Originally Posted by Janke

Direct deposit or debit cards will probably be required by 2013.

http://www.examiner.com/us-headlines...direct-deposit

Mailing you a check every month costs about 70 cents or so for paper, post office costs, printers. Sending it electronically costs about 7 cents. Doesn't sound like much, but multiply that times the number of months you will get checks in your lifetime times the number of Social Security and SSI beneficiaries there are in the US, and you can see that direct deposit does save the government money. It may be a tiny fraction of the deficit problems the US has, but why not do what you can to save the government money?

Also, if for some reason you don't get a check or your check is suspended for some reason, it takes about a week to get a paper replacement and about two days for an electronic replacement. Also, direct deposit cuts down on fraudulent reports of "I didn't get my check" since the bank has to agree that the check was not received. Also saves the government money.

If you use a debit card or direct deposit , you can go to the bank on the check delivery day and withdraw it all in cash, if that is they way you like to do business.