BROOKFIELD, Wis. – Fiserv's credit union and banking clients process more than 4.2 billion checks a year through its 50 outsourcing processing centers, so the company figures it might as well help everyone handle the changes wrought by Check 21. An online preparedness program, addressing staff education and customer notification and awareness, is now available through the Fiserv Resource Center at www.fiservrc.com. It will be updated after the Federal Reserve publishes final rules in July in advance of the Oct. 28 implementation of the Check 21 law. The company already has hosted more than 2,000 financial institution managers at Check 21 seminars across the country but says more support is needed. Recent studies show that most businesses and consumers know little or nothing about the new law, said Norm Balthasar, Fiserv's senior executive vice president and chief operating officers. "Financial institutions exist to serve their customers, so our program will include many tools for banks, savings institutions and credit unions to educate that important audience," he said. "We have learned from talking with our clients that most still have quite a bit of work remaining to get ready for this new era in check processing," Balthasar added. "We hope, through this program, to ease the transition and to give financial institutions the confidence that they are doing the right things to get ready for Check 21."