Glossary · Banking

Banking terms in the payments glossary

How banks hold and move money behind the scenes — correspondent banking, routing numbers, and how deposit insurance passes through to customers.

Correspondent banking

The arrangement where one bank holds accounts and executes payments for another, enabling cross-border transfers between banks with no direct relationship.

Pass-through deposit insurance

FDIC coverage that extends through a custodial account to the underlying owners of the funds, when the FDIC’s pass-through conditions are met.

Routing number

The nine-digit code that identifies a US financial institution on payment rails — it tells ACH, Fedwire, and check systems where an account lives.