If you do not reconcile

If your check register is not meticulously correct, a slightly different approach works. You can go back a month, and enter the beginning balance and all the transactions shown during the month. Any previously outstanding checks should also be entered. Then, at the end of that month, look for any old checks that have not cleared. The final step is to force a reconciliation, where QuickBooks? will allow an adjusting entry. This has to be done only once. Then, with accurate data entry, the account stays in balance.