Checkbook balance vs fund balance

[SueB]

We are on v.9. We have one bank account (checking and savings) divided out amongst six funds. My checkbook balances with the bank statement, both the physical checkbook register (I write manual checks) and the Reconcile Bank Balance in PC+.

When I add up all of the checking account balances in the Balance Sheet (consolidated) for all funds they do not equal the checkbook balance. (Fund amount is more if that makes a difference.) Aren't those balances all together supposed to be a representation of all the money in my checking account? The Savings portion of the Balance Sheet does match.

I've tried it both with and without counting the liabilities, which as I understand it we've moved to the liability account (say as a SS/Medicare withdrawal from a paycheck) so they aren't listed under the checking account in PC+ but they are still physically in the checking account until we pay them to the government or other appropriate party.

Some of the line items have negative balances (a whole 'nother story) but I treated them as negatives when doing the calculations. Also when I do the Reconcile Bank Accounts on PC+ there is a 2004 check from before my term as treasurer which is still showing there as uncleared. I don't have that accounted for in my physical register but it is nowhere near the amount of the difference.

Can someone set me straight on this? When the pastor or executive council ask me "how much money is in the checking account" I'd like to be able to say with certainty and back it up with a report. I was trying to teach them to read the Balance Sheet report but maybe I am mistaking what it means.

Sue

[Matt]

Run the Check Register by Fund report (select the summary report type button) for the current period. The current balance shown on this report tells you what you have on hand for each fund. The summary balance for all 6 funds should agree with your offline physical checkbook register balance if the postings are all caught up for both sets of records. If it does not, then something is out of balance somewhere. Finding the difference will require a careful analysis and comparison of the last bank recon you did in PC+ versus the bank recon you did to reconcile to your offline physical checkbook register. I have a feeling that the uncleared check from 2004 is part of the reason why you are seeing a difference, along with something else. However, I would have to see your PC+ records, last bank reconcilation for both PC+ and your offline checkbook register, last bank statement, and offline checkbook register to know for sure what's causing the difference you are seeing.

[SueB]

It turns out the only difference is the uncleared check from 2003. What was throwing me was in April the last Sunday was also the last day of the month. The financial secretary included the Sunday contributions in the April amount while I hadn't entered it in my physical checkbook yet since it wasn't deposited until May. The two amounts added together weren't striking me as familiar. But now at the end of May we are only off the one check amount so I can be sure that is the problem.

I also thought I had previously tried to void that uncleared payroll check and it didn't let me. I don't know if I am mistaken in trying or something between Rel. 9 and a maintenance release fixed it or what but this time it let me. My physical checkbook and PC now agree on how much we have in checking.

Sue