Our kids both had several checking accts–one at U credit union with a branch on campus and one at Schwab with free checks and reimbursed ATM fees. Checks have been necessary to them for rent and some other expenses. They don’t write a ton of checks, but some of their landlords only accepted checks.
The Schwab checking acct and checks were free with no minimums. It seemed like a good idea. No regrets here.
Sure you can. I do it all the time. Maybe it was a rule specific to his credit union?
“I’ve done this plenty of times. I write a check from bank A to myself and use the phone app to deposit to my account in Credit Union B. Never had a problem.”
Well he did and it cost me $100 or so.
It’s possible it’s only a rule at our CC.
My credit union also didn’t allow a check with “for deposit only” as an endorsement over the phone.
When she turned 18, we converted my DDs passbook savings account into a checking account. What is the harm in having a checking account?
My daughter has a checking account and a credit card. She has written very few checks, but has needed paper checks a couple of times - not many. One was for the show tickets through the honors program at her college - they would only take checks, not cash. She paid for quite a few friends who didn’t have checks.
For the most part, paper checks are obsolete. But I would get a few for those times they are needed. And they are the easiest (not only) place to get the routing numbers from for setting up electronic payments.
^^^Well said @kmBoston. For the most part obsolete, but when needed, needed. Talked to H this morning and he will take D to the bank to hopefully get a few paper checks to get started and then take it from there!
Even if you have to buy a box of checks, you can usually buy a box for under $10 at one of the companies in the Sunday newspaper inserts, current, checksinth email, etc.
Older s uses checks so rarely, his still have our home address on them and he has moved at least 5 times since he graduated college. That said, as others have mentioned, when he needs them, he needs them. Younger s’s roommates want a check for rent. Not a transfer from his account. Not cash. A check. Go figure.
OK OP so you’ve been around the block, then you know college is supposed to prepare our kids for the adult world. Adults have checking accounts. Adults keep their savings separate from their bill and spending money whether they are apt to spend it all at once or not. There are plenty of ways to get a free checking account and a box of checks is cheap. Why shouldn’t they manage their money like we do in the real world. Really going to send them off into the world living out of their savings account?
What is the harm in having a checking account? Some banks waive the cost of the initial checks. Also most credit union’s checks are free if you opt for their generic no-address no-design offering.
I’d get another credit union! Heck I just googled what is the average fee for a bounced check and that’s only $30! He got penalized $100 for depositing a legitimate check?! I would have fought that and changed credit unions!
Concerning savings accounts and direct deposit and debit cards:
Yes, you can make unlimited electronic deposits INTO your savings account (i.e. payroll direct deposits) HOWEVER. Federal Reserve Regulation D limits the number of withdrawals per month from a savings account to 6. The reason for this limit is that the amount of reserves a bank or credit union must maintain is significantly higher for demand deposits (i.e. checking accounts) than for other types of deposits such as savings accounts or CD’s. The Fed had to draw a bright line somewhere, so they decided 6 was it. Enforcing this limit is nearly impossible with a debit card, so that is why 99%+ of banks will not issue a debit card on a savings account, but will only issue ATM cards on savings accounts.
Regarding the not being able to deposit a check from your account at one bank into an account at your credit union
I can see two possible issues:
My experience with credit unions is that they are not as closely supervised by their regulators (the NCUA and state credit union bureaus) as “real” banks are by the FDIC, Federal Reserve and Comptroller of the Currency. The federal examiners I know would be all over such a practice.
EDIT - For what its worth, my DS who is 23 received 25 free checks when he opened his checking account when he was 16. He still has a few checks left from that package! He is ordering more since he has moved out and is now in an apartment in downtown Chicago. As others have said, kids don’t need many checks, but for certain vendors/reasons, a check is necessary. They don’t cost much and a checking account is necessary to have a debit card - just go ahead and take the free ones or order a small inexpensive supply.
Checking account essential.
A college kid will use the debit card and ATM constantly.
Kid will occasionally need to write a physical check. Like for rent for an off-campus apartment. 50 checks might last all four years of college. Writing checks is an adult skill that they need to learn eventually. That and reading/responding to emails.
Credit card optional.
My daughter has been using her checking account via a debt card for years. She had a new employer that required direct deposit, and for that she needed a voided check. We went to the credit union and they gave her two forms, one was a deposit slip for her account and the other 4 printed checks. The deposit slip worked and she has the checks now if she needs them. She’s been paying cash for things like club dues and other places that won’t take a debit card. She ran into trouble when she needed to pay for fingerprints at the police station; she had no cash and they didn’t take the debit card. Luckily a friend was there with $5.
The only negative I can see for getting checks and no using them is the $15 or so fee. If the bank will print up a few for free, that may be enough to get her through a year.
“I’d get another credit union! Heck I just googled what is the average fee for a bounced check and that’s only $30! He got penalized $100 for depositing a legitimate check?! I would have fought that and changed credit unions!”
No, the other charges were for insufficient funds because it rejected the deposit.
I am not switching Credit Unions. We have all our accounts there, including our mortgage/credit cards and there are no fees for anything.
“Now if this poster’s son was habitually overdrawn, MAYBE the bank had a legitimate suspicion. I would want to see the account disclosure to see if the credit union reserved the right to refuse checks in such circumstances.”
No, he had never been overdrawn before - either in his CC account or his regular big bank account.
It’s over and done with and now that he is out in the real world and earning a nice salary - he doesn’t need to be moving money from one account to another.
@turtletime, being part of the adult world in MY world also means thinking through things and not jumping on the bandwagon just because everyone does/has it . Not saying D would never need a checkbook - but maybe not freshman year of college. I don’t at all expect that she will be writing a check to get some $$ to spend. That is what an ATM or using her debit or credit card will be for. The ATM is going to be way more convenient and available than the bank.
You spoke of how your family works it - a little in checking for spending, the rest for savings. That’s fine if it works for your family. I actually would prefer to NOT spend checking $$$ - but again, as a young adult, I’m sure she will choose what is right for her along the way. She fully knows how to write a check, check her online banking accounts and she knows exactly what $$ she has where. She is equipped. 
S graduated college in 2014. Had a checkbook that he used a total of 4 times in those four years. THAT is what made me think twice. Graduated and employed? Of course he’s using it more - his life now requires a checking account to be in place.
Agree that physical checks can be essential, for certain payments. My son needed first and last month rent check for his apartment as a sophomore at big state U. Same for security deposits, even when actual rent was paid online. A necessary convenience, even if they do have to google it to figure out what to write where on a check . . . .
One of my painful lessons learned in college was getting a money order to pay rent in a summer sublet – and then arranging another way to make payment and RIPPING UP the money order, thinking it was like a check. Fortunately, once I realized that was not the case, the pieces were still in my trashcan and I could tape it together. Never ever confused money orders and checks again . . . . .
^^ Bummer on that money order!!!
Again, I GET IT when they are making rent payments and security deposits - but as I said, I’m talking about a freshman in a dorm. No matter, I have decided to go ahead with one (as I also said in earlier posts) and she will have it whether she needs it this year or not.
@chicagobear getting into it with discussion of account reserve requirements!! As a former banker, me likey!!!
As a renter, those convenience fees add up. Oh, the amount of chocolate torte I could buy if I had just used a check the first couple of months!
I’ve had a checking account since my first job and use it frequently through my debit card. I’m glad I have it.