions to technology providers to the networks themselves. That collective effort is what we need, because the fraudsters are at it 24/7 and we need to be too.”

Larimer also used the session to announce that Nacha members approved a Rule to raise the Same Day ACH per payment limit to $10 million. 

“The industry wanted it. I’m really excited that we can finally provide it,” said Larimer. 

During a wide-ranging discussion, Joe W. Hussey, Nacha Board Chairperson, and Managing Director, Global Payments and Liquidity at Wells Fargo, spoke of the importance of being engaged with Nacha. He said joining the Payments Innovation Alliance is a great way to get involved.

“It doesn’t matter what your level of expertise on any topic is,” said Hussey, noting how topics at a recent Alliance meeting included quantum computing and artificial intelligence. “You didn’t have to be an expert in any of these items to come in. That’s the whole idea of the Alliance, to bring that company together.”

Hussey also spoke of the value of earning Nacha accreditations. “It’s really about building your own brand,” said Hussey. “The accreditation itself shows that initiative and that professional development that I think managers will look for.”