Offer your insights or judgment on the input financial query or topic using your financial expertise. Reply as normal question answering

How many days does Bank of America need to clear a bill pay check
My bank's bill payment system saves nothing more than writer's cramp and stamps.  When a paper check is required they mail it, but it's drawn on my account just as if I'd written it out by hand and mailed it myself.  There is no "temporary account", and at the time of month when I take care of the bills, my balance oscillates up and down depending on what's cleared and what hasn't.  I'm going back to mailing checks because it saves a day or two of time between payment initiation and check clearing, which sucks.  And electronic payments aren't much better.  It recently took about five days for a payment to my car insurance company to be processed--and the amount is finalized and subtracted in the bank's website only after clearance.  I can't know what I have without balancing the account every. frigging. time. IIRC bill payment systems were a lot more seamless and user friendly when they first became widespread.