How To Center

• 2009 Tax Season
  • TurboTax via Internet Banking
  • Tax Forms and Q&A
  • Tax Refund Direct Deposit
• Apply for a Loan
• Balance your Checking Account
• Buy a Car
• Create A Budget
• Find a Notary
• Get Financial Counseling
• Get Traveler's Checks
• Make a Loan Payment
• Protect your assets
• Raise Money-Smart Kids
• Set Up Direct Deposit and e-Services
• Use a VyStar ATM
• VyStar Switch Kit

How to Balance Your Checking Account

Is it important to keep your checking account in balance? The answer is, yes it is. Balancing your checking account or checkbook is one of the most basic habits you should form, early on, for good money management. Here are some reasons why:

• Balancing your checkbook verifies that your records (your checkbook register) match your credit union’s records, as shown on your monthly member statement.
• Balancing your checkbook will help identify a mistake or unauthorized transaction. It will also help you find a missed ATM withdrawal, Check Card purchase, or other transaction that can cause a costly overdraft when you don’t have enough money in your account. Arrange Overdraft Protection for your checking account under CHECKING CENTER.
• Monthly is good, checking daily is even better. By visiting your account frequently to monitor your transactions you can keep your account balanced and have a better grasp of how much money is coming in and going out. It’s a great way to budget.

You don’t have to wait for your statement to come in the mail each month to balance. VyStar’s secure Internet Banking will allow you to view the transaction on your accounts anytime, day or night – view up to a year’s statement history. You can also view and print a copy of most checks that have cleared your account free of charge. By phone, you can call our free Magic*Touch voice response service to monitor your account at (904) 777-6001 or (800) 235-6289 – your Magic*Touch PIN is required.

Worksheet to help you balance

If you have just opened your first account or never gotten into the habit of balancing your checkbook, here’s what we suggest to help you get started.

On the back of the first page of your statement, is a “Checking Account Reconciliation” form (see illustration). This form will show you the necessary steps to balance your account. By taking a few minutes of your time and keeping an accurate record of all your transactions, you will see that balancing is easy and can save you money.

To view your complete statement and the "Checking Account Reconciliation" form in Internet Banking – login, select “Statements” on your account screen and then, "back of your statement".

If you think your statement is wrong or you need more information about a transaction, please contact your credit union as soon as possible. Read the back of your statement for more details.

CHECKING CENTER