Check Facts and Figures

Are you a check fanatic? Don't worry, you aren't alone. Millions of consumers write checks every year. In fact in the United States most consumers use checks to handle payment transactions.

Want to convince your friends and family of the benefits of check writing? Consider the following check writing trivia:

• Deluxe? checks provide international checking supplies. The company produces more checks than any other international check printer.
• Deluxe? checks led the movement to create picture checks and direct market checks.
• Americans write more than 42.5 billion checks every year.
• Some believe an Ancient Roman first came on the idea of check writing, though it didn't become popular until the late 1600s.
• Europeans wrote the first official checks during the 1650s.
• In the United States checks are among the most popular form of payment, above credit cards.
• People write roughly 450 million "bad checks" or checks that bounce every year.
• Counterfeiting money and checks used to be a treasonous crime. Officials could sentence someone to death for it.
• 1/3 of all money currency circulating during the Civil War was fake
• Check writing didn't become popular in the United States until after the 1800s.
• Deluxe? uses a proprietary or unique technology to print checks.
• 60 percent of all transactions not paid for with cash are paid by check.
• Consumers are 65 percent more likely to use checks than other forms of electronic payments.
• The number of checks used by Americans is increasing. In recent years check use rose 54 percent alone.
• More than 39 trillion dollars in payments are made every year with checks, compared to just 7 trillion for other forms of payment.

As you can see, writing checks is a favorite past time. No matter what check you prefer, whether cheap personal checks, top stub checks, side tear or cheap checks in general, rest assured check writing is not likely to die out any time soon.

Within the United States, check writing is more common than elsewhere. Check use is increasing in the United States. Nearly 84 percent of payment transactions in the United States come in the form of check payments.

Checks and Technology

As times have changed so too have check writing companies. Companies are adapting their processes and checks to keep up with the times. Companies like Quicken? checks and Quickbooks? checks constantly update their check technology. Even though society is becoming more and more paperless, check producing companies still find a high demand for paper checks exist.

Technology now allows consumers to verify checks over the phone at the point of sale. Most checks are now verified at this point. Check electronification is also becoming more popular. This process allows payees to scan a check at the point of sale, thus reducing fraud and allowing banks to process payment faster.

Reasons to Use Checks

Checks have many advantages over other forms of payment. Quicken? checks and Quickbooks? checks allow easy payroll processing and payment for business debts. The Federal Reserve Bank found in Chicago recently conducted a study that showed that 90 percent of Americans use checking accounts. This is partly because checks are still the most widely accepted form of payment. They are also low in cost and allow consumers control over the timing of every payment made.

Consumers often find check writing convenient. Consumers can use checks to pay over the phone, online and in person. Checks can be cashed at many locations for easy access to funds without the hassle of remembering PIN numbers or other privacy information. Checks also provide a brilliant way to express your personality and have a little fun when paying off debts.

Quicken? and Quickbooks? are especially useful for home business or small business owners who want a printed check that looks professional. These checks correlate with the matching accounting software to help you manage your finances.

Checks also provide consumers with added security. Most checks today are built with certain security features making them difficult to copy. Keeping track of your checks and check registry will alert you to any problems with your checks long before they arise. The good news is you can usually stop payment on any checks that might mysteriously wander away. Now gather your closest friends together for a game of check trivia!

About The Author:
Antigone Arthur is a successful freelance writer with 10 years of professional experience providing consumers with informative articles on such topics as cheap checks, Quickbooks checks, and Quicken checks.

Reuters

PersonalFinance: Surviving in an election year Reuters - 17 hours ago By Linda Stern WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Election years are usually good for the stock market, but this year it looks like someone forgot to tell Wall Street. ...

Personal Finance III 2008 Feature Releases MarketWatch - 10 hours ago Clarky Davis of CareOne has more than five years of experience in the debt management industry and more than 10 years of hard-won personal experience with ...

Mutual Funds & Personal Finance Investor's Business Daily (subscription) - 4 hours ago BY TRANG HO Investors yanked $26.36 billion from stock funds in July — the most since $44.84 billion in January. July trumps June's outflow figure of $4.82 ...

Mutual Funds & Personal Finance Investor's Business Daily (subscription) - Aug 26, 2008 ... contest train this year when it created the National Financial Literacy Challenge to inspire kids to bone up on their personal-finance know-how. ...

Drop personal finance from maths classes, says educational body CityWire.co.uk, UK - Aug 26, 2008 By Michelle McGagh | 10:44:08 | 26 August 2008 A financial education charity has called on the government to drop any reference to personal finance from the ... Personal finance skills will not be gained through functional ... ATL Education News ifs School of Finance slams PF in maths curriculum Money Marketing Divorce financal education from maths - ridiculous! CityWire.co.uk all 7 news articles

The week's top Personal Finance stories MarketWatch - Aug 23, 2008 By MarketWatch In case you missed them, here are the top 10 Personal Finance stories from MarketWatch for the week of Aug. 18-22: Lowell Bike has already ...

PersonalFinance: Negotiating a divorce Reuters - Aug 21, 2008 By Linda Stern WASHINGTON (Reuters) - There's one thing to be said about celebrity train wreck marriages: Folks like Alex Rodriguez, Phil Collins and Morgan ...

Messiah Lutheran hosts Dave Ramsey course on personal finance Aug. 28 Temple Terrace University Beacon, FL - Aug 25, 2008 TAMPA — Messiah Lutheran Church invites the community as they host the well-known Dave Ramsey’s course on “Getting On The Road to Financial Peace. ...

iLounge

iPhone Gems: Every Personal Finance application, reviewed iLounge, CA - Aug 25, 2008 By Charles Starrett Personal finance managers have a long history on pocket-sized devices, so it’s no surprise that there are already 15 different finance ...

The Balancing Act: Personal Finance Tips Corsavoo.com, France - Aug 25, 2008 You’re not alone. Most Americans aren’t naturals at saving money. In fact, the United States has one of the lowest saving rates in the world and the highest ...