Donald Trump

Expecting a $1,400 Stimulus Check by Mail? Here's What to Watch for

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  • Those $1,400 stimulus checks are starting to arrive by direct deposit.
  • Other payments by paper check or debit card are expected in coming weeks.
  • You should be vigilant about checking your mail, one expert says.

Those new $1,400 stimulus checks are arriving.

While the majority of payments will be made by direct deposit, others will receive the money in the mail — as paper checks or debit cards.

There could be some differences in what the U.S. Postal Service drops in your mail box this time, if that's how you receive the money.

While the first two stimulus checks had former President Donald Trump's name on them, you won't see President Joe Biden's signature on this latest round.

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"We are doing everything in our power to expedite the payments and not delay them, which is why the President's name will not appear on the memo line of this round of stimulus checks," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said during a briefing last week.

Instead, the checks will be signed by a career official at the Bureau of Fiscal Service, which is working with the IRS to deliver the money.

This has been the precedent prior to the previous presidential administration, according to a Treasury official.

"It's really unusual to have an individual president's name on a check," said Amy Hanauer, executive director at the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a non-partisan tax policy organization.

"Throughout U.S. history, it's not been the case and it's not been the way that it's done," she said.

Some people will receive a debit card instead. Keep in mind the money will not be added to cards that were previously sent. Instead, a new card will be issued.

More details on those new cards is expected soon.

Those deliveries should more clearly labeled this time, after some people mistook the first $1,200 debit cards for junk mail.

If you're anticipating a debit card or paper check in the mail, be on the lookout for a white envelope that's clearly marked, according to Hanauer.

"People really just need to be looking for that kind of an envelope from the IRS and just be vigilant in checking their mail this week and the next few weeks," she said.

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