A lot of us are stingy with money. We don’t just go about giving it away. Even the richest of the rich don’t easily give out their money. Signatures are just the same. Let us be just as stingy with them, too.

A signature is the yes that we give. It’s evidence that can be used against us in court. “My Lord, she agreed to let me have all of her wealth! See, she even signed, here.” You’d think that the many times we see this happen in movies would make us more careful about what we sign, but no, we unfortunately tend to be careless with our signatures.

The most important thing is to understand what you are agreeing to before you do, especially at the bank. Read it carefully before you say: “ I do!”. The money we receive from the teller should also match the one we are signing for.

Yes, there could be differences. Mistakes happen. Maybe  a E900 could be typed, instead of  a E90 or even E9 000. It could even be temptation. Oh yes, we cannot leave out things like theft. They have happened before.

The teller may take out from an account more than was written, and then keep the difference. With our carelessness, we will get the money we expected without knowing that more has actually been taken out. Even worse, we will go on to sign for that new amount without even looking. We really should be more careful.

Even when putting money into our accounts. We should be sure that the money that went into our account is actually the money we are signing for. The teller could put in less and keep the rest for themselves, hoping that we won’t notice, as usual, but will just sign and walk away. So we need to be sure.

This is not just in banks, but also in shops . I am glad that I am a witness to this one. Shop tellers do make buyers pay for things they haven’t personally bought. I remember how, coincidentally, my eyes looked at my till slip from a shop, long after I had gotten home. I was surprised to find an item I hadn’t bought at all. But, because of carelessness, I paid for it.

We should teach ourselves. Before buying items, we should know how much they cost. We should know how much we expect as change from the money we have given to the teller, and ask questions if things turn out differently. That is, even if we get more change than expected, please.

We should be careful even when opening accounts. We should be sure that the account we are agreeing to with our signature is the one we actually need. Another topic for another time, Yoh! Dear people, bank accounts are not the same. Their costs and features differ. It’s not just about having an account, but it should help you achieve the reason you opened it.

And of course, when we take steps to protect ourselves, we also protect our tellers. Imagine that E900 instead of E90 difference during balancing time? How do they explain it? They will not immediately remember it. Moreover, these receipts are also checked by their authorities. How will they explain that to their bosses, who will obviously suspect theft? Besides, even if the teller was hoping to steal, our noticing these mistakes will wake them up from almost committing this offence.

The point is, let us be careful and very much aware. A signature means: “Yes, I agree.” It is us saying that what we were given is what we agreed to; it is what we wanted. Let us be sure then that what we agree to is what we actually want, and also what we eventually receive. Our signatures are very powerful. Let us not just give them away so easily without understanding.

A lot of us are stingy with money. We don’t just go about giving it away. Even the richest of the rich don’t easily give out their money. Signatures are just the same. Let us be just as stingy with them, too.