Financial Institution Data Match (FIDM) Services
Background: Financial Institution Data Match (FIDM)
The law required States to enter into agreements with financial institutions conducting business within the State for the purpose of conducting a quarterly data match. The data match is intended to identify financial accounts held in banks, credit unions, money market mutual funds, etc., belonging to parents who are delinquent in the payment of their child support obligation. When a match is identified, State CSE programs may issue liens or levies (referred to in the statute as "freeze and seize" procedures) on the accounts of that delinquent obligor to collect the past-due child support.
Multistate Financial Institution Data Match (FIDM)
In the Child Support Performance and Incentive Act of 1998, (P.L. 105-200), Congress made it easier for multistate financial institutions (MSFIs) to match records by allowing OCSE, through the Federal Parent Locator Service, to assist States in conducting data matches with MSFIs. When matches are made, the information is sent to the States within 48 hours for placement of a lien on and seizure of all or part of the accounts identified. States are using their expedited procedures to seize the accounts and thereby force debtor noncustodial parents to meet their child support obligations.
Instate Financial Institution Data Match (FIDM)
With the introduction of FIDM, CSE agencies must conduct quarterly matches with hundreds of single-State FIs operating within their State. State agencies also must participate in matching at the Federal level with thousands of MSFIs and process tens of thousands of matches resulting in collections through account seizures. State agencies also engage in interstate processing to identify and seize accounts located in another State. In addition, they engage in outreach activities to solicit the cooperation of FIs, perform customer service to address the concerns of delinquent obligors whose access to financial assets have been disrupted, and develop automated systems to routinely process and manage large numbers of cases.
CSLN Financial Institution Data Match (FIDM) Services
Provide financial deposit account(s), information or other financial asset instrument(s) information that has been obtained from an instate bank, credit union or other financial institution matching to a CSLN delinquent obligor record. Process financial deposit account(s), information or other financial asset instrument(s) information that has been obtained from a multistate bank, credit union or other financial institution matching to a child support delinquent obligor record. CSLN will provide the following FIDM services:
- Professional Outreach Services to Financial Institutions to encourage participation in FIDM Process
- Interface CSLN delinquent obligor files with financial deposit accounts and other financial asset instruments of the delinquent obligor on deposit with instate banks, credit unions and financial institutions.
- Process FIDM file results matched against financial institutions
- Provide information back to the state via website
- Provide member with lien document functionality on website
- Provide for Various Reporting Formats on website
- Provide electronic files to member to update state CSE systems (if desired)
- Provide lien document creation / tracking functions similar to CSLN functions
Brief Historical Overview
Federal welfare reform was designed to ensure that parents take a fair share of the responsibility for the financial support of their children. Federal law, Public Law 104-193, the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA), includes numerous enforcement tools intended to increase child support collections.
Federal law, 42 United States Code section 666 (a)(17)(A), requires each state, in cooperation with the financial institutions operating in that state, to develop and operate a data match program. Quarterly, each financial institution doing business in the state will provide the name, record address, social security number, and other identifying information for each delinquent obligor who maintains an account at such institution and who owes past-due child support.
Two Types of Data Matching Available
State FIDM personnel will work with financial institutions to conduct data matches and provide that data to the Child Support Agency to identify accounts of delinquent obligors. A financial institution may choose the type of data matching that best suits its needs from the following two options:
Data Match Method One
Under Method One (all accounts method), the financial institution submits a file containing all open accounts. This file is matched against the child support records of delinquent obligors. The data matches are done using data specifications approved by the Federal Office of Child Support Enforcement.
Data Match Method Two
Under Method Two, (matched accounts method) the financial institution receives a file containing child support enforcement records of delinquent obligors, matches the files against all open accounts, and returns a file of matched records. The data matches are done using data specifications approved by the Federal Office of Child Support Enforcement.
Contact the Child Support Lien Network for more information:888-240-7488
contact@childsupportliens.com