When did balancing a checking account become a circus side show?

Look up and you will see an amazing feat. Yes, that person is walking a tightrope with a debit card in one hand and a laptop in the other. She is maintaining her balance in her head, while occasionally looking at her online totals. How long can that last?

Is your account status up in the air? One Non-Sufficient Funds (NSF) fee can throw you into a downward spiral.

Have you ever wondered why you received an NSF charge when you checked your Available Balance before making a purchase? Welcome to the Greatest Show on Earth!

Step right up, don’t be shy … Track your balances. You can avoid the roller coaster rides when you know what to expect.

You know to steer clear of the fortune telling machines; yet you put your faith in the online and ATM totals … You’re not alone. Since reliable fortune tellers aren’t able to be synched up with computers, no financial institution has the ability to provide you with accurate 24/7 balances. Why not? Until each merchant actually transmits your transaction or someone deposits your check, your credit union or bank has no way of knowing a purchase was made. Sometimes services merchants use delay processing transactions by days or even weeks! That’s a fact.

In other words, if your financial institution doesn’t receive the debit/credit transmission or the deposited check, there is no way it can provide you with an accurate “Available Balance.”

What’s a person to do? As tedious as it can be, the best thing is to keep track of all transactions (purchases and deposits). You can use the tried & true manual Check Register; or utilize one of the various online ways of maintaining your balance. As a Verity Credit Union member, you have access to free balancing assistance by a company called Balance. Through Verity's partnership with Balance, members will receive free, unbiased information and assistance. To use the new services, simply call, toll-free, 1-888-456-2227 or visit their website through our link on veritycu.com.

I know budgets are tight. Don’t trust Marlin the Magnificent to balance your accounts.