Bank Account

[lajackson]

It doesn't work so well if you are the type that monitors the account balance with an app.

Accounting 101. Never write a check without recording it somewhere. That can be a paper register (which I no longer use), or in a separate (not bank) app or a spreadsheet (which I use).

Use your bank app to verify, confirm, and balance your bank account regularly, at least monthly. But never use your bank app to track your immediate account balance. That is the same as saying I have checks, therefore I have money.

Or transfer the money to your savings account and park it there until you pay your tithing.

[russellhltn]

Accounting 101. Never write a check without recording it somewhere. That can be a paper register (which I no longer use), or in a separate (not bank) app or a spreadsheet (which I use).

I don't disagree, but I don't think that's common in the younger generations who have always had free easy access to their account balance.

[lajackson]

I don't think that's common in the younger generations who have always had free easy access to their account balance.

I agree. And then they complain about overdraft charges and/or bounced checks. I am not sure which is worse, but both are completely avoidable. As Exhibit A, I present several of my children.

Which is why I would actually prefer the transfer to another (savings) account method over the envelope method. And at the rate we are going, the envelope will contain stale dated checks that will have to be replaced anyway by the time we get back to Church, sadly.

[russellhltn]

As a practical thing, there's always sending the check with a note to the Bishop's house. At least in the US, that's the old standard before computers when in-person wasn't possible.

[sbradshaw]

Accounting 101. Never write a check without recording it somewhere. That can be a paper register (which I no longer use), or in a separate (not bank) app or a spreadsheet (which I use).

I don't disagree, but I don't think that's common in the younger generations who have always had free easy access to their account balance.

I don't think it's common in the younger generation to write checks, in general. From what I've heard, it's less common in the UK, and might not even be possible anymore – see this article.

As a practical thing, there's always sending the check with a note to the Bishop's house. At least in the US, that's the old standard before computers when in-person wasn't possible.

The bishop wouldn't be able to process the donations in the UK, as that requires two people, and it's currently a criminal offense in the UK to meet indoors with anyone who's not a member of your household.

[willesk2]

I am receiving help for rent. I am told that the account number is wrong and the routing number is wrong by another online payment site. How do I correctly identify the routing and checking numbers from the check to an online source of payment?

[russellhltn]

I am receiving help for rent. I am told that the account number is wrong and the routing number is wrong by another online payment site. How do I correctly identify the routing and checking numbers from the check to an online source of payment?

Checks from the church must be deposited in the bank as a check and cannot be converted to a ACH payment by typing the information. Many places try to convert the check to a ACH payment and it won't work.

You'll likely have to mail it in with instructions that it must be deposited physically and not electronically.