Nacha’s Risk Management Portal: New Features, Updates to the ACH Contact Registry

Published on March 9, 2026




AUTHOR

Eric Wester, AAP, AFPP, APRP, NCP
Director of Member Services
 

Since its launch in 2017, Nacha’s Risk Management Portal (off-site) has become the central hub for ACH Network participants seeking secure, efficient, and consistent access to Nacha’s risk management tools. The Risk Management Portal brings together a range of essential compliance and support functions, including the highly utilized ACH Contact Registry.

Today, the Risk Management Portal is more active than ever. In February 2026, an average of 644 users logged in each day. Financial institutions can designate up to six administrators and create up to 100 user accounts, ensuring broad access across compliance, operations, and risk teams.

The ACH Contact Registry
The ACH Contact Registry remains the most frequently used module in the Risk Management Portal. As of February 2026, the ACH Contact Registry contained 78,103 total contacts, including more than 14,000 ACH Operations contacts, more than 14,000 ACH Risk and Fraud contacts, and over 49,000 optional category contacts.

All financial institutions are encouraged to rely on the ACH Contact Registry as their first stop when attempting to contact another institution regarding any ACH question, issue, or request. Because institutions are responsible for maintaining their information in the ACH Contact Registry, it is the most accurate and up to date source for ACH related contact details. Using the ACH Contact Registry helps institutions reach the right person quickly, reduce delays, and resolve issues more efficiently across the ACH Network.

In the event you encounter bad information, Nacha provides an easy way to report issues such as nonworking phone numbers, invalid email addresses, or lack of response from listed contacts.

To report problematic contact information, follow these steps:

1. Sign into Nacha’s Risk Management Portal (off-site).
2. Once logged in, click the (?) icon near the top-right corner of the screen.
3. From the drop-down menu that appears, click Support Link.
4. Click Report Unsuccessful Contact Attempt(s).
5. Complete the form, then click Send to submit the report to Nacha.

These reports allow Nacha to follow up with the reported institution and request that they update their contact information. This process helps ensure that the ACH Contact Registry remains a dependable tool for the entire network.

Full Suite of Risk Management Tools
Beyond the ACH Contact Registry, Nacha’s Risk Management Portal offers a wide range of tools that support compliance, secure communication, and efficient network operations. The Risk Management Portal serves as a central access point for rules related registrations, including Third-Party Sender Registration and Direct Access Registration, as well as the Terminated Originator Database. It also provides Secure Exchange services that help institutions manage critical communications such as RDFI responses to return requests, RDFI notifications of exceptions to funds availability, IAT requests for information, and the submission of Letters of Indemnity.

The Risk Management Portal also streamlines the audit process by allowing financial institutions to submit their required Proof of Audit attestations directly through the system when they are requested by Nacha to do so. Institutions can submit their own audit attestations or provide attestations on behalf of Third-Party Senders they support. This collection of tools makes the Risk Management Portal an essential resource for maintaining compliance and managing ACH Network responsibilities efficiently.

New Features Coming to the Risk Management Portal in 2026
Nacha plans several enhancements to the Risk Management Portal in 2026 designed to improve communication, transparency, and operational efficiency for financial institutions. These updates include:

Additional Optional Contact Categories
Three new optional contact categories will be added:

• Information Security
• Proof of Authorization
• Exception Processing

Once these are released, institutions will be able to enter optional contacts for a wide range of categories including AML, Check, Compliance, Credit Card, Debit Card, Exception Processing, Faster Payments, IAT, Information Security, Instant Payments, Legal, LOI Processing, OFAC, Proof of Authorization, Treasury Management, and Wire.

Contact Verification
Financial institutions will soon be able to verify their required contacts within the Risk Management Portal. Verification dates will be displayed on the ACH Contact Registry landing page and in the Registration Summary Document, helping institutions demonstrate compliance and maintain accurate records.

ACH Incident Notification
When Nacha identifies an incident that requires network-wide attention, the Risk Management Portal will soon initiate two forms of notification:

• Email to all registered users and contacts
• SMS to any users who voluntarily provided a mobile number

Notifications will direct participants to the ACH Network Information Board inside the Risk Management Portal for more details.

Upcoming Requirement: Mandatory IAT Contacts by January 1, 2027
Beginning January 1, 2027, all financial institutions will be required to register IAT contacts, aligning with existing requirements for ACH Operations and Fraud/Risk Management contacts. Institutions are encouraged to add their IAT contacts early to avoid year-end pressures and ensure a smooth transition.

As a reminder, financial institutions must provide one of the following:

1. Individual contact details that include the name, title, email address, and phone number for both a primary contact person and a secondary contact person, or
2. Department contact information that includes an email address and a working telephone number.

Institutions may enter the same individual for multiple functions if that reflects their internal structure.

Support is Available
Nacha provides dedicated support for the Risk Management Portal. Institutions can contact the support team by phone at (703) 349-4556, and the Portal login screen (off-site) includes helpful FAQs for quick troubleshooting.

As your key partner in understanding electronic payments, our entire team at UMACHA is here to support you. If you have any payments-related questions, please feel free to contact us at info@umacha.org or by phone at (763) 549-7000 – it’s all part of your member benefits!

Stay connected with Eric Wester and UMACHA on LinkedIn!