Allowing a free market in any legal commodity is the underpinning of capitalism. It is as right for bank checks to be subjected to this discipline as it is for corn. The outcome has been cheap checks readily available online, and at a price that beats those offered by the banks.

The quality and range of designer checks available is staggering. As far as I can tell, the possibilities are endless. There is a whole array of Disney check designs as well as more esoteric variants such as Harley Davidson checks, and flowers and fairies!

The beauty of all this is that even the miserable act of having to write a personal check to pay a bill can make you smile. The other day I was looking at a bank check with a background picture of Winnie the Pooh and Tigger. Anyone planning to order checks these days is presented with a wealth of choice. Personal checks are better than they ever were, and long may it last before we move to a cashless society.