The proper management of a checking account is important. Since this serves as the main bank account for many households, an error with the checking can set off a series of financial mishaps that end up costing a great deal of money. Fortunately, it is possible to effectively manage the checking in Galesburg IL by using a combination of the resources offered by the bank, and some good old common sense.
Recording Debit Card Purchases
Today, it is not unusual for people to write relatively few checks and to rely more on debit cards for making purchases. This is certainly easy to do and makes it possible to avoid having to carry a checkbook or a lot of cash. The problem is that people are not always diligent about recording those purchases in the check register.
A good rule of thumb is to never go to bed before adding any debit card purchases to the checking account register. Always get a receipt, even if the purchase happens to be at the gas pump. Rather then relying on the memory at the end of the day, it’s much easier to simply lay out the receipts and then enter them one by one into the register. Once the amounts are subtracted from the balance, there is no longer the possibility of an unpleasant surprise down the road.
Checking the Account Online
High quality institutions like Midwest Bank offer online access to bank accounts. The amount of access is not limited. That means it is possible to check the checking account balance any time that the customer desires. Rather than waiting for the monthly statement to arrive, it makes sense to use the online interface at least a couple times each week to see what has cleared, what is pending, and make sure the balance reflected in the check register matches the balance displayed by the bank.
When using this particular resource for managing checking in Galesburg IL, have the register handy. Use a pen to check off the transactions that have cleared. If a deposit is made, it should be checked off just like all the debits. That will make it easy to tell at a glance how much is still available for future purchases.
