Home
>
Personal Finance
>
How to Balance Your Checkbook ? Get a Calculator and Pencil and You are Ready To Go!

How to Balance Your Checkbook ? Get a Calculator and Pencil and You are Ready To Go!

Despite how easy it is to balance a checkbook, very few people take the time to do it and the few who do, don't always do it the right way. If you write down in your checkbook ledger what should be deducted and added, you are on the right track ? if not, start there and follow these nine easy steps to a balanced checkbook. Once you are comfortable with these nine steps, it is possible to balance your checkbook each month within 30-45 minutes.

9 Steps

Make sure that all deposits, withdrawals (maintenance fees, ATM fees, and automatic payments) are added and subtracted and calculate the balance as of the last transaction made.
Keep all check-card receipts, duplicate checks (or returned checks from the bank) and withdrawal slips until you sit down to balance your checkbook.
Mark an "x" in your checkbook by each transaction that has gone through the bank. It is easy to do once your statement arrives and you can put all checks in numerical order and easily check them off.
Do the same thing with any ATM withdrawals or check-card purchases.
Make any adjustments necessary to "true-up" your ledger and comparing deposit slips and purchases/withdrawals. *If you notice any discrepancies between your records and the bank's ? give your bank a call.
To calculate your balance write down your checkbook's current balance at the top of a piece of paper (normally the backside of your statement will have a worksheet to complete for this task).
Subtract any amounts for un-cleared deposits and bank fees such as monthly fees or for any insufficient funds charges.
Add any un-cleared checks and the interest you have earned to this figure.
Finally, compare the final figure that you have to your bank statement ? they should match.

With very little effort, it is easy to keep track of expenses and stay out of trouble with your bank. Balancing your checkbook is very important because you will avoid overdraft or insufficient funds fees due to bouncing checks because of not knowing your balance. In addition you will protect your credit and verify that your financial institution has made no mistakes. You'll also be able to keep better track of cash flow and manage your money with far fewer headaches and surprises.

If You Can't Get Your Checkbook to Balance; Try These Tips!

From time to time, everyone records something wrong or adds incorrectly ? and a few easy tricks make it easy to find that error.

Verify that the dollar amount of the items entered in your ledger matches with the dollar amount of the items on the bank statement.
Compare ledger and deposit slips with your statement.
If the error is a whole number, check your addition and subtraction again.
If the number is divisible by nine, you may have transposed figures ($63 recorded instead of $36).
If the balances still won't match up and you can't find the problem, make an appointment with your bank to figure out the problem. Most banks offer help complimentary or for a nominal fee.

Here are Some Helpful Hints to Stay in Balance

Review your returned checks from the bank regularly to ensure that you've entered in all transactions.
Enter the name of the payee and the amount in your ledger when you write your check instead of waiting until right before you balance it.
Place decimal points exactly where they should be to avoid calculation errors.
Keep all ATM, check-card or deposit/withdrawal receipts together until you are ready to balance your checkbook.

Robb Ksiazek is a successful author and publisher for returned checks from the bank. He has researched and written hundreds of articles and can simplify your online search by recommending merchants for the best value and selections in business or personal checks, address labels, rubber stamps and envelopes.

bathroom cleaning service Northbrook ..

In The News:

Data removal from brokers protects against AI-powered scams and deepfake threats in 2026. Learn how data brokers sell your personal information to scammers.

Learn how to act against cybercriminals in 2026 with essential security steps like two-factor authentication, software updates and credit freezing.

Choose between OpenAI releasing Sora text-to-video model, the AI race heating up, or Waymo driverless cars launching in cities across the country

Learn how to set up Google Maps and Apple Maps on your phone to automatically remember where you parked. Step-by-step instructions for enabling location services and parking detection.

Phishing scammers use rnicrosoft.com domain to impersonate Microsoft by replacing "m" with "rn" in typosquatting attacks that steal login credentials.

OpenAI announces new teen safety rules for ChatGPT users under 18, blocking romantic roleplay and requiring extra caution on body image topics.

A 2025 data breach at fintech company 700Credit exposes personal information of more than 5.8 million people through compromised third-party integration partner.

Retailers lose $76.5 billion annually to return fraud as nearly 10% of U.S. retail returns involve fraudulent activity, with $850 billion in returns expected in 2025.

ShinyHunters claims responsibility for stealing 94GB of Pornhub user data affecting over 200 million records and demands Bitcoin ransom.

ChatGPT 2025 now connects to Apple Music, Canva, Expedia, TripAdvisor and OpenTable through built-in apps that help users create playlists, design graphics and more.

Apple releases emergency patches for two zero-day vulnerabilities actively exploited in attacks. iPhone and iPad users urged to update immediately.

DoorDash launches Zesty, an AI-powered social app that recommends restaurants through conversational search, now testing in San Francisco and New York.

Cybersecurity firm Infoblox reveals that over 90 percent of parked domains now redirect visitors to scams and malware, making simple typos extremely dangerous.

The Fox News AI Newsletter covers the latest artificial intelligence technology advancements, including the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

GPT-5.2 is now live for all ChatGPT users with improved coding, writing and image interpretation, with Kurt Knutsson offering his review.

New iPhone replacement scam uses pressure tactics and fake carrier calls to steal devices from buyers. Criminals claim shipping errors and demand urgent returns.

Amazon Ring's new facial recognition feature sparks privacy controversy as Electronic Frontier Foundation critics argue the AI upgrade expands surveillance risks.

New Android banking trojan Sturnus steals credentials, reads encrypted messages and controls devices.

Denmark's 3D-printed student village proves automation builds 36 apartments faster than traditional methods. Skovsporet project shows housing future.

Discover Android's new Sound Notifications feature that alerts you to smoke alarms, doorbells, and baby cries even when wearing headphones.

New SantaStealer malware reportedly threatens holiday shoppers with password theft. This Christmas-themed info-stealer targets browsers and crypto wallets.

The Christmas season brings a surge in Netflix phishing scams targeting shoppers with fake emails. Stacey P received convincing scam but verified account first.

San Francisco Giants invite Jamie Grohsong to throw ceremonial first pitch at Oracle Park after he learned to play baseball with a bionic hand following an injury.

FBI warns cybercriminals are stealing family photos from social media to create fake proof of life images in virtual kidnapping scams targeting victims.

Instagram's new 'Your Algorithm' tool lets you control your Reels feed in real time. The app now gives you power to customize what videos you see.

How to Balance Your Checkbook ? Get a Calculator and Pencil and You are Ready To Go!

Personal Finance