St. Louis Post-Dispatch David Nicklaus column.

Byline: David Nicklaus

Sep. 24--If you're in the habit of writing a rent check on a depleted bank account a couple of days before payday, you may need to change your ways.

After Oct. 28, the money will come out of your account within 24 hours after the landlord deposits your check. In other words, the days of playing the float are over.

It's all a result of the Check Clearing for the 21st Century Act, or Check 21 for short.

The new law lets banks convert your check to a digital image that can be transmitted electronically, rather than transporting it on a truck or airplane. It's supposed to cut $2 billion a year from banks' …