Executive order phases out U.S. Treasury paper checks

https://bankingjournal.aba.com/2025/03/executive-order-phases-out-u-s-treasury-paper-checks/

by walterbell • 1 year ago

14 15 1 year ago

bankingjournal.aba.com

toomuchtodo3• 1 year ago

This sounds reasonable with FedNow being live (which the Treasury was a founding member of when they went live)?

EO: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/mode...

Edit: They're centralizing control of payment flows.

(e) The Secretary of the Treasury shall support agencies’ transition to digital payment methods, including by providing access through the Department of the Treasury’s centralized payment systems to: (i) direct deposits; (ii) debit and credit card payments; (iii) digital wallets and real-time payment systems; and (iv) other modern electronic payment options.

Gigachad• 1 year ago

Is an executive order the correct way to go about this though? Aren’t they for handling emergencies?

toomuchtodo3• 1 year ago

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Executive_order

Not just for emergencies, although etiquette would’ve dictated a federal agency proposing the EO before being issued by POTUS.

voidfunc• 1 year ago

Executive orders being for emergencies went out the window ages ago.

Henchman21• 1 year ago

The emergency is that Congress has given up its duties.

cyanydeez3• 1 year ago

Sounds reasonable if the current regime wasn't a bunch of kleptocrats.

lastres0rt• 1 year ago

Don't trust the government, and THIS administration especially, with my account and routing numbers.

cyanydeez3• 1 year ago

Not trusting the government is how you get Russia.

There's obviously a nuanced position to build a government that is trustworthy, but we've ignored that for the sake of greed, racism and other human vices.

piva00• 1 year ago

Unfortunately the US government has always been a government for people who do not want to be governed, if you view it from that lens it's much easier to understand the idiosyncrasies of the system.

I don't think it's possible for the USA to move into a high civics-educated, high-trust society, those are cornerstones for a society to have a government made up of representatives of the population's interests, in turn earning respect.

The relationship between USA's population and its government is absolutely adversarial, making it very easy for financial elites to exploit the common people. Tack on top of that the power corporations have developed over the government since the 1980s and you get contemporary USA.

MPSFounder• 1 year ago

While this is reasonable, the means through which it is achieved is very concerning. Let us remember that this executive overreach is currently denying some legal residents their first amendment rights (for protesting against a hostile foreign nation), and is impairing funding for universities. While paper checks might lead to fraud, enforcing electronic payments deny citizens once again a form of liberty. Banks fold pretty easily at the whim of an autocrat, so you get "less control" over spending your money. Ultimately, there has to be balance between ownership and privacy (which is achieved through cash and checks for instance), and electronic payments (ultimate control, at the mercy of banks, a working connection, a valid bank account etc). The greater the requirements, the less free you are. Although given recent events, freedom itself comes with fine marks (no research on vaccines, no criticism of Is--ll). I care deeply about this community, so I recommend most HN users diversify your savings (do not just put everything into one account. Freezing bank assets can be done real easily (and remotely) and can destroy lives). Also, be very mindful of any criticism of the current admin (if you are a Federal employee) or of a foreign nation (I---l). AI is currently being used to find keywords and track down dissent. I know two recent graduates who were hired in the last two weeks, moved to D-si and are working on these (currently focused on federal employees and International/legal residents that are critical of current admin and I---l). Try using alternative words and a VPN at the VERY least

chris_wot• 1 year ago

"You know I like a check better than this modern system of all of a sudden there is money in your account, and nobody knows... I like signing a check." - Donald Trump

sebazzz• 1 year ago

This is good right? In Europe the eurocheque was already on the decline in 1982 (!), almost not being used anymore in 1998 and finally phased out in 2002.

For a country with so much tech, being the proverbial mother to so much of the tech we use today, it honestly suprises me how old fashioned it is.

We almost have a European webshop payment system, a eID for online authentication against governments, etc.

Executive order phases out U.S. Treasury paper checks

Related Stories