Federal Reserve System: Mandated Report on Potential Conflicts of Interest
Abstract
This report responds to a mandate in the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 1999 for us to study the potential conflicts of interest faced by the Federal Reserve System (Federal Reserve) in its role as a central bank, payment services provider, and regulator of the banking system. The payments system is the system of mechanisms, both paper-based and electronic, for moving funds among financial institutions throughout the nation. In this report, we discuss the Federal Reserve's role in providing check collection and automated clearing house (ACH) services, which are often referred to as retail payments. To encourage competition between the Federal Reserve and private sector providers of payment services, the Monetary Control Act of 1980 (MCA) requires that the Federal Reserve charge fees for payment services that it once provided to its members free of charge.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 2000
- Accession Number
- ADA383823
Entities
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office