Free Don't Break the Bank: A Student's Guide to Managing Money by Peterson's

the month, the day, and the year. You can write out the date as January 4, 201X—or you can use all numbers 01/04/1X.
2. Write the name of the person or company you are paying on the Pay to the order of blank. Get the spelling right.
3. To the right of the Pay to the order of blank is a blank with a dollar sign. Using numbers, write the amount in dollars and cents. Be sure to clearly place the decimal point between the dollar numerals and the cents numerals. For example: $32.15.
4. The next line is used to confirm the amount of the check, just in case your handwriting is hard to read on the dollar-sign blank. In clear handwriting, write out the amount using words and fractions. Write out the dollar amount. Then add “and” followed by the cents amount written as a fraction. Put the cents in the numerator’s position and 100 in the denominator’s position. For example: Thirty-two dollars and 15/100. If you have any room left, draw a line to the end of the blank so no one can add to what you’ve written on that blank.
5. The Memo line in the lower left hand corner is a reminder line and can help you stay organized. For example, if you are buying a pair of jeans and are paying by check, you can write “jeans” on this line. If you write several checks to the same place, like a department store, this line helps you identify which check paid for jeans, which check paid for shoes, and which check was used for socks and a sweatshirt. If, however, you are paying a bill to the electric or phone company, you may need to put your account number on this line.
6. The signature line, the line in the lower right corner of the check is where you write, not print, your name. Decide how you are going to sign your name, and then sign it the same way on all your checks. This is a formal document, so you probably want to sign it Andrew or Alexis rather than Andy or Lexi. Your bank will keep your signature on file as a way of verifying your signature on checks and other documents.
    EXTRA INFO: At the bottom left corner of the check, you’ll see some numbers. The first set is the Routing Number. This identifies the bank the check belongs to—each bank has a unique number. The next set of numbers are your account number followed by the number of the check you’re writing, which should match the number in the upper right-hand corner.

    What Does It Mean to Be Overdrawn?
      
       Tip: If you write an amount that doesn’t take up the entire “amount” line on the check, draw a line across the blank space, to prevent someone else from adjusting the amount.
    When you write out a check that is more than the amount you have available in your account, this puts your account balance in the negative. This is called being overdrawn. Depending upon your bank’s policies, it will either honor the check (leaving your account in negative balance; you will need to deposit enough to cover the shortfall) or it will return the check to the person who tried to cash it. This is called a bounced check .
    Regardless of whether the bank honors the check or not, it will probably charge you an overdraft fee. This can be as much as $40 or more. And it’s important to note that this is usually charged for each transaction. So, if you write out three checks that come in while your account is overdrawn, you will be charged three separate overdraft fees. Needless to say, these fees can really add up!
      
Tales from a Real Teen
“I have found that when you do overdraw, it doesn’t hurt to call your bank and talk them through your situation. If I ever overdrew, I would immediately move money from my savings to my checking and call my bank. Oftentimes, a bank can waive fees if you are able to prove good customer history. But you only can do this a few times a year. The same goes for credit card fees—it never hurts to ask if the card company will waive a fee.
       ~ College student, New York
    Overdrawing your account is a huge bummer because it