Banker Peas I have a question.

Did you sign the signature card Tom or Thomas? I would think that even though you like to be called Tom, you still need to sign your checks as Thomas.

I don't sign my full name ever even though my checks have it.

Then again, you can only read the first two letters of my name anyway

I have my name listed on my checks, but I only sign first initial, last name. Never had a problem. As PP said, I think as long as you match signature card, you should be fine.

Funny story about names on accounts. I remember when I first a teller we were encouraging our women customers to have their legal names on their accounts rather than Mrs. Husbandname Lastname. It was primarily our older clientele and some of them were very adamantly against it. From a young unmarried woman's standpoint it was very interesting. My own mother had always used her legal name but my grandmother was firmly in the Mr. Husbandname camp.

IRC the banks were pushing for the change because Mrs. Husbandname was not a legal name and their ID didn't match the account.

I sign first initial, middle initial, last name. Checks have full name. No problems. That said, my signature is so sloppy I doubt anyone could discern one letter from the next.

I write checks so infrequently that when I got married 3 1/2 years ago and changed my name I didn't bother ordering new checks. So my checks have my name as Kellee L____ and I sign them Kellee M____. I haven't had any problem at all. I really don't think that anyone looks at signatures unless there's a reason.

On another note, we are in the midst of purchasing a condo. I wrote out the check for part of the down payment when we signed the purchase agreement. The amount was $8950. I wrote the number correctly in the box but when I wrote out the number I wrote "eight thousand fifty" and not a single person questioned it and it was accepted and cashed for the correct amount. When dh pointed it out to me I was afraid it was going to cause a bump in the process but it didn't!

My first and last names and both middle initials are on my checks to match my license. I most often sign first initial last name. No problems with businesses nor my banks.



My signature cards probably have beautiful first name, initials, last name. My signature is sloppier now.

I think it becomes a problem if there is potential fraud reported.

In all honesty, with ATM check deposits, I doubt anyone is checking the signature on most checks unless there is a fraud issue. As a person who has taken checks in fast food (back in the day), retail and now service industries, I can't say we every look at the signature.

That time I forgot to get paychecks signed and handed them out, 4 employees were able to cash/deposit checks that had no signature through ATMs!

So I am not sure it really matters as long as you know what your signature is and can prove it should there be fraud!

I do t think anyone could distinguish my full name on checks vs how I actually sign the (a shorter abbreviated version)!