If you are receiving unsolicited phone calls from an entity pretending to be ACCC (a trusted non-profit credit counseling agency), please be assured that ACCC’s policy is NEVER to contact you unless you’ve explicitly requested us to call you. Also be cautious of emails from an unusual or unfamiliar domain. ACCC’s domain extension is @consumercredit.com, and any emails using a different extension should be treated with suspicion.

×

ACCC’s Client Login allows current clients to access their program information, including the due date, program benefits, and other documents.

Select a Client Login below based on the service that you are currently enrolled in:

Debt Management Program

Client Login

Bankruptcy

Pre-Bankruptcy Client

Post-Bankruptcy Client

Not yet a client, but looking to get started?

ACCC offers debt relief options to individuals and families that are suffering from stress related to credit card debt by providing effective credit counseling, helping to consolidate debt, and advising on debt management.

Get Started

Wait!

You are now leaving the Consumer Credit website and are going to a website that is not operated by ACCC. We are not responsible for the content or availability of linked sites.

Are you sure you want to leave?

No, return me to the previous page.

Yes

How Much Should You Have In Your Checking Account?

Putting yourself in a good financial position is a crucial part of proper money management. A large portion of this process is to know how to manage your checking account. So, how much should you have in your checking account?

American Consumer Credit Counseling has the answers.

American Consumer Credit Counseling has the answers.

How Much Should You Have in Your Checking Account? 

Be aware of your Minimum Balance Requirement

Being aware of your minimum balance requirement on your checking account can help you avoid unnecessary fees and banking charges. Your minimum can be anywere from $5 to $500. Maintaining this balance can help you avoid account closures.

Stay Away from Overdrafts

An overdraft happens when you make a debit from your account over the balance. Most banks may charge a fee for overdrafting. Our credit counseling advice is to maintain a cushion in your checking account as a solution for this problem. Also being on top of your spending and budget can help you determine your ability to make a certain purchase.

Be Cautious About Those Automated Payments

In maintaining a healthy financial life and working to effectively pay off debts Many people set up automatic monthly payments for utility bills, such as rent, cable, and electric. Some of these bills fluctuate, though. For example, your electricity or gas usage might be higher in the winter, and you don’t always know much the bill will be. Having a buffer in your checking account helps ensure you always have enough to cover bills, even if they increase from time to time. Review previous monthly statements and calculate an average. Overestimate to ensure you always have enough and won’t be charged for an overdraft.

You’ll also want to keep track of when your bills are paid out of your checking account. Knowing which dates the money is withdrawn will help you plan to have enough to cover each bill.

Everyday Expenses

Financial experts recommend keeping one to two month’s worth of spending dollars in your checking account. They suggest that the rest of your savings be placed in an emergency fund or in a savings account to earn higher interest. Don’t know how much you spend in a month? Estimate your spending by tracking expenses through Mint. The app gives you a monthly average of how much you spend, so you know exactly how much to have available in your checking account.

Not All of Your Savings

While you want sufficient funds in your checking account to cover bills, everyday expenses and pre-authorization charges, you don’t want to stow all of your money in that same account. You’re better off putting additional funds in a high-yield savings account or retirement fund. Not only will you earn more, but you’ll be less likely to spend those extra funds accidentally.

If you struggle to pay off debt, ACCC can help. Schedule a free credit counseling session with us today. 

ABOUT AUTHOR / Dilini

Dilini is a Marketing Communications & Programs Associate at ACCC. To anyone, managing finances can be a real challenge! Any tips and tricks to help get through this are great! Dilini will share her experiences, tips, and tricks along the way through the Talking Cents blog. Stay tuned!

View all author posts →

creditU

Say goodbye to the burden of debt

Struggling to manage your debt and improve your financial health is a thing of the past with the CreditU mobile app, an essential tool for anyone looking to manage their personal finances with ease.

CreditU Apple App Store CreditU Google Play
Dev Tool:

Request: blog/how-much-should-you-have-in-your-checking-account
Matched Rewrite Rule: blog/([^/]+)/?$
Matched Rewrite Query: post_type=post&name=how-much-should-you-have-in-your-checking-account
Loaded Template: single.php