What should be the status of the date on a cheque you receive?

The status of the date on a cheque you receive is important for several reasons, primarily relating to the validity and usability of the cheque. The correct answer indicates that the date must be today's date or earlier, but not more than six months in the past.

When you receive a cheque, it generally should not be dated in the future; doing so would render the cheque invalid until that date arrives. Cheques are considered stale if they are dated more than six months ago, which means banks may refuse to honor them. This is a common banking practice to prevent issues with old or forgotten cheques that may no longer hold relevance.

Therefore, ensuring the date is current or slightly in the past aligns with standard banking practices, making option B the most appropriate status for a cheque's date. It reassures both the drawer (the person who wrote the cheque) and the payee (the person receiving the cheque) that the transaction is valid and can be processed without complications.