Banking Troubleshooting Guide

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Banking Troubleshooting Guide

Even with good bookkeeping procedures, banking problems occasionally occur. Most issues are caused by:

missed reconciliation

duplicate entries

incorrect posting dates

voided checks

unreconciled deposits

manual editing mistakes

This section explains the most common banking problems and how to resolve them quickly.


1. The Bank Balance Doesn’t Match the Statement

Symptoms

MLS 2026 balance differs from the bank statement

Outstanding amounts seem incorrect

“The numbers don’t jive”

Most Likely Cause

Reconciliation has not been performed.

Fix

1.Open:

oBank → Reconcile

2.Compare cleared checks against the statement

3.Mark all cleared checks

4.Process the reconciliation

5.Verify deposits and service charges were entered

Also verify:

interest postings

bank fees

manual adjustments


2. Outstanding Checks Are Extremely High

Symptoms

Outstanding totals keep growing

Very old checks still appear

Cash balance looks artificially low

Cause

Checks were never reconciled.

Fix

Run:

Outstanding Checks Report

Review old checks carefully.

If checks actually cleared:

reconcile them

If checks were lost or replaced:

void them properly


3. A Check Printed Incorrectly

Symptoms

Printer jam

Misaligned check

Partial printing

Smudged output

Fix

Do NOT rewrite the check manually unless necessary.

Instead:

1.Open:

oCheck Editor

2.Highlight the check

3.Select:

oTools → Reprint

MLS 2026 will print the original check again.


4. Check Alignment Is Wrong

Symptoms

Payee line too high or low

Amount boxes misaligned

Stub printing shifted

Fix

Open:

Tools → Format

Adjust:

spacing value

Remember:

6 print lines = 1 inch

If printing is too low:

subtract spacing

If printing is too high:

add spacing

Then:

reprint test checks on plain paper


5. A Check Was Written by Mistake

Symptoms

Wrong payee

Wrong amount

Duplicate check

Fix

Do NOT delete the check.

Instead:

1.Highlight the check

2.Select:

oTools → Void

This preserves:

accounting history

audit trail

check numbering integrity


6. Deposits Were Entered Incorrectly

Symptoms

Balance too high or low

Duplicate deposits

Wrong account totals

Fix

Open:

Bank → Edit Transactions

Correct:

amount

date

G/L accounts

Then verify:

bank balance

General Ledger totals


7. The General Ledger Doesn’t Match Banking

Symptoms

Bank totals differ from G/L

Ledger appears out of balance

Financial reports look incorrect

Common Causes

unreconciled checks

edited checks

incorrect G/L accounts

missing deposits

one-sided postings

Fix

Run:

Ledger Analysis

Then review:

banking transactions

edited checks

deposits and service charges

Verify every banking transaction has:

proper Debit

proper Credit


8. A Deposit Was Never Posted

Symptoms

Bank statement shows money received

MLS 2026 balance is too low

Fix

Open:

Bank → Deposits / Charges

Enter:

deposit amount

date

source

G/L accounts

Save the transaction.


9. A Check Cannot Be Found

Symptoms

Check missing from active register

Old payment cannot be located

Most Likely Cause

The check was moved to history during closing.

Fix

Run:

Check History Report

using a wide date range.


10. Bank Totals Still Look Wrong After Corrections

Symptoms

Totals remain inconsistent

Outstanding amounts appear incorrect

Fix

Run:

Bank → Resum

This recalculates:

balances

outstanding amounts

transaction totals

Then:

rerun reports

verify reconciliation


11. Checks Cleared the Bank but Still Show Outstanding

Symptoms

Cleared checks still appear on Outstanding Checks report

Cause

Reconciliation was never processed fully.

Fix

Reopen:

Reconciliation

Verify checks are marked correctly.

Then:

Exit and process the reconciliation


12. Someone Edited a Historical Check

Symptoms

Totals suddenly changed

Reports no longer match prior printouts

Reality

Editing historical banking transactions can affect:

balances

General Ledger totals

A/P

Payroll

reconciliation

Fix

Review:

edited transaction

associated G/L entries

related accounting modules

Sometimes the safest correction is:

voiding the incorrect check

reissuing a corrected one


Recommended Troubleshooting Workflow

When something appears wrong:

1.Verify reconciliation

2.Review outstanding checks

3.Verify deposits and charges

4.Run Bank Register

5.Run Outstanding Checks Report

6.Run Ledger Analysis

7.Verify edited or voided checks

8.Use Resum if totals still appear incorrect


Important Reminder

Most banking problems are NOT caused by software failures.

They are usually caused by:

skipped reconciliation

delayed posting

duplicate entries

manual changes

incomplete processing

Consistent procedures prevent almost all banking discrepancies.


Recommended Companion Sections

This section works closely with:

Bank Reconciliation

Writing Checks

Posting Deposits and Charges

Editing / Reprinting Checks

Check Registers

General Ledger Analysis

Monthly Banking Checklist

Together, these sections provide a complete banking management and recovery workflow within MLS 2026.Enter topic text here.