Check kiting is any sort of fraud that involves drawing out money from a bank account that does not have sufficient funds to cover the check. It is typically achieved by taking advantage of the float, the time between the negotiation of the check and its clearance at the check-writer's bank. This fraud is also known as paper hanging and carries a heavier pejorative connotation. Before the passage of the Check Clearing for the 21st Century Act, when checks could take 3 or more days to clear, playing the float was fairly common practice in otherwise-honest low-income families who encountered emergencies right before payday.