5 Reasons

Not to ignore your Bank Statement

 

Digital banking has made it easier to do many things—pay bills, view your balance, make purchases, and remote deposits. Even with all these improvements to your banking experience, some users still forget about balancing their accounts. 
Many people feel that the text transaction alerts or emails they get from their credit union or bank above a certain amount—like, say $50 or $25—are enough. However, they may be missing smaller fees that don’t trigger a notification. Using your printed statements or e-statements to reconcile your account provides you with a much more accurate financial picture. 

Here are the top five reasons why you should check your statement regularly: 

1. Spot fraudulent activity on your account early
   Log in to your online banking site or mobile app daily or weekly to quickly identify fraud. If you’re just looking at the balance and not checking each transaction, it’s possible to miss an unauthorized charge. Often, fraudsters will make a small debit just to see if the account is legitimate. If it goes through, they know they’ve got access to an active account.
2. Catch a missed payment faster
   Sometimes, you make a payment (either by mail or online) and, for some reason, it doesn’t get credited to your account correctly, or you may even forget to make the payment altogether. You may not realize something is amiss until you receive your next bill. However, if you make it a habit to check your statement regularly, you may be able to avoid a late charge and possible damage to your credit score.
3. Fix errors
   No matter how much we utilize technology, errors can still occur. A transaction can be recorded in the wrong amount or, even though you cancelled that Netflix subscription, the recurring charges continue to appear on your statement. The sooner you know about errors like this, the sooner you can get it corrected.
4. Keep track of rate increases
   Got a great low rate on your new credit card? Sometimes, it’s an introductory rate that will increase after
   six months or a year. It’s important to know when that happens. If you aren’t tracking the date, you may be surprised—but your statement is a great place to catch it.
5. Access important tax information
   Your statement contains important information you may need to validate taxes paid or deductions taken. Think charitable donations, tax payments and business or medical expenses.

If you have a formal budget in place, you may not need to review your statements as regularly because you’ll likely be checking your accounts more often. However, if you don’t follow a budget, this may be the best way to track your spending and income.