Your treasury technology could be the weakest link in your financial strategy.

In a world where a single missed wire, blind spots in cash and liquidity visibility, or a delayed investment can cost an organization millions, trusting outdated or opaque treasury systems is risky. Treasury and finance leaders can no longer afford to settle for solutions that look modern on the surface but lack the transparency, protection, and performance that today’s environment demands.

Here’s the truth: not all treasury management systems are created equal. If your treasury management solutions provider isn’t checking every one of the boxes below, it’s time to ask some hard questions. Because in 2025, the cost of inaction could be far greater than the cost of change.

1. Independent Security and Controls Certification

Red Flag: A provider isn’t both SOC 1 and SOC 2 certified.

SOC certifications aren’t just for show. They prove that a technology provider’s controls for financial reporting, data security, and system availability have been independently audited. Without them, organizations must take a provider’s word for it on issues that auditors won’t overlook.

SOC 1 is critical for validating internal controls that impact financial statements, while SOC 2 confirms that data is handled securely and reliably. If these certifications are missing, it’s often a sign that a provider hasn’t invested in the infrastructure or rigor needed to earn an organization’s trust. And if regulators or auditors come knocking, treasury and finance departments – not just the technology provider – could be held accountable for compliance gaps.

Demand: Verified SOC 1 and SOC 2 compliance. Anything less is a risk to your organization.

2. Regulatory Oversight

Red Flag: A provider isn’t regulated.

Financial institutions hold critical and proprietary data such as account numbers, vendor data, user information, etc. As a result, the government has required them to be regulated to ensure they have the controls in place to ensure their protection and confidentiality. We all think that makes sense. But then we take that same data and move it to an unregulated technology provider. Does that make sense? Of course it doesn’t. So, why wouldn’t you only work with a regulated provider?

Without regulatory scrutiny, a treasury or finance department has no assurance that risk management, compliance procedures, or client protections are in place. It also means there’s no external body monitoring a technology provider’s activities – so problems can go unchecked until it’s too late.

Demand: A partner that’s not only trustworthy but verified by regulators.

3. Financial Protection

Red Flag: No insurance, no guarantee.

Only regulated entities – like Treasury Curve – are required to hold a Fidelity Bond, insuring against fraud and embezzlement.

If a provider mishandles a transaction or suffers a breach, uninsured vendors may lack the financial cushion to make their clients whole. That means their clients eat the loss. Organizations shouldn’t take on a provider’s risk when they’ve already got enough of your own. Insurance is a critical safety net that reflects a provider’s maturity and readiness to stand behind their platform. If a provider can’t demonstrate adequate coverage, organizations should ask: what happens when things go wrong?

Demand: Meaningful insurance coverage that shows a provider takes risk seriously.

4. Direct Connections to Banks and Asset Managers

Red Flag: Data is routed through third-party aggregators.

Screen-scraping and middleware create lags, expose data to more vulnerabilities, and limit transparency. That’s inefficient and risky. Organizations can’t manage their cash proactively if they’re always one step behind. Aggregators also introduce dependencies on third parties that treasury and finance departments don’t control – adding risk every time they log in. Worse, those extra hops can break without warning, cutting off visibility when you need it most.

A direct connection to SWIFT enables secure, standardized, and real-time communication with global financial institutions – without relying on aggregators or workarounds. It means a treasury and finance department can initiate and monitor transactions with confidence, knowing their instructions are flowing through the same trusted infrastructure used by the world’s largest banks.

Demand: Real-time, direct connections with banks and asset managers.

5. Built-In Investment Execution and Liquidity Management

Red Flag: Sweeps and investment execution require spreadsheets or third-party tools.

Manual workarounds slow treasury and finance departments down and introduce errors – two things they absolutely can’t afford in a volatile market. When systems don’t talk to each other, treasury and finance departments miss out on opportunities and liquidity optimization. Treasury tech should do more than track – it should enable users to act. Without built-in automation, treasury teams are forced to rely on inconsistent processes that can’t be scaled. And when the market moves fast, every delay in moving idle cash is a lost opportunity to generate a yield or reduce risk.

Demand: Native, end-to-end sweeps that automatically move money based on pre-set rules.

6. Transparent Pricing

Red Flag: Partial credits for technology.

There’s a big difference between getting a “tech credit” and getting “free technology.” 

Treasury teams shouldn’t have to decode a complex pricing model just to get the essentials they need.   Treasury and finance departments should demand clear, honest pricing for the core tools that drive visibility, control, and performance – without surprise fees or forced upsells.  In some cases, an organization’s assets under management (AUM) may even qualify for it to access treasury management technology at no cost.  That’s not a discount or a gimmick – it’s a model that rewards scale and alignment, without locking an organization into long-term commitments or inflated service tiers.

Demand: Straightforward access to the tools you need – and avoids confusing “tech credits.”

7. Long-Term Sustainability

Red Flag: A provider is unprofitable.

Startups burning through venture capital may prioritize growth over stability, cutting corners or pivoting away from end-user needs. If the funding dries up, so does client support and innovation. Treasury and finance departments need a provider with financial staying power – not one betting on the next funding round. Too many treasury teams have been left stranded by tech providers that failed, sold out, or dramatically shifted focus. In treasury, continuity isn’t a luxury – it’s a lifeline.

Demand: A partner with a sustainable model.

Rethink the Treasury Status Quo

Outdated technology can quietly drain an organization’s productivity, visibility, and control. If your TMS can’t deliver on the critical requirements outlined in this article, it’s time to act. Because when the markets shift, the last thing an organization wants is to realize its treasury tech can’t keep up.

Contact us now to get started on your journey to safer, more reliable treasury management.