What is a Checking Account?

Checking is a service provided by banks, savings and loans, and credit unions. When you need to store your money safely you need an account.Checking allows an individual or a business to make bank transactions (such as depositing money or withdrawing funds) from a federally insured bank account.The specific terms of a given account will depend on the policies of the bank the account is held by, but in general accounts are all the same.All checking accounts offer the holder of the account personal checks printed by the bank and personalized with the account holder’s details – these checks can be used in place of cash for payment, although these days more and more businesses won’t take personal checks.The new alternative to checks is the electronic debit or ATM card. The holder of the account can use a card to access their individual account, take out cash withdrawals, make payments, make bank transfers, and even buy stamps and other convenience type items, all depending on what is offered by your bank’s ATMs.A checking account is basically a way to keep your money safe and have constant access to it.How Do You Open a Checking Account?All banks offers some form of checking service. The checking account is the generic “bank account” that banks depend on. Sometimes you need to have a checking account with a bank before they allow you to open a money market account, a CD, or any other specialty bank account with them.Before you go to open a checking account, you should be aware that some banks will make you put down a deposit before you become a customer of their bank and open your new account. A few other things you’ll need to have with you when you open an account – proof of address, proof of identification, and a social security card. Any government-issued ID (such as a passport, driver’s license, state ID, etc) will work as proof of identification, and you can “prove” your address by showing a power bill, a pay stub, or some other official letter or bill with your name and your address printed on it.Special Types of CheckingSome banks offer special forms of checking for customers who have specific needs.Customers with poor credit, credit issues, or low income such as students or people with little credit history should look for very basic checking accounts (sometimes called “no frills accounts”) which don’t charge fees for certain features. In exchange for fee-free account access, your account will be limited in terms of interest earned and the amount of withdrawals you’re allowed to make.If a customer is interested in earning a higher interest rate, certain accounts do pay a greater interest rate if a customer keeps a specific minimum balance. In exchange for keeping $2,500 in my checking account each month, my interest rate goes up almost a full point.There are other kinds of specialty accounts – so called “life line checking accounts” exist. These are basically checking accounts for older citizens or other customers whose monthly income is not from a traditional job. These checking accounts don’t charge fees like monthly service fees for low balances or surcharges for ATM use.Depending on what kind of customer you are and what kind of account you’re looking for, different types of accounts exist. Contact banks nearby to find out about their special programs..Maintaining Your Checking AccountKeeping track of a checking account can seem difficult if you’ve never done it before. When you pay with a check it can be difficult to keep track of that money, as it is not automatically deducted from your account balance. It is easy to get in dire financial straits this way if you don’t maintain your account.When you boil it down, a checking account is a series of deposits and withdrawals. To maintain your checking account you have to keep a physical record of your checks, debit card use, and any deposits coming in to make sure that you keep a positive balance. If the bank closes your checking account and sends your balance due to a collection agency for failure to maintain positive standing, this is called “defaulting” and will leave a terrible smudge on your credit score and your future ability to borrow or open an account.If you want to keep your account positive, you need to understand how a check works. When a person writes a check in exchange for goods or services the recipient of the check treats it like a cash payment and completes the transaction. After that check is deposited into the recipient’s bank account, a bank employee files the check electronically and the check writer’s bank works out the amount to be withdrawn from the check writer’s account — this is called “processing” the check. This happens every time a check is written and deposited against an account.How to Keep Track of Your Checking AccountMost banks offer a variety of ways for their customers to keep an eye on their checking balance. Not only should you keep your own tally of deposits and withdrawals, but you can use any number of systems offered by your bank to make sure your and their records are correct.The most common methods of keeping your balance in check is keeping your bank’s printed monthly statements of debits and credits. These paper statements are mailed to you monthly, or available online all the time. ATM machines even offer an option to check an account balance, and many banks have phone-in centers where you can use an “automated teller” for certain financial updates and transactions.You should closely compare your own list of checks you’ve written with the list of checks that have already been deposited to determine how much money is actually available in your account balance.As long as you are a responsible account holder and you maintains good records of your transactions, you should be able to keep a minimum balance in your account and avoid penalties.A checking account is just about the safest and easiest way of paying bills and dealing in money. Everything from direct deposit of your payroll check to using PayPal to shop online requires a checking account. Sure, savings accounts are good for adding interest, but a checking account allows you to make everyday transactions like paying rent and bills or purchasing everyday items.

Get to Know the Best Types of Smart Home Window Blinds

Are you a millennial? Have you always considered buying a Smart Home, where you can operate gadgets with a touch of button or your voice? If you have already bought a Smart Home, then Congratulations! Now, the next step is buying the Smart Blinds, which can give a “RICH LOOK” to your home. Who will not enjoy the instant of waking every day – when the blinds open as per the schedule? Yet, many feel that this new technology can burn a hole in their wallets and only the rich can afford this “LUXURY.” Well, did this topic generate interest and you are willing to opt for Smart Home Window Blinds? You have come to the right place. This article can give the best information on Smart Blinds – which in other words, is High Tech Automation at a Budget Friendly Price.Has your family has decided to decorate the home with recent gadgets? Then please note, there are various types of smart home window blinds. They are -A. MOTORIZED BLINDSThis type is considered as one among the modern window blinds in a Smart Home. This type comes with attractive features such as remote control option, the best option for hard-to-reach windows. You can buy them within your scheduled budget. There are four types of motorized blinds. They are -

Motorized Vinyl Blinds

Motorized Wood Blinds

Motorized Composite Blinds

Motorized Aluminum Blinds
B. MOTORIZED SHADESAre you searching for a device that can come across as the next generation gadget for your Smart Home? Then go for Motorized Shades. The most surprising of all, you can control for either one window or for the entire home.There are many types of Motorized Shades, the information of which are given below -

Exterior Motorized Solar Shades

Skylight Motorized Shades

Sheer Horizontal Shades

Pleated Shades

Roller Solar Shades

Cellular Shades

Roman Shades

Natural Shades
C. SMART MOTORIZED SHADESYou have decided to install the Smart Window Blinds at your home. You are on the lookout for a shade that can fit into your requirements. Do you want a blind that can work with every Smart Gadget such as Google Home, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant or Amazon Echo Control or any other company device? Then, go for Smart Motorized Shades. There are eight versions of this type and they are as follows:

Cellular Honeycomb Shades

Smart Dual Shades

Smart Roller Solar Shades

Smart Blackout Shades

Smart Pleated Shades
There are also other types of Smart Blinds. But we have mentioned only the important types in this article. And yes, you can select the best as per your budget.How Can You Make These Smart Home Window Blinds/Shades work?You can use either a Google Home or Cortana (from Microsoft) or Google Home Kit or Amazon Alexa for the task. Of course, there are few which get controlled by the app or even battery-based devices. The most important features, are these blinds resemble your normal blinds and window coverings. They come in attractive styles and designs.Benefits of Smart Blinds:The most important benefit, without a mention, is convenience. Who will not want to have the convenience of controlling a window blind from anywhere (any place) in the home via a device or a Smart Phone?1. SafetyWhen you have pets and tiny tots in the home, then safety should be your Prime Concern. Many a time, tiny tots can get tangled when playing with the cord of windows. In Smart Window Blinds, there is no chord and so, you need not worry.2. Saves MoneyYour home will become hot or cold as per the weather fluctuations. Yet, the sensor in the smart blind can open or close as per the weather forecast. This facility reduces the consumption of electricity and helps save your money.ConclusionHave you read the article on Smart Home Window Blinds products? Hope you have gained valuable information on this new type of “luxury.” So, what are you waiting for? Select your choice among the various attractive types of Blinds. Give your Smart Home the best feature and a wonderful appearance.

Buying an Easy Life With a Kids Entertainer

Children love parties. The poor adults who have to arrange them, run them, try and rescue them when everything goes wrong, and finally collapse in a little ball after everyone has gone home, don’t. And little wonder. Running a children’s party ought to be a full time occupation – not something done part time by unwilling volunteers. Fortunately for those volunteers, there are some people out there who actually make their living from running and entertaining at kid’s parties: party organisers like the wonderfully named UK outfit Froggle, whose kids entertainer packages alone have probably saved half the nation’s parents from a party-induced breakdown.Here’s how Froggle, and the other unsung heroes that do the same job up and down the country, save so many poor harassed parents from mental rack and ruin. They come in, they take over as much or as little of the party organisation and running as the parents require, and they let the parents themselves take a back seat. That means there’s more time for the parents to do the really useful stuff, like keeping an eye out for skinned knees and incipient tantrums, while the kids’ entertainer and his or her colleagues concentrate on all the things that usually distract Mum and Dad from doing the necessary. As a result, that necessary becomes far less stressful than it used to be – because Mum and Dad are no longer trying to keep their eyes peeled whilst also entertaining everyone, they find the actual keeping their eyes peeled part a lot less of a strain than it used to be.There’s a very specific advantage to hiring an entertainer for a children’s party. Unlike Mum, or Dad, or even an older sibling or family friend, no part attendee is likely to know the kids entertainer in question. And that means two things. One, the entertainer never suffers from that loss of illusion that Mum or Dad will inevitably feel when one of the guests shouts out “hey – that’s Johnny’s mum!” And two, the entertainer is usually afforded more respect than Mum or Dad would have been. He or she is treated with the better behaved reserve children always put on for strangers – because, with strangers, they don’t know where the boundaries are. The result? A kids’ entertainer actually entertains more, because the children don’t recognise him, or her, and so the illusion isn’t spoiled – and, again because the guy or gal under the makeup is a stranger, the kids behave better too. Which means everyone goes home happy for a change.
A decent kids’ entertainer knows exactly how to keep children interested, when and how to excite them and, most importantly of all, when to calm them down. In the hands of an expert, all the guests at the party will have safely expended the fury of all their pent up excitement long before the end of the party – meaning that they’re easy to get home and relatively tantrum free.There may, possibly, be other ways of controlling a kid’s party – but why bother? Simply hire a decent kids’ entertainer, sit back, relax, and prepare to actually enjoy a child’s birthday for a change. You never know – you might like it.