Your bank will provide a statement detailing the previous month's activity every month. A bank statement is what you're thinking of. You should check your bank statement frequently to spot suspicious activity, such as transactions you don't recognize. Let's break down where and how to get a bank statement.

Having money in the bank is just one aspect of personal finance. Consider consulting a financial expert for your other financial requirements and aspirations. You can use your bank statement to look for mistakes, spot fraud, and monitor your spending habits. When applying for a loan or mortgage, you can also be asked to provide a bank statement.

How Do I Obtain a Bank Statement?

Monthly bank statements are the norm. However, quarterly statements are also available. Your bank may offer you the option of receiving your statement electronically, via their mobile app, or in the mail.

Through Online

Most financial institutions now let customers manage their online checking and credit card accounts. You may quickly and easily check your account balance, view recent transactions, send and receive money transfers, and handle other financial needs. Your bank statement is a feature of your online banking account.

Your statements for recent months should be accessible for free download as a PDF. Different banks may organize their statements in different ways. Still, most will include a "Statements" or similar tab near the top of their website, maybe even under "Account" or "Account Services." Downloadable PDF versions of your most recent bank statements are on this page. Time range and account selection are both flexible. You can usually get your bank statements online right away. However, some may require a PDF request.

You should get PDF statements and a summary of your account activity right from the homepage of your account. All of the transactions may be grouped, or they may be separated by statement cycle. This is not your statement, but it is a convenient method to see what has been credited and debited from your account recently.

You may "go paperless" and check your bank statements exclusively online with most banks. If you no longer want print copies of your statements, this is how to access them. If you want easy access to your statements in the future, download them regularly and store them on your computer.

Through Mail

Some financial institutions may mail you monthly account statements once you open an account with them. The statements you receive in the mail will be the same as those you can access online.

Even if you opt to "go paperless" or receive your bank statements electronically, the bank must still give a physical copy upon request. Paper statements can be requested by accessing an online or mobile banking account. You can request paper statements by navigating to the "account settings" or "services" section of the website. Some banks will charge you a fee since it costs money to produce and mail your statements.

You can usually find the customer support number for your bank on your debit card if you need help logging in online. Download your bank statement as a PDF and print it if you need the option of having it addressed to you.

How Long Do Banks Keep History Of Financial Statements?

In accordance with the Bank Secrecy Act, financial institutions must keep customer statements for a minimum of five years. If you close your bank account, the information about your transactions will still be kept for at least five years. What use could there be for a statement from an old bank account? If you're facing a tax audit, a lawsuit, a divorce, or a loan application, you'll need access to your financial information.

Most financial institutions only keep statements for a certain amount of time. Typically, seven years will pass. Keep hard copies or electronic backups of your bank statements safely stored in case you need them but the bank no longer has them. Any statements you receive at the end of the year should be reviewed carefully since they will summarize your interest and other taxable earnings. In the event of an IRS audit, you will need to provide documentation of your income.

When you're done with your bank statement or any other paper that contains sensitive financial data, it's best to shred it.

Sum Up

Your bank statement can be obtained with little effort. You may view all of your bank statements on one convenient web page. You can get a PDF or hard copy by mail from that link. The customer support number for your bank is another resource. Unless you opt to "go paperless" and get exclusively electronic statements, most banks will send you a monthly print statement if you request one.