{"id":4208,"date":"2020-07-29T10:26:43","date_gmt":"2020-07-29T10:26:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/outsourcinghubindia\/?p=4208"},"modified":"2024-05-02T08:09:33","modified_gmt":"2024-05-02T08:09:33","slug":"bank-reconciliation-works-important","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.uiplonline.com\/ohi-wordpress\/bank-reconciliation-works-important\/","title":{"rendered":"How Bank Reconciliation Works and Why It Is Important"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Reconciliation of your business bank account implies that you are comparing your internal financial records against the records supplied to you by your bank.<\/p>\n<p>A monthly bank reconciliation enables you to identify any suspicious transactions that could potentially be fraud or accounting errors, and the practice also helps you identify inefficiencies.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/localhost\/outsourcinghubindia\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Bank-reconciliation.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4212\" src=\"http:\/\/localhost\/outsourcinghubindia\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Bank-reconciliation.png\" alt=\"Bank reconciliation\" width=\"850\" height=\"567\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Bank Reconciliation &#8211; Mode of Operation<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">To reconcile your bank accounts, compare your internal record of transactions as-well-as balances to your monthly bank statement.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Corroborate every transaction meticulously, ensuring that the amounts match perfectly, and spot any differences that need further investigation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">You also need to make sure that your bank statements display ending account balance that complies with your internal records. If the amounts mismatch, you are liable to receive an explanation for the glitch.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The <a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"http:\/\/localhost\/outsourcinghubindia\/bank-reconciliation-statement-safeguarding\/(opens in a new tab)\" data-wplink-url-error=\"true\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>role of bank reconciliation <\/strong><\/a>process demands the following \u2013<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Every check amount<\/strong> on your bank statement needs to be compared to the check amounts in the company&#8217;s general ledger cash account. Any suspicious transactions, like the company&#8217;s outstanding checks or errors, would become part of the adjustments listed on the bank reconciliation<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Every deposit<\/strong> on the bank statement needs to be compared to the receipts registered in the company&#8217;s cash account. Any differences, like a deposit in transit and\/or errors, shall become part of the adjustments mentioned on the bank reconciliation<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Other items<\/strong> on the bank statement need to be compared to the various other items in the company&#8217;s cash account. Any glitches, such as bank fees, checks returned due to insufficient funds, collections made by the bank and others become part of the adjustments mentioned on the bank reconciliation.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The entire model of operation can be as formal or informal as you&#8217;d prefer. Some businesses produce a bank reconciliation statement to document their regular reconciliation of accounts.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">If you cannot complete the process monthly, you can choose to perform it daily, quarterly, or for any other interval as per your convenience.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Sources to Gather Information<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Your accounting system must contain all of the internal transaction data you require, else you could choose to keep your records in a check register, which could be electronic or on paper.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Your bank can render online access to your account, enabling you to view and download transactions regularly for a detailed juxtaposition.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Some online accounting programs choose to partially automate the process, but you still are required to supervise the process.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">If balancing your check book is something that you&#8217;re familiar with, then you&#8217;re already familiar with bank reconciliation. It&#8217;s primarily performing the same thing for the same reasons.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>What if There is a Mismatch?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It&#8217;s perfectly normal to witness minor differences that have surfaced due to timing, which might include items that haven&#8217;t yet been cleared by the bank, but you should be able to justify those differences with ease.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">For instance &#8211; You might write a check to a vendor and lower your account balance on internal systems as per your convenience, but your bank continues to display a higher balance until the check is deducted from your account.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Such checks are termed as <strong>outstanding checks<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">An automatic electronic payment could clear your account a day prior or after the end of the month, and you could have anticipated seeing that change in a different month.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">When you can conveniently account for discrepancies, there exists no reason to worry. If it takes greater time to identify and reconcile discrepancies, there might be bigger issues that need to be addressed.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>The Significance of Reconciling<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"http:\/\/localhost\/outsourcinghubindia\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Significance-Bank-Reconciliation.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4210\" src=\"http:\/\/localhost\/outsourcinghubindia\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Significance-Bank-Reconciliation.png\" alt=\"Significance Bank Reconciliation\" width=\"850\" height=\"487\" \/><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">A regular review of your accounts can help you identify problems way before they slip out of control.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Business bank accounts are entitled to less protection than consumer accounts under federal law, making it is especially vital for businesses to eliminate problems quickly.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">You can&#8217;t always count on the bank to cover fraud or errors happening in your account.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Catch Fraud in Time<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Being wary of initial signs of fraud must be your priority while reconciling transactions in your bank account.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">There are a few things that you need to consider namely \u2013<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Could the legitimate checks issued by you have been duplicated or changed, which resulted in more funds being withdrawn from your checking account?<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Were any checks issued without an authorization?<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Were there any unauthorized transfers out of the account, or did someone make unauthorized cash withdrawals?<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Does your account have any missing deposits?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Eliminate Administrative Problems<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Reconciling your account can help you spot internal administrative issues that need proper addressing.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">For instance, you might need to recalculate how you deal with cash flow and accounts receivable, or maybe change the record-keeping system or the accounting processes used by you.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Proper processes to manage your banking transactions result in outcomes such as:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Keeping track of the total cash that you have available in your accounts<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Steering clear of bounced checks or incompetency to make electronic payments to partners or suppliers<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Avoiding bank fees paid for insufficient funds or using huge credit when you don&#8217;t require it<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Inquiring if customer payments have failed or bounced, and realizing if any action is required<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Tracking all your outstanding checks and keeping up with payees<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Ensuring each transaction gets registered into your accounting system<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Identifying any Bank Errors<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">To understand how to effectively manage your bank accounts as your business expands, consider speaking with the treasury management department at your bank or credit union.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Identifying the Best Time to Reconcile<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It&#8217;s advisable to review your bank accounts at least once a month.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">For high-volume businesses or scenarios with a higher risk of fraud, it would be best to reconcile your bank transactions more often than just monthly. Some companies reconcile their bank accounts every day.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">You can also add protection into your bank accounts, and your bank can input some useful ideas.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">For instance, many banks offer a solution termed as Positive Pay, which prevents your bank from validating payments out of your account until you provide instructions to warrant individual payments in advance.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Final Words<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Bank reconciliation is paramount as it keeps your accounts safe and helps you check for any suspicious activities that might otherwise go unnoticed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Your bank can provide you with various security options to choose from to safeguard your account from fraud and errors.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">A bank reconciliation process can also help you keep updated with the latest transactions and any outstanding amount that needs to be paid to customers or towards credit bills. In case a mishappening or fraud occurs with your bank account because you did not reconcile your accounts timely, you cannot necessarily approach the bank to claim your lost funds.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Thus, it is advisable to keep errors and fraud at bay by reconciling your accounts after specified intervals.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #000000;\"><em><strong><span>About<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">OHI is a specialized finance and <a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"http:\/\/localhost\/outsourcinghubindia\/accounting-outsourcing-services\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">accounting outsourcing<\/a> service provider with over fifteen years of finance and accounting outsourcing experience. We<\/span> have strong functional outsourcing expertise in end to end accounting processes covering daily accounting activities, reconciliations, month end and year-end account finalization processes, employee reimbursements, payroll processing, management reporting and financial analysis.<\/p>\n<p>OHI serves close to 300+ clients across USA, UK and Canada. We invite you to experience <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ohiaccounting.com\/accounting-outsourcing-services-usa\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">finance and accounting outsourcing<\/a> through us.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<div class=\"pull-left\">\n<div class=\"pull-left\">\n<div class=\"pull-left\">\n<div class=\"outsorcing-service\">\n<div class=\"pull-left\">\n<p><b>Learn More About Our Accounting Services including Reconciliations: <\/b><a href=\"tel:1-646-367-8976\">Call us at 1-646-367-8976<\/a>,\u00a0<a class=\"mailat\" href=\"mailto:sales@localhost\">Email at sales@localhost &#8211; <\/a><a class=\"contactuslink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ohiaccounting.com\/accounting-outsourcing-services-usa\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong><em>CONTACT US<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"pull-left\">\u00a0<\/div>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Reconciliation of your business bank account implies that you are comparing your internal financial records against the records supplied to you by your bank. A monthly bank reconciliation enables you to identify any suspicious transactions that could potentially be fraud [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5427,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[394,397,398,467,468,499],"class_list":["post-4208","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-accounting-outsourcing-1","tag-bank-reconciliation","tag-bank-reconciliation-service","tag-bank-reconciliations","tag-bank-reconciliation-statement","tag-importance-of-bank-reconciliation","tag-account-reconciliation"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.uiplonline.com\/ohi-wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4208","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.uiplonline.com\/ohi-wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.uiplonline.com\/ohi-wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.uiplonline.com\/ohi-wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.uiplonline.com\/ohi-wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4208"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dev.uiplonline.com\/ohi-wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4208\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11666,"href":"https:\/\/dev.uiplonline.com\/ohi-wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4208\/revisions\/11666"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.uiplonline.com\/ohi-wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5427"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.uiplonline.com\/ohi-wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4208"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.uiplonline.com\/ohi-wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4208"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.uiplonline.com\/ohi-wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4208"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}