Operation Choke Point has the entire financial industry on edge, with changing regulations, government fines, overly cautious banks and enraged merchants suddenly left without a merchant bank account. All things considered, it can be difficult to determine how much of what is in the news is hype, and how much is real. In the end, the best way to keep your merchant portfolio on the up-and-up continues to be careful due diligence and monitoring of your merchants and ACH originators.