Table of Contents
Introduction 6
Why Do You Need a Bank Account? 8
What Is a Bank? 10
What Is Money? 12
How Do Banks Work? 14
How Did Banks Begin? 16
Banking During the Middle Ages 18
The History of Banking in the United States 20
Modern Banks 22
Checking Accounts 24
What Happens When You Write a Check? 26
What Are ATM & Debit Cards? 28
What Is Electronic Banking? 30
Balancing Your Checkbook 32
What Happens If You Overdraw Your Account? 34
Opening a Savings Account 36
What Happens to Your Money After You Deposit it? 38
How Do You Apply for a Loan? 40
What Is Interest? 42
Paying Off Your Loan 44
What Is a Credit Rating & Why Does it Matter? 46
Is the Money in Your Bank Account Safe from Thieves? 48
What Is the FDIC? 50
Do Banks Ever Fail? 52
The Future of Banking 54
Here's What You Need to Remember 57
Words You Need to Know 58
Further Reading 60
Find Out More on the Internet 61
Index 62
Picture Credits 63
About the Author and Consultant 64
