Balancing a checkbook can be hard. A crucial step is always knowing how much money you have in your account. Many online banks, including Chase, offer a free service to send you your account balance and other account alerts via text message or email on a daily basis. This tip works on any device that can receive emails or text messages.

These are the alerts that Chase online banking offers:

Daily Alerts

Alerts to notify when:

• A direct deposit greater than ($ USD) has posted to this account
• A payee has been added to my online bill payment profile
• An ATM deposit has posted to this account
• An overdraft protection advance was made to this account
• Any scheduled online repeating payment series has ended
• Check has posted
• Daily account summary for this account, including transaction details,
  total deposits, withdrawals and end of day balance
• Funds previously deposited to your account have been returned
• It is three bank business days prior to the payment date of an upcoming
  scheduled bill payment
• My account is overdrawn
• My balance is above ($ USD) for this account
• My balance is below ($ USD) for this account
• One or more checks or payments were not paid because your balance was
  too low
• There is ATM card activity on this account of more than ($ USD)

Security Alerts

Alert to notify when:

• A bill payment exceeds ($ USD)
• A debit card transaction exceeds ($ USD)
• A wire transfer exceeds ($ USD)
• An ATM withdrawal exceeds ($ USD)
• An external transfer exceeds ($ USD)
• An overnight check exceeds ($ USD)
• Incoming wire transfer exceeds ($ USD)
• My mailing address has changed

Many other financial services, like credit cards, offer similar online account alerts.

The important question is, is the information it sends safe? The alerts I receive offer no information that would be a security risk–only embarrassment over how small my checking balance is. Besides, you should be password protecting your iPhone. If you’re interested in account alerts, check out your online bank’s help section.