It’s very important to keep track of your deposits, withdrawals and transfers so you can avoid any service fees your bank might charge, like a minimum balance fee or a per-withdrawal fee.

When you open your savings account, the bank will give you a register, which you will use to write your beginning balance and your future deposits and withdrawals.

In order to ensure that you are continually building up the funds in your savings account, you may want to have a portion of your paycheck automatically deposited into your savings account. By “paying yourself first” through automatic deposit, you are less likely to spend that money in other ways, allowing it to grow and earn more interest over time.See what a common savings account register might look like.

Every month, your bank will either send you a statement in the mail or provide you with your statement online. Some banks will even allow you to combine your savings account statement with your checking account statement. Your statement will list every transaction, along with any fees charged to your account and interest your money has earned. Make sure you compare the entries in your register with your bank statement to ensure you didn’t forget to write down any deposits or withdrawals and to make sure the bank didn’t make any mistakes.