Do you still remember when you were handed your first ever checkbook by your bank? It may be a small matter to some people but it is clearly etched in my memory despite the passage of years, specially the feeling of elation at having "transitioned" to another stage in my journey to adulthood. Yes, to my mind it is a rite of passage of sorts, given that in my country not everyone who wants to open a checking account is routinely granted a checking facility by a bank. A bank diligently conducts first a credit check before an individual's application to open a checking account can be approved. And it could take up to one month for a personal checking account to be opened and accessed.
My first checking account opened doors of opportunity for me to live independently as a young professional. I was able to acquire my first car, first television, first stereo system, first refrigerator and first living room set on the strength of the post-dated checks that I issued to the financing companies that provided me the much-needed loans for these items. That's how useful these checks were in my young life. I'm sure you have your own story to tell about this wonderful financial instrument.
How personal checks came into being, the many times throughout history when they were utilized, and how they have evolved from tangible to digital is an interesting story altogether. I'm glad that Bradford Exchange Checks has facilitated what would otherwise be tedious research on my part by producing an infographic on "History of Personal Checks" that graphically captures the highlights of of a sweeping history that goes all the way back to the third century A.D. to the present. You can view the infographic at http://www.bradfordexchangechecks.com/bec/historyofchecks.jsp. Enjoy!
