Approximately 300 current and former members of the U.S. House of Representatives-on a regular basis-wrote a quarter-million dollars of checks without having the cash in their accounts. Later investigations revealed that no public funds were involved. The House bank was a free-standing institution that recirculated House members' cash. In effect, the delinquent check writers were borrowing money from each other on an interest-free, no-service-charge basis. Nevertheless, the House closed its bank after the events became public.

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Suppose you are a new congressional representative from your state. Apply the six-step framework for analysis outlined in the chapter to decide whether you would write NSF checks on a regular basis through the House bank.