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Account Services Frequently Asked Questions

Federal Reserve Financial Services is committed to providing the answers and information you need. Answers to many of our customers most frequently asked questions can be found using the links below.

If your question is not answered by the information provided on the site, My FedDirectorySM provides a comprehensive list of service and support contacts who can assist you.

General

Account Management Information

Cash Management Services

Computer Interface Intra-Day File

Statement of Account Spreadsheet File

Billing Questions

Q: What Accounting Information Services (AIS) offerings are available in the respective FedLine Customer Access Services?

A: Please see the product matrix.

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Q: What are the advantages of the AIS?

A: Advantages are:

  • The Account Management Information (AMI) application is available through FedLine Web and FedLine Advantage and is an instrumental tool in helping institutions manage and reconcile accounting information on a real-time basis. Through AMI, account holders and subaccounts can access real-time account balance, daylight overdraft, and available funds information. Account holders and subaccounts can utilize the search feature of AMI and drill down from summary information to individual detail. All institutions can access real-time notifications, statement of account offerings, and Cash Management Services Basic (CMS Basic) reports. AMI is an excellent solution for all institutions.
  • CMS Plus may provide the information needed for account holders. CMS Plus files include transaction details and help financial institutions to confirm and reconcile accounting transactions in a timely manner. Also, account holders can receive the Computer Interface Intra-day file (CI Intra-Day File) with transaction details through a Computer Interface (CI) connection.
  • For institutions that reconcile their account the next business day, the end-of-day statement may provide the information needed. All institutions can receive the end-of-day statement in a print format via FedMail or in a PDF format via AMI.
  • Account holders and subaccounts can also subscribe to receive the Financial Institution Reconcilement Data (FIRD), and account holders can subscribe to the Statement of Account Spreadsheet File (SASF). The FIRD and SASF also provide transaction details for Fedwire Fund and Fedwire Securities. The FIRD file is available via AMI and/or a CI connection, and the SASF is available via AMI.
  • The Service Charge Information (SCI) application is available through FedLine Web/FedLine Advantage and is an instrumental tool in helping institutions manage and reconcile Federal Reserve service charges. SCI integrates summary and detail data, which is refreshed monthly after the close of business on the fifth business day. Various views allow institutions to review and analyze statement data in a flexible and user-friendly presentation.

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Q: What are the advantages of receiving the statement via FedMail?

A: Organizations without AMI access and who only need a copy of the print-image statement, may find FedMail e-mail is a good option for receiving the statement.

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Q: What is a notification?

A: A notification provides supplemental information (such as original cash letter, one day, two day, and three day totals) about an entry that posted to the institution’s account. This information is available once the transaction has posted to our accounting system.

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Q: Who should have Account Management Information (AMI) access?

A: Staff members who perform account management, cash management, and reconcilement functions should have access to AMI.

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Q: How do I enroll in AMI Services?

A: To subscribe to the AMI application via FedLine Web, you must complete an End User Authorization Contact (EUAC) form, if one is not already on file. In addition to the EUAC form, a Federal Reserve Bank External Subscriber Request Form must be submitted for each user. Detailed enrollment instructions are available at the following URL:

http://www.frbservices.org/servicesetup/access/fedline_web_setup.html

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Q: Can a respondent have access to real-time information via AMI?

A: Intra-day drill-down and search inquiries are not available for respondents. A respondent can, however, view its individual CMS Basic report and retrieve IAS notifications via AMI. End-of-day statements are also available to respondents. Statements can be retrieved via AMI or received via FedMail.

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Q: What resources are available to assist with educating my staff on AMI and/or CMS?

A: Online learning tools are available which provide detailed instructions on the use of AMI, CMS, and SCI.

Reference guides will provide the institution with information that will assist them in understanding how to use the accounting tools to obtain account information. Reference guides available consist of:

  • AMI User Guide (AMI Home Page – need credential to access)
  • SCI User Guide (SCI Home Page – need credential to access)
  • Account Management Guide (PDF)

Additional information can be obtained from the Federal Reserve Banks’ Financial Services public site under Service Offerings Account Services at www.frbservices.org.

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Q: What are Cash Management Services (CMS)?

A: CMS provides summary and/or detail intra-day account information. CMS Basic reports are available real-time via AMI. CMS Plus is available up to six times daily for subscribing institutions. The CI Intra-Day file is available up to six times through a CI connection. Financial institutions choose the times to receive the CMS Plus and CI Intra-Day files. Cash Management is available in three levels:

  • CMS Basic via AMI offers summarized information at the service category level (excluding Fedwire Funds and Fedwire Securities) in five different reports, including the Own Activity Report, Subaccount/Respondent Recap Reports, and Individual Subaccount/Respondent Reports.
  • CMS Plus, via AMI only, offers details for all transactions (excluding Fedwire Funds and Fedwire Securities) in an ASCII file format that can be downloaded and easily opened in spreadsheet software such as Excel®.
  • CI Intra-Day File, via a CI connection only, offers details for all transactions (excluding Fedwire Funds and Fedwire Securities) in a file format similar to the FIRD.

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Q: What are the benefits of CMS?

A: CMS reports allow you to streamline internal processes to help manage, confirm and/or reconcile real-time account information for the institution’s account, subaccounts and respondents, if applicable.

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Q: What are the advantages of using CMS Plus?

A: CMS Plus is available to account holders only and makes it easier for customers to reconcile accounting entries by presenting a consistent format and level of detail. CMS Plus allows customers to download details in a spreadsheet format using software such as Microsoft Excel® up to six times daily. Institutions can subscribe to a CMS Plus Own report (includes activity for own ABA and does not include activity for respondents/subaccounts), or the CMS Plus with all activity (includes activity for own ABA and respondents/subaccounts).

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Q: What are the advantages of using the CI Intra-Day file?

A: The CI Intra-Day File is available to account holders and make it easier for customers to reconcile accounting entries by presenting a consistent format and level of detail. The CI Intra-Day file is available up to six times daily and allows customers to receive transaction details unsolicited in a format similar to the FIRD. The file includes all details posted to the institution’s account up to the time the file was generated for all activity, excluding Fedwire Funds and Fedwire Securities.

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Q: What are the advantages of subscribing to the Statement of Account Spreadsheet File (SASF)?

A: The institution can download and/or open the SASF in software such as Microsoft Excel®, which allows the institution to streamline their reconcilement and posting functions.

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Q: Who should have Service Charge Information (SCI) access?

A: Institutions subject to receiving a monthly service charge from the Federal Reserve Banks should have SCI access. Staff members who reconcile monthly billing information should have SCI access.

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Q: What are the advantages of SCI?

A: SCI is available through FedLine Web/FedLine Advantage and provides both detailed and summarized billing statement information, eliminating the need to receive multiple billing statements. SCI provides the capability to drill down from summary information through various levels of detail, including comprehensive details about adjustment and reversal transactions processed during the monthly billing cycle. SCI also provides a snapshot of the institution’s earnings credits history for the past year. In addition, SCI stores three months of billing information and provides the capability to download details in a spreadsheet format using software such as Microsoft Excel®.

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Q: What are the advantages of the Billing Data Format File(BDFF)?

A: The BDFF is in a machine readable format that allows the institution to automate the billing reconcilement function.

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