Signing Your Check

Category: Finance.

If you are new to check writing, then listen up. Use Ink, Never Lead.

Though it s not the most difficult thing in the world, safely writing a check is something that everyone needs to know before it is all said and done. Writing a check with a pencil leaves you at a huge risk of fraud. To keep from handing out blank checks to people, use some sort of ink. Someone could erase what you have written and simply fill in the blanks with how much money they d like to receive. Though most people would say that a pen is good enough, it is best to use a permanent marker if at all possible. If you go with permanent marker, this won t happen to you.

This is important because there have been instances where people have engaged in" check washing" , a process where criminals use chemicals to remove ink from checks. Properly Dating and Identifying. All of those blanks are easy to fill out once you have all of the information, though. When you first look at the check, it might seem complicated. The first step is to fill out the current date on the check. Once you ve done that, you should write the name of the person who will be receiving the check on the" pay to the order of" line.

Make sure to correctly identify the date, as post- dating a check is actually illegal. Be sure to include their complete name. The most important article of information on the check, is the dollar, of course value that you are assigning to it. Filling in the Amount. It is required to write the amount in two places. The line is titled Dollars and is located below the Pay to the order of line. Put this information in the dollar amount line first.

When you write out the amount, write it out in full, including any cents. Afterward, you will need to print the numbers in the box to the right. To prevent someone from changing your numbers, you must fill out this area of the check. Signing Your Check. When signing the check, it is important to remember that your signature shouldnt vary too greatly from how you normally sign checks or documents. Once you ve filled out all other areas of the check, you ll need to place your signature on the check. It should resemble your driver s license signature for a reference if need be.

Due to ever increasing check fraud and forgery, banks pay close attention to signatures and make sure they match. If exceptional care is not taken in the signing process, then your bank could very well single the check out as a potential fraud, leaving you having to answer a barrage of irritating questions about a legitimate check. Finally, you have the option of filling out the" info" section of the check. Generally, if you give out more information, you will be in better shape. Just to keep their bookkeeping organized and efficient, most people like to note what the check is for. Overall, writing a check is not a particularly difficult task, although there are a few things to keep in mind. Make sure that you ve filled out each part correctly so that the likelihood of your check being altered is at a minimum.

It isn t something to be flippant about, however. This will prevent future problems and save you from a huge mess of troubles.

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