Sometimes you just need to see a happy face.

This is Baxter. He is a rescue dog from Kentucky but living here with us in Ohio now. He's settled in to our family and made himself a home but it took a short time before he felt totally acclimated. As he settled, we let him and our other dog, Zino, run free in the backyard during a cookout.  Zino stayed close to the food prep area while Baxter went to the middle of the drive way, looked at us, and took off.  I managed to catch up with him though. 

Now, every night, as I lay on the sofa, Baxter comes and snuggles on my chest.  He's come a long way. 

Automated Check Cashing is Here!

Video courtesy of SAMCO.  

Without going into why nearly 70 million working Americans have no or limited bank access, each week across the country, individuals search for places to cash their paychecks. Today the alternative financial services (AFS) industry is a $6 billion industry providing check cashing, loans, bill payment services, prepaid debit cards, money orders and more in a variety of settings.  The typical is a store front - a brick and mortar business with employees generally sitting behind glass partitions. Many grocery stores will cash paychecks, stores such as Walmart too, but often with limitations as to the amount and many times requiring you join some shoppers club.

Along about 2014, the automated check cashing kiosk began to pop up here and there. The first few companies failed to gain traction in the market place.  Near Cleveland, Ohio, an enterprising convenience store owner introduced a kiosk in his stores.



How to cash a check in a kiosk. No human interaction makes it fast, secure and confidential.

How to get around Bank Holds on Funds

LIKE MANY SMALL BUSINESSES, you work hard to get customers, work hard to satisfy them with a quality product, then it's time for them to pay. This sometimes takes a while and when they finally send a check - boom!  Your bank wants to hold the funds for several days until the money clears.  There is a lot of talk and discussion on the immediacy of electronic transfers and while it's true the transfer happen fast, it's the notification of the transfer that's comes immediately to the recipient bank. It may take several days for the funds to clear through the Federal Reserve system.  Bottom line, your bank isn't messing with you but they could, if you've been a good customer, give you a pass and let the funds be available to you.  

When they won't or don't, there are alternatives.  I spoke with Kam Patel at Shop 'N Go, a convenience store in Bedford Heights, OH.  He cashed checks at his store, nearly any type of check. He says he will and has cashed business checks up to as high as $175,000.  It's pretty simple he says, just come in the store and leave with cash.  If the amount is sizable, it's best to call in the morning so he has time to round up all your cash.