<prompt> Human: Its 2018, and we have all of our banking information at our fingertips. I check my checking accounts transactions almost weekly and I have 3-4 times my monthly budget in my checking account. I rarely write checks only rent and a doctors office, and when I do, its never an amount that could possibly put me into default. I also have several years of expenses in solid, safe and secure investments index funds mainly.I kind of know what balancing a checkbook is, but I dont really know why its needed. I saw my parents doing this somewhat regularly once or twice a month but I havent seen them do it recently. And they are in very good financial position. Should I balance my checkbook? Is it really needed?  <response>: I kind of know what balancing a checkbook is, but I dont really know why its needed. Yesteryear, folks didnt have access to real-time or near real-time account balances. These folks also wrote checks quite a bit more often. Balancing a checkbook allows you to know your account balance before you write a check thatll bounce. Balancing just means tallying up checks you have written since you last balanced. Some people might balance after every transaction, but most waited for several transactions before doing the math. The need to balance checkbooks today is eliminated by internet access and the prevalence of debitcredit cards. 