Abstract: A method for use by a trusted intermediary to electronically transfer funds associated with a transaction between first and second parties, such as a customer and a seller, both of whom have accounts with financial institutions with respective established relationships with the trusted intermediary such that funds which are transferred can clear in real-time, that is virtually immediately, comprises steps of (i) electronically receiving, from a financial institution associated with a customer, the funds associated with the transaction, and holding the funds in a trust account; (ii) releasing control of the funds held in the trust account subject to confirmation that conditions of the transaction have been fulfilled; (iii) electronically transferring the funds released to a selected account at one of the financial institutions; and (iv) generating respective journal entries for the customer and the seller for posting the transaction to respective ledgers associated with the customer and the seller.