March 5, 2008
How to Write a Check Safely
If you happen to be new to check writing, then pay careful attention. While you may not think of it as a difficult task, safe check writing is something that everybody absolutely needs to do right.
Use Ink, Never Lead
Always use a pen to write a check to prevent any kind of tampering with the check. Never use a pencil when you are check writing because someone whod prefer to fill in the blanks with the amount theyd like to receive could easily erase your pencil marks. To avoid dishing out blank checks to people, be sure to use some kind of ink. Although a pen is acceptable according to most people, it is wise to use a permanent marker if possible. This is significant due to those occurrences in which people have committed “check washing”, which is a process in which criminals use chemicals to remove checks’ ink. A permanent marker prevents this possibility.
Dating and Identifying Tips
When you first glance over a check, it may strike you as extremely complicated. However, once you have all of the information, the blanks are easy to fill in. First, you need to fill out the current date on the check. A lot of people post date checks. Did you know it is illegal? Write the correct date on every check. Once this has been accomplished, be certain to clearly write the name of the recipient on the “pay to the order of” line. Be absolutely certain you’ve written their complete name.
When Filling in the Amount
The foremost piece of information on the check is the amount of money you want the Bank to pay. This information will need to be inputted twice. The first place to put the information is in the dollar amount line. You’ll find this just under the line that says “PAY TO THE ORDER OF.” Include the full amount and any cents that are involved in the transaction. You need to complete this portion of the check thoroughly to avoid another from changing your numbers. Look at the right side of the check. Put the numbers you see there in the amount box.
Signing the Check
When you are all done with the other parts of the check, it’s time to sign the check. It is very important that you sign the check with your standard signature, similar to the one that can be found on your driver’s license. If you don’t take great care to do this, then the bank could throw up red flags on your check and you could have to answer annoying questions about potential fraud. With the amount of check fraud and forgery going on today, banks are on the lookout for signatures that look suspicious or don’t match your normal signature. The final part of the check is the “info” section, which is optional. Most people like to write what the check is for just for their own bookkeeping ease. Generally, the more information you provide, the better off you will be.
Overall, writing a check is not a particularly difficult task, although there are a few things to keep in mind. It isn’t something to be flippant about, however. Make sure that you’ve filled out each part correctly so that the likelihood of your check being altered is at a minimum. This will prevent future problems and save you from a huge mess of troubles.
Filed under Finance by William A. Gordon

