Federal Reserve Revamps Three Household Surveys; Treasury Sets H2 2026 Late-Payment Rate at 4¾%

Treasury: Prompt-Payment and Contract Disputes Rate, July–December 2026

The Bureau of the Fiscal Service has announced that the prompt-payment interest rate for the period beginning July 1, 2026, and ending on December 31, 2026, is 4‑3/4 per centum per annum. The rate is set by the Secretary of the Treasury under authority granted by the Prompt Payment Act (31 U.S.C. 3902(a)) and section 12 of the Contract Disputes Act of 1978, and it governs interest penalties that federal agencies must pay when they fail to pay business concerns by the required payment date.

The notice explains that an agency that has acquired property or service and failed to pay by the required date shall pay the business concern an interest penalty, and that such penalty must be paid regardless of whether the business concern requested it. The interest penalty accrues from the day after the required payment date and ends on the date on which payment is made, at the rate in effect when the obligation to pay the late-payment penalty accrued.

Federal Reserve: Finance Company Survey Finalized, Effective September 2026

The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System has granted final approval to extend, with revision, the Census of Finance Companies and Other Lenders and Survey of Finance Companies (FR 3033p and FR 3033s; OMB No. 7100-0277) for three years. The revisions are effective for the September 2026 survey.

The FR 3033 collection is a quinquennial two-stage series conducted at a regular five-year interval since 1955. The first stage, the FR 3033p (Census), was revised by the Board in May 2025 and was not revised in this clearance. The second stage, the FR 3033s (Survey), is being revised at this time to improve clarity, simplify the form overall, and collect additional information on the current geographical penetration and online presence of finance companies. The FR 3033s collects balance sheet data on major categories of consumer and business credit receivables and major liabilities, along with income and expenses, and gathers information on the scope of operations and loan and lease activities.

From the universe of finance companies determined by the FR 3033p, a stratified random sample of 3,000 finance companies will be drawn for the FR 3033s. The survey was sent in May 2026 and collects information as of December 31, 2025. The total estimated number of respondents is 8,800, and the total estimated annual burden hours are 3,512. The Board notes a total estimated change in burden of (244) hours. The Board published an initial notice on January 12, 2026 (91 FR 1186) requesting public comment for 60 days; the comment period expired on March 13, 2026, and no comments were received. The data are used to benchmark the consumer and business finance series collected on the monthly Domestic Finance Company Report (FR 2248; OMB No. 7100-0005), which in turn serves as an input to the Finance Companies (G.20), Consumer Credit (G.19), and Financial Accounts of the United States (Z.1) statistical releases.

Federal Reserve: Three Household and Consumer Surveys Open for Public Comment

The Board has simultaneously issued comment requests on three separate household data collections, each with a comment deadline of September 8, 2026.

Ongoing Intermittent Survey of Households (FR 3016; OMB No. 7100-0150). The Board proposes to extend this collection for three years, with revision. The FR 3016 is a voluntary monthly survey used to study consumer financial decisions, attitudes, and payment behavior, and the Board states it has helped understand consumer credit markets and consumer behavior. The proposed revisions include a change in the survey instrument from phone interviews to a web questionnaire and an increase in the sample size from approximately 600 to approximately 1,150 households. The total estimated number of respondents is 1,150, the total estimated annual burden hours are 415, and the total estimated change in burden is 216 hours. The proposed revisions will be effective immediately upon approval.

Consumer and Stakeholder Surveys (FR 3073; OMB No. 7100-0359). The Board proposes to extend this collection for three years, without revision. The Board uses this event-generated collection to inform consumer-focused research, support its statutory responsibilities, and facilitate community development. According to the notice, the surveys identify emerging risks and provide data on issues affecting the well-being of consumers and communities and how the financial services marketplace functions. Respondents include individuals and Board stakeholders such as community groups, community development organizations, nonprofit service providers, faith-based service organizations, public sector agencies, small business owners, health care organizations, food banks, K-12 public and private schools, community colleges, community development financial institutions, credit unions, banks, and other financial institutions. The total estimated number of respondents is consumer surveys, 9,050; stakeholder surveys, 1,550. Total estimated annual burden hours are 12,380.

Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking (FR 3077; OMB No. 7100-0374). The Board proposes to extend this annual collection for three years, without revision. The SHED is described as an ad hoc voluntary survey covering topics including individuals' overall financial well-being, employment experiences, income and ability to pay bills, economic preparedness, banking and access to credit, housing and living arrangement decisions, education and human capital, student loans, and retirement planning. The Board states that the overall content of the SHED depends on changing economic developments as well as changes in the financial services industry, and that it uses the SHED to monitor usage of emerging financial products and understand how macroeconomic conditions are affecting households. Respondents are non-institutionalized individuals who are 18 years of age and older. The total estimated number of respondents is 12,500, and the total estimated annual burden hours are 7,500.

What to Watch

All three household and consumer survey comment periods close on September 8, 2026. The revised FR 3033s finance company survey takes effect with the September 2026 survey cycle. The Treasury prompt-payment rate of 4‑3/4 per centum per annum applies through December 31, 2026.

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