I've just got a call from a bank manager trying to clean up after a FICA disaster. The downstream consequences can be quite unexpected.

In this instance, an attorney's trust cheque has been unpaid because of the latest clamp-down on non-FICA'd accounts by banks. I'm assured it was a bank error - the account was indeed FICA compliant and the account was indeed in order. There are rather severe consequences for attorneys when their trust cheques aren't met.

I can just imaging the relevant attorney's ire as this all unravelled. But I was thinking - there are downstream consequences for my account too.

Not a matter of sufficient funds - I don't rely on cheques deposited until they're cleared anyway - even "good as gold" attorney trust cheques. I think it helps with my account scoring. And that's where my thought turned to.

This unpaid cheque is going to affect my scoring... I haven't deposited an unpaid cheque for probably more than 5 years.