Cashing checks made out to married name? Help!

I was given some checks before our wedding next month from people who can't attend. Some are made out to my first name, his first name, his last name. So obviously that is not yet my name. I had him sign them, me sign with my current name and new name underneath, and wrote 'For deposit only.' I went to the bank and they said I can't put in any checks made out to the couple with the married name UNTIL WE GET THE MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE IN THE MAIL! That will be months after the wedding! How did your bank handle this? I use the Bank of NY but am thinking of switching just because of this!

Re: Cashing checks made out to married name? Help!

I did it just like you did and I was able to deposit them.

Re: Cashing checks made out to married name? Help!

I was able to sign my both names at Citibank. They told me that was fine as long as it was not a giant check. I have no idea what they mean by giant...

Re: Cashing checks made out to married name? Help!

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Posted by princess99

I was able to sign my both names at Citibank. They told me that was fine as long as it was not a giant check. I have no idea what they mean by giant...

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Exactly. I'm with Citibank, too, and they said that as long as the check is not made out to over $1,000, then you can deposit by just both parties signing the back.

Re: Cashing checks made out to married name? Help!

We had no problem depositing checks. I was just told to sign MyFirstName MyLastName-HisLastName.

We deposited with Citibanks and Washington Mutual

Re: Cashing checks made out to married name? Help!

Just signing your at the time current name and the new married name?

Anyone know about Chase's policy?

Re: Cashing checks made out to married name? Help!

Washinton Mutual has been very nice to us about this too.. I have not changed my name officially yet. I have left to just change my name with Social security.

Re: Cashing checks made out to married name? Help!

My DH just went to our bank (Citibank) and deposited them. Actually I didn't even endorse them....he did....and there was no problem!

Re: Cashing checks made out to married name? Help!

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Posted by nov04LIbride

Just signing your at the time current name and the new married name?

Anyone know about Chase's policy?

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I still havent changed mine, but yes they just told me to sign by hyphenating both last names for checks written to Mr and Mrs Michael XXXXX or Michael and Stephanie XXXX

Try calling a branch to see what they say.

Re: Cashing checks made out to married name? Help!

I am with Washington Mutual also. I signed my maiden name and my husband signed his name and we were able to deposit them no problem.

I used to be with BNY, I hate them, I was always being charged for things every month. I finally got fed up with them and switched.

Re: Cashing checks made out to married name? Help!

Maybe I should add that I wasn't deposting to our joint account, I was depositing to my personal account, though he signed the check too. Would that make a difference?

Re: Cashing checks made out to married name? Help!

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Posted by Jola

I used to be with BNY, I hate them, I was always being charged for things every month. I finally got fed up with them and switched.

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I hate them too they are just the closest to my work and home...UGH I was ready to cry, we need the $$!!

Re: Cashing checks made out to married name? Help!

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Posted by nov04LIbride

Maybe I should add that I wasn't deposting to our joint account, I was depositing to my personal account, though he signed the check too. Would that make a difference?

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We didn't have joint accounts either. As long as one of the names on the checks matches of the person with the account, it's good to go.

Re: Cashing checks made out to married name? Help!

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Posted by nov04LIbride

Maybe I should add that I wasn't deposting to our joint account, I was depositing to my personal account, though he signed the check too. Would that make a difference?

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Yes that might make a difference.

But I remember when his parents gave a check for wedding expenses they wrote it out to DH. He signed it and endorsed it to me. The bank told me I couldn't deposit into my personal account bc they needed to verify his signature. When I told him he had his own account there also, they just looked up his signature card. So maybe your DH needs to be present.

Re: Cashing checks made out to married name? Help!

We did the same as you did and it was fine. We use Fleet, now Bank of America. It is a joint account though, I don't know if that matters. My personal account is BNY.... I am transeferring that to Bank of America as soon as I do my name change.

Re: Cashing checks made out to married name? Help!

We had checks made out to all different names - some with just his name, some with just my name some with both, some with both first names and his last name, even one with Mr & Mrs HisMiddleName (someone in my family thought that was his last name I guess since it's kind of an odd middle name.)
Anyway, when we went to my bank to deposit them into the account with just my name (we didn't have any joint at the time) they told us to just put my account # and for deposit only - so signature at all. They deposited them all with no problem (which surprised me a lot since some had neither my first or last name, but, whatever.)

Re: Cashing checks made out to married name? Help!

Re: Cashing checks made out to married name? Help!

Anything made out to our married name DH signed and only he signed and we deposited it and so far no problems but we live in CO and the banks don't seem to be as strict out here.

Re: Cashing checks made out to married name? Help!

yea...we had to sign with my name with both maiden and married name, and brought our marriage certificate with us. IT was waiting for us after our week long HM.....

Re: Cashing checks made out to married name? Help!

I got my marriage certificate one week after we mailed in the liscense all signed by everyone...and you have to mail it in within 5 days of the wedding. If your officient does it in a timely fashion, It should get to you quickly.

Also, our bank said that any proof that I was making effort to legally change my name was sufficient...but the MC was the most reliable. She would have accepted an invitation as proof she said.


We went to open the accont not knowing any of this, so we opened a joint account with our respective pre-marital names, and then just changed it since the MC came in. I had a BUNCH of checks that had my maiden name on them, so those were usable..we had to wait for the ones with the married name for both of us.