As you consider ways to prepare your college student for back-to-school, you might be wondering about how to equip them to handle their finances. Although it might not be the first thing that comes to mind, personal checks might be the way to go.
Your money personality dictates the way you do a lot of things: the way you spend, how you pay, and even the kinds of checks you might want to use!
Despite what some people might think, checks are still part of our lives. What has probably changed tremendously is the way we deposit these checks into our bank accounts. Today, you can snap a photo of your check and use mobile depositing apps to add money to your bank account in less than five minutes.
In today’s digital world, you may think checks are a thing of the past. When in reality, the truth couldn’t be farther away from that. For more than one transaction, it might be best to use a check instead of electronic alternatives.
They say that distance makes the heart grow fonder, but when it comes to Valentine’s Day it sure doesn’t make things easier. Dinner over Zoom just doesn’t offer the same intimacy and a shared movie alone in your separate spaces is, well, lonely.
On Friday, February 12, 2021, the Lunar New Year begins. You will soon be putting up red lanterns, cut-outs, and paintings adorned with the image of the rat to ward off evil and to encourage longevity, health, and peace.
Recently, we explored why holiday checks make great gifts. Not only are they inherently more secure than gifting cash, they’re simply more festive — and the festivities don’t have to end at Christmas designs.
As you begin to consider holiday gift-giving, presenting friends and family with a check may not top your list of festive ideas. However, with some of our new holiday checks, it might actually be one of the best presents you can give this season.
By MJ Plaster
Sensitive people need to grow a thick skin to survive in today’s workplace. Thanks, in part to social media, common decency and discourse in society has broken down, and most of us must deal with rudeness at work. Still, there’s no excuse for incivility. It is not a show of strength; at best, it is a display of lack of social skills, and at worst, it creates a toxic environment for everyone.
Continue reading
Every generation wants to believe that it is the last, greatest generation. It believes that technology has never been better.
But here are 5 reasons that you should continue to balance your checkbook, even with all of the technological gains.
Have you ever read the terms and conditions on your bank account? Do you really understand what the financial jargon means?
Banks must notify you usually about 30 days before they add on new fees, charges or penalties.
You should balance your checkbook to ensure that you don’t receive a “non-sufficient funds” (NSF) charge; the bank might have been subtracting money from your account for new fees and you bounced a check because you didn’t know how much was available.
Many banks go through numerous customer service representatives in a short amount of time. One mistyped “0” can mean a big difference in your account.
People are only human, we all make mistakes. Balancing your checkbook can find these errors before they become big.
There may be a statute of limitations on certain errors. You want to bring mistakes to your bank’s attention as soon as possible.
Computers are programmed by humans. While it is extremely rare, there may be a computer glitch in dealing with fractions that could effect your bank account.
Remember that your interest is a percentage of the value of money in your account. If the computer does not properly handle these mathematical calculations, there could be an error.
Your credit score could be unduly damaged by human or computer errors.
Malware allows hackers to steal millions every day according to federal cyber crime police.
One of the negatives of mobile banking is that the security features are still not completely safe.
Balancing your checkbook can lead you to becoming aware of hacking attacks or identity theft before these dangers can completely ruin your life.
Wealth management skills are learned not innate. By continually balancing your checkbook, you become aware of how much you have, how much you added and any discrepancies in your account. Y
our bank account information remains in the forefront of your mind. You also develop better financial discipline. This can help you when there is an unexpected downturn in your financial situation.
Banking technology is better, but nothing is foolproof. Children and adults should learn how to balance a checkbook in order to manage their money. Wealth management skills can be the difference between life success and failure.
Photo: jridgewayphotography / CC 2.0
