Mistakes can happen. A transposed number. A miscalculation, and before you realize it, you have insufficient funds in your account to cover your remaining transactions. That's why it’s important to arrange for overdraft protection for your checking account to keep items from being returned.
How to Avoid Overdrafts
Even with overdraft options in place, overdraft fees may still occur. The best way to reduce or even eliminate overdraft fees altogether is to avoid overdrawing your checking account. Monitoring is the key to keeping your checking account balance in check and overdrafts non-existent.
Keep Track of Your Available Balance
Your available account balance is the amount you can use without incurring an overdraft (and possible fee). The balance shown may not always reflect what’s actually available for withdrawal. Pending transactions, e.g., deposits on hold, debit card purchases not yet posted to your account, and checks not yet cleared all factor into your available balance. To determine how much is available; subtract all pending and outstanding items from the balance shown on your account. The remainder is what is available. View the “Your Checking Account Balance” section of our Overdraft Notice for further explanation.
Balance Your Account
A check register makes keeping track of ATM withdrawals, purchases, etc., easier. If you need help balancing your account, use our checkbook balancing tool.
Use Account Monitoring Services
Take advantage of HVCU’s many free account monitoring options to keep daily tabs on your account balance and activity, including Internet Banking, Mobile Banking, Text Banking, and CUAlerts.
Additional Information About Overdraft Coverage
Please refer to our Overdraft Notice for additional information about the circumstances when we pay overdrafts from your checking account and charge you a fee.