Okay, folks: If you do not regularly balance your share draft account, how do you know if there is a problem? Do you need a lifeline? Then the answer is:
Dee Dee Baker, our bookkeeper and Assistant Manager.

One of the things that consumes Diana "Dee Dee" Baker's day is hearing from members who have checkbook problems. The first question she asks is, "Did you balance your account last month?" The usual answer is, "Oh, I never balance my account, but it’s always been okay before," or "I checked off the check numbers". Well, it just boils down to this:You have to balance, and it is your responsibility as a share draft account holder to keep your account in balance.

How do we solve this problem?  If you truly do not know how to balance, we will teach you how, and follow-up with you for a few months just to make sure that you get the hang of it. We often hold mini-seminars to teach checkbook balancing. If you are interested, contact Dee Dee at 423-229-9304 to schedule a time. We would rather invest on the front end than to have to back up two or three years to get to the root of a problem.

Some of the things that can cause problems in your bookkeeping are automatic debits from your account. You have to be careful with your VISA Debit/ATM cards also. If your checkbook is in a mess and you need help, Dee Dee will confidentially review your records against the records of the credit union to find the problem and balance the account.

A credit union statement is not difficult to balance. The first step is setting aside time when you receive the statement to balance it with your register. Today many people are keeping their "books" on a computer program and this helps to keep addition/subtraction errors to the minimum. Look over the share draft section and mark or check off all cleared drafts. On the back of the statement, list all the drafts, which have not cleared. Make sure that your deposits are all checked off. Take the credit union balance and subtract the drafts which have not cleared. The balances should equal.

If not, are there deposits which have not been posted? Check the math. Are there direct debits, ATM withdrawals, or debit card debits that have not been posted? Did you balance last month? This is a process that you need to perform every month. Should you have problems, call Dee Dee!! She'll be glad to help you. 423-229-9304 or dbaker@firstkptcu.com