Keeping track of your spending habits can seem like a delicate balancing act. After all, these days, checking accounts have more features than ever which make it incredibly easy and hassle-free to access your funds. With the growing popularity of check cards/debit cards, online checking and easy transfers, it can feel overwhelming to try and keep your checking account balanced and reign in your spending habits. Fortunately, the best banks understand these challenges and some, such as Aurora Bank (Equal Housing Lender, Member FDIC), have stepped up to the plate to help you take control over your checking account (instead of letting it control you!)

Staying On Track and In the Black

Having a checking account, whether it’s your first one or you’ve been using it for a while, is a serious responsibility. It takes some self-discipline to be able to keep your account balanced. Not knowing your account balance can lead to overdraft charges and other fees that can quickly put you in the red. The most common ways to keep your account balanced is to use your check register (which came with your checks) to write down each transaction when it happens, then add and subtract the numbers to arrive at your balance. Another common way to keep track is to save all your receipts throughout the day and then do the math at the end of the day to arrive at your checking account balance. Read more …