O.C. BUSINESS PLUS : HEARD ON THE BEAT / FINANCIAL SERVICES : Fees Aren’t the Only Way You Lose

Writing a rubber check can be a costly experience, in more ways than one.

Debt Counselors of America, a Rockville, Md., debt-counseling service, is offering a new publication to help consumers keep the costs down.

Among the organization’s tips:

* Sign up for overdraft protection. Though the interest rates and fees for this service can be expensive, they are cheaper than bad-check fees.

* Make good on a bum check as quickly as possible. If the person to whom you wrote the check suffers any damages or losses as a result, you could be responsible for paying as much as three times the amount of the check.

* Make sure you understand your bank’s check-clearing policy. Some banks clear the biggest checks first, which means you could get hit with hefty per-check fees if you have other checks outstanding.

Debt Counselors also offers the following advice to consumers or merchants to avoid getting stuck with a bad check.

* Be wary of forgery, including checks without perforation marks or with glossy, shiny print. Those are signs the check may be fake.

* If you have doubts about a check, try to cash it at the bank on which it was drawn. That way you’ll avoid a fee at your own bank.

A copy of “Bounced Checks: What to Do If You Write Them or Receive Them� is available for $2.50 at Debt Counselors of America’s Web site (www.getoutofdebt.org), or for $5 from DCA Publications, P.O. Box 8587, Gaithersburg, Md., 20898-8587.