OT EASY New Year's Resolution

Check you are allowed to do that, I was taught your signature is your signature, so if you sign Polly Esther, you'd sign that anywhere your signature is called for regardless of what the name above it, next to it or wherever says. My checks are printed Anne K Rogers, with my husbands name in the same format, I sign Anne Rogers, he signs A D Rogers, this has never been mentioned by anyone as an issue and we've never had a check refused. Anyway, isn't your signature that your bank would check against if they have a query going to be the signature that you signed when you opened the account, which is likely to be how you sign your drivers license (and you may even have used the license as proof of signature).

Another thing that I've heard is that for smaller checks, the security checks are almost non existant, so it's the security of your check book that is the main issue, which is why so many places don't even accept personal checks, you can cancel checks, so as they don't get processed electronically, whovever you pass the check to doesn't have much certainty that that check isn't a stolen, cancelled one. If someone does get hold of your check book, remember there are an awful lot more things than a drivers license that have your signature on it!

Cheers Anne

Good advice, gals! Remember never leave your checkbook in your handbag. and always keep your debit/credit cards in a separate place than your cash. Sounds a bit unorganized, but it may save your identity someday.

amy in CNY (who is up at 3 a.m.....and doesn't know why...)

So, technically, as to what I have been told by the banks and what I teach to my students in Personal Finance:

What you've done on your signature card, for those of us old enough to remember those, or now on the electronic signature device, is what your legal signature is at the bank, and thus is what they place (or should place) on your check, and how you should sign your checks. The bank tellers should technically check your identity each time you receive any cash back, thus they are supposed to either check it against your signature card/device, or they can check it against your license with your picture and signature, to identify you, which may not necessarily match your bank signature. The DMV in each state may have different rules on how you have to sign your license.

When you open your checking account at the bank, and they ask for your license, it is simply proof of who you are and not necessarily your signature. They want to see that the name matches the face on a government issued I.D. For that matter, you could use your Passport to open a checking account, which some people may that live in a city and they do not own a car and have never gotten a drivers license. Also, in some states you can get a government issued I.D. other than a drivers license for proof of person, which many youth do here in Alaska for various reasons.

So to add to the list of advice, this is what I tell my students and what I need to actually do myself. On a separate piece of paper you should write all your accounts, their numbers, and the phone numbers. This should be kept in at least two secure places. One, that you can come home to and immediately call all numbers if need be to cancel/freeze accounts, and another place, son/daughter/etc, who can be contacted to do the same thing if something happens for example while you are traveling, your secure copy gets destroyed by some awful chance, etc. You get the picture.

Anyways, that is what my two cents is. Hope this helps rather than muddies things.

Steven Alaska, who is dealing with a clogged/frozen drainage system that is backing up in the downstairs tub/garage and waiting for the plumber tomorrow morning.

amy in CNY (who is up at 3 a.m.....and doesn't know why...)

I do not carry my checkbook as a rule. My checks have my initials only but the signature accepted at the bank is my full name.

Another thing I do is not sign my credit cards. On the back it has "ask for ID" written in Sharpie pen. I always praise the clerks who actually do this.

One last thing, that affects hardly anyone here, is that at work my electronic signature is used for the outgoing certificates of mail when sending certified copies of minute orders. I use my first initial and a semblance of my last name.

G> Here's an easy and smart one -

That got kind of fuzzy so let's try it again. My driver's license says Elizabeth Smith. My checks are printed Mrs.X. O. Smith. I sign checks Betty Smith. If someone steals the Elizabeth Smith driver's license and the Mrs. X. O. Smith check book, they won't have an easy clue as to what my signature card at the bank says. For sure, rules and requirements vary from state to state. You would want to ask someone at your own bank if a difference in what's printed and what you sign would cause a problem. Mine thought it was a good idea. Polly

Interesting, Steve. I didn't know there was a class called Personal Finance. Back before the earth cooled, an English teacher friend of mine had one class per day of students who could barely read and probably weren't going to finish the school year. She taught them important things such as the driver's license manual, how to write a check (lots of folks don't know), and how to read a receipt and a paycheck stub. If those kids slept through their State Government classes and didn't do their homework in geometry, you can bet your boots they paid attention in her classes. She changed a lot of lives. I was proud to call her my friend. Polly

"steve" So, technically, as to what I have been told by the banks and what I teach

I heard a story that someone signed all their checks for December as Santa Claus. They were all accepted by the bank!

Sally at the Seaside~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~uk

Polly Esther wrote:

Feeling ornery cuz I need to clean the house and that's never any fun- I can't see any possible way the bank's accounting system can verify the signatures on *any* checks as they process them unless the account has been flagged for some reason. The sheer volume of checks that go thru the system at lightening speed would prevent that. In my small town (pop. 12K) I am never asked for ID when writing a check. The bank doesn't verify my signature when I cash a check unless it's for a large amount... which is very seldom in my case. They do verify funds while cashing the check..... always. What I don't like is the credit/debit machines where you swipe your card and your signature is never verified. If a bad person had your card they could have a field day with no verifications.... whether you had signed the back of your card or it says to ask for ID. The cashier never sees your card to know what it may or may not say or if it's signed. And when you sign on the swipe machine your arm and wrist have nothing to rest upon so my signature never looks right to verify it if they tried.

Off to feed The HairyButt Gang and start the yucky task of putting away the decorations and cleaning. Ugh.

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

I have 'herded' all the Christmas good stuff into the living room beside the door to take out to the shop. Except! I just am not ready yet to part with the Christmas cards. I enjoy them so much. It will be a while yet before I can put them away. Leslie, just getting control (somewhat) of the job will make you feel a whole lot better. Polly

"Leslie & The Furbabies in MO." Feeling ornery cuz I need to clean the house and that's never any fun-> Off to feed The HairyButt Gang and start the yucky task of putting away the decorations and cleaning. Ugh.

Yeah, I know that. It's the procrastinating that keeps me from jumping in. There's always one more solitaire game or an email the needs a reply or it's still too cold to vacuum. Daisy hates the vacuum's noise and I can't chase her out into the backyard until it warms up a bit, right? So another solitaire game or five and then maybe it'll be warm enough to vacuum......

Warm enough to vacuum- LOL- ANY ol' excuse will do!

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

You don't take the decorations down before 12th Night do you. Oooh darn't do that - lightening would strike!

Sally at the Seaside~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~uk

Polly Esther wrote:

I guess I'm safe then. One of the resolutions I always make is to get them down before Valentines day.

NightMist

I felt very nervous when I read that, too, Sally. Oo-er >g< . In message , Sally Swindells writes

Oh no! They HAVE to come down on 12th Night or you have to keep them up ALL YEAR to stave off the gremins... Or piskies... or somefink! ;)

Mine went up the weekend before Christmas. It's always a fight between James wanting them up from the beginning of December and me not wanting them up until Christmas Eve. Come hell freezing over they WILL NOT go up before my birthday on the 9th!

Cornflake cause consternation by chewing one of the lightbulbs. Luckily he did himself no harm with the glass, and didn't electrocute himself as they are low voltage lights. Mind you, I can't help feeling that buzzing teeth and sparks off his tail would have taught him a lesson he might not forget! As it is, the bottom of the tree has all the plastic baubles as he and his sister have fun chasing each other round the base, and then playing tennis with anything that drops off! My delicate glass decorations go further up, where they do not venture.

Our Christmas tree came down yesterday since we're heading to Florida and a western Caribbean Cruise on Saturday. Didn't want to come home in the middle of January with a Christmas tree still sitting in the living room!

Donna in SW Idaho

On Wed, 31 Dec 2008 19:19:39 -0600, Sally Swindells wrote (in article ):

I leave the tree up until Twelfth Night. And this year, for the first time, I have a Navitiy that will stay up too. The rest start coming down on New Years.

MSM always took everything down on New Year's Day, but we travel so much over the holidays I'm not quite ready to let my tree go yet.

Maureen

Candlemas (Feb. 2) is another the traditional day for taking down the Christmas decorations. My decorations always stay up at least until Jan. 6. They come out gradually after Thanksgiving. The first thing out is the Christmas quilt for my bed; that stays out at least through January. The nativity set and a few small items usually come out before the tree. The tree doesn't go up until a week or so before Christmas.

Julia > NightMist wrote:

Considering that my yard is now soaked in lead, I have fear of the state of mind of any little spirit people that may be about! We put the whiskey, elf biscuits, and cream way at the back of the yard this year.

Starting house hunting now I am.

The house rule here is they go up on the 19th. No sooner, no later, no complaints.

Ah this year has been a trouble for us. Ash helped decorate the tree without prompting and thinks it a fine thing indeed. Only he keeps rearranging it as far up as he can reach. Some days I have clumps of same color ornaments hanging, some days they are same size, sometimes there are rows of particular ornaments, sometimes he picks the favorites of the moment and arranges them over and over again. Only he is nine and therefore tall enough to reach most of the glass, even with taping the base of the tree down to a foot and a half tall sturdy table. He has been careful, so we have only lost one or two ornaments. Though I have some set aside for when we take the tree down. Those are the ones he could barely reach and pulled off the wires trying to get. I will find the wires and hooks when everything comes down. He also commandeered a resin santa for his desk. Being as it is resin we let that slide. He has it and he leaves the ones made of more breakable materials alone.

NightMist