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.