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SAG-AFTRA’s initiative with payment-processing company Exactuals to provide direct deposit of members’ residuals has been enormously successful, marking 1 million deposits. Under the system, nearly $200 million has been deposited directly into members’ bank accounts since it launched nationally on May 1, 2019.

It’s welcome news for many members who have had to cope with the shutdown of production due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For some performers, residuals have been a lifeline, allowing them to weather these unprecedented times, while having payments securely deposited.

“Direct deposit of residuals has been a huge success for SAG-AFTRA and our members,” said SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris. “Ensuring consistent and rapid payment is a core function of the union, and direct deposit guarantees members get paid efficiently and securely, no matter where they are. Thank you to SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director David White for his vision on this critical member resource and to our staff who have worked so hard to make this vision real for our members every day.” 

“This year has offered multiple challenges for our industry, from COVID-19 to postal service delays and the catastrophic wildfires up and down the West Coast,” said SAG-AFTRA National Director David White. “Direct deposit reduces the risk that payments are not received or could go uncashed and allows our members peace of mind, knowing that they will receive their residuals. We thank our terrific partners at Exactuals, who have made the process seamless.” 

“City National has a long history of serving the entertainment industry, and direct deposit of residual payments is the latest example of our commitment to provide clients better, faster and more efficient service,” said Kelly Coffey, chief executive officer of City National Bank, which acquired Exactuals in 2018. “The benefits of direct deposit for payors and payees have never been clearer — especially during this unprecedented time. Powered by Exactuals’ PaymentHub and supported by City National Bank’s trusted infrastructure, SAG-AFTRA is able to confidently move millions of payments quickly, safely and securely. It also has increased efficiency for our clients in the business management community, allowing them to focus on their clients rather than spending time scanning and matching paper checks and statements. City National and Exactuals are proud to work with SAG-AFTRA on this landmark process.”

SAG-AFTRA processes nearly 5 million residuals checks for 270,000 people per year and led the efforts to make direct deposit of residuals a reality. The union joined forces with respected payment-processing firm Exactuals to create a secure and stable method for members to easily receive their residual payments.

“Direct deposit has provided environmental benefits as well, with more than 6 million sheets of paper eliminated from the process to date,” said Mike Hurst, CEO of Exactuals. “Studios and payroll companies are also seeing significant cost savings and increased efficiency as the industry moves to a paperless payment ecosystem. SAG-AFTRA has led the deployment of direct deposit for union members, and we are proud to report the system is scaled, secure and proven. This effort has truly been a win for all stakeholders in the industry.”

About SAG-AFTRA
SAG-AFTRA represents approximately 160,000 actors, announcers, broadcast journalists, dancers, DJs, news writers, news editors, program hosts, puppeteers, recording artists, singers, stunt performers, voiceover artists and other entertainment and media professionals. SAG AFTRA members are the faces and voices that entertain and inform America and the world. A proud affiliate of the AFL-CIO, SAG-AFTRA has national offices in Los Angeles and New York and local offices nationwide representing members working together to secure the strongest protections for entertainment and media artists into the 21st century and beyond. Visit SAG-AFTRA online at www.sagaftra.org

About Exactuals
Exactuals, founded in 2011, is a Software as a Service (SaaS) company modernizing the way the entertainment industry makes payments, including residuals, royalties, marketplace payments and similarly complex transactions. Recognizing clear rights ownership information is a central issue for accurate licensing and ultimately payment, the company recently introduced RAI, a software development kit and open API, which programmatically improves IP metadata. Exactuals is headquartered in Los Angeles with offices in Nashville and New York. Exactuals is an RBC company and a wholly owned subsidiary of City National Bank Member FDIC. For more information, please visit www.exactuals.com. 

About City National
With $70.3 billion in assets, City National Bank provides banking, investment and trust services through locations in Southern California, the San Francisco Bay Area, Nevada, New York City, Nashville, Atlanta, Minneapolis, Washington, D.C., and Miami*. In addition, the company and its investment affiliates manage or administer $81.3 billion in client investment assets

.City National is a subsidiary of Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), one of North America’s leading diversified financial services companies. RBC serves more than 17 million personal, business, public sector and institutional clients through offices in Canada, the United States and 34 other countries.

For more information about City National, visit the company’s website at www.cnb.com.