In the U.S., which common payment, wire, banking, card, or check problems should technology realistically eliminate within a year?

Checks are definitely something people are using less and less. Though they would not be eliminated all together, their usage is on a steep decline. Businesses even now prefer to use ACH or other electronic means of payments.

Many small and medium businesses still rely on checks, but that too is changing. Asking everyone to go electronic when it comes to payments, does take its time.

ACH would be another candidate, but because of the inertia involved, I don't think it will be 1 year or even 5 years before ACH is eliminated and replaced with a real-time payment system.