Like most Americans, I possess a checking account. I opened it for some familiar reasons: It’s convenient, it’s safer than dealing with large amounts of cash, and like many, I’m awful with cash. I seem to possess the innate ability to turn a $20 bill into seventeen cents and pocket lint before I know what happened. But, I digress. This form of banking is a panacea for many. However, it possesses a dark side. When you run out of cash, that’s it. The United States doesn’t mint negative money (yet). Now, when an individual unwittingly (I should hope it’s never intentional) overdraws their checking account, the bank can do one of two things. They can formally embarrass you at the cash register, or they can pull a far more sinister trick. They can authorize the transaction. Why is this evil? Well, unless you are lucky enough to have a checking account that doesn’t have an overdraft/insufficient funds fee, the charge that the bank hits your account with could be as high as $50, if not more, for every transaction you perform while you’re in the red. This means that if you only have $3.99 in your account and you spend $4, you have the pay the bank $50.01 before your account has a $0 balance. Do it again? That’s another $50 fee. And that isn’t even the worst part. Your bank doesn’t have to utter a word until you get your statement. It’s unethical, but it’s profitable, and it’s legal, so your bank won’t stop doing it. You think gasoline and cigarettes are expensive? Try charging some gum to your check card when there’s no money in the bank. $50 in gasoline and cigarettes will do a lot more for you than the same in overdraft fees. Technology is supposed to be here to help, not hurt. Use it to save yourself a lot of frustration. Check your balance, and check it often.