Both my husband and I have very short simple names that get mangled all the time -- especially our last names...we just sign the back of the check..."for deposit only" and never have a problem.

Banks have the right to hold a check you deposit for a certain period of time to ensure it is valid...before letting you have the funds. It is longer for out-of-state checks.

If you set up to view your account online you can see when the funds are available in your account.