Internal controls over cash
Reconciliations find problems after the fact; controls stop many of them happening. This category covers the internal controls around cash: who should handle, record, approve and reconcile it, how to review a reconciliation properly, bank access and online permissions, positive pay and ACH blocks, wire and vendor change checks, and what works when the team is only two people. It also covers testing those controls. Read Internal Controls Over Cash for Small Finance Teams first, then the segregation of duties posts.
Wire Transfer Approval Process With Callbacks
A wire transfer approval process: request, documentation, callback verification, dual release and the records that prove each step happened.
Published October 17, 2026wire transferscallback verificationpayment approval
What Is Positive Pay and Should You Use It?
What is positive pay: the issued-check file, exception decisions, payee positive pay, ACH positive pay, and costs against the fraud it stops.
Published October 17, 2026positive paycheck fraudbank services
Vendor Bank Account Change Verification Steps
Vendor bank account change verification: independent callbacks, waiting periods, test payments and red flags in an email asking to switch banks.
Published October 17, 2026vendor masterpayment fraudcallback
Testing Bank Reconciliation Controls: Design and Operation
Testing bank reconciliation controls: design walkthroughs, operating effectiveness samples, review evidence and how to grade a control that failed.
Published October 17, 2026control testingbank reconciliationinternal audit
SOX Controls for Cash: Key Controls and Evidence
SOX controls for cash: the key controls, typical control descriptions, the evidence testers ask for and the deficiencies that come up most.
Published October 17, 2026soxicfrkey controls
Segregation of Duties in a Small Business With Two People
Segregation of duties in a small business with one or two staff: compensating controls, owner review and what to do when duties cannot be split.
Published October 17, 2026segregation of dutiessmall businessowner review
Segregation of Duties for Cash: Who Does What
Segregation of duties for cash: separating custody, recording, approval and reconciliation, with a duty matrix you can fill in for your own team.
Published October 17, 2026segregation of dutiescash controlsduty matrix
Remote Deposit Capture Controls for Scanned Checks
Remote deposit capture controls: who scans, storing and destroying checks, duplicate presentment risk and reconciling captured deposits to the bank.
Published October 17, 2026remote depositcheck depositsduplicates
Petty Cash Controls: Float, Custodian, Receipts
Petty cash controls that work: an imprest float, one custodian, receipts for every payout, surprise counts and limits on what petty cash can buy.
Published October 17, 2026petty cashimprest fundcash controls
Owner Review of Bank Statements in 15 Minutes
A 15-minute owner review of bank statements: unfamiliar payees, check images, transfers, payroll totals and the questions to ask your bookkeeper.
Published October 17, 2026owner reviewsmall businessfraud prevention
Online Banking User Permissions and Approval Rules
How to set online banking user permissions: view, initiate and approve roles, dual approval for payments, token control and quarterly access reviews.
Published October 17, 2026online bankinguser accessdual approval
Nonprofit Cash Controls With Volunteers and a Board
Nonprofit cash controls for small organizations: volunteers, two-person counts, board oversight and how restricted gifts are tracked to the bank.
Published October 17, 2026nonprofitvolunteersrestricted gifts
Mandatory Vacation Policy: A Fraud Control That Works
Why a mandatory vacation policy exposes fraud, how long the absence should be, who covers the duties and what to look at while the person is away.
Published October 17, 2026mandatory vacationfraud preventionjob rotation
Internal Controls Over Cash for Small Finance Teams
Internal controls over cash for small teams: receipts, disbursements, bank access and reconciliation review, with the minimum set that still works.
Published October 17, 2026internal controlscashsmall teams
Internal Control Questionnaire for Cash, Ready to Use
An internal control questionnaire for cash: questions on receipts, disbursements, bank access and reconciliations, and how to read the answers.
Published October 17, 2026questionnaireinternal controlaudit planning
Dual Signature on Checks: Does It Still Work?
Whether a dual signature on checks still protects you: how banks treat it, why it fails with electronic payments and the controls that replace it.
Published October 17, 2026check signingpayment approvaldual control
Corporate Card Controls: Limits, Receipts and Review
Corporate card controls: per-card limits, merchant blocks, receipt deadlines, manager review and what to do when a card is used for personal costs.
Published October 17, 2026corporate cardsexpense policycard review
Church Offering Counting Procedures That Protect Counters
Church offering counting procedures: two unrelated counters, count sheets, sealed deposits and matching the count to the bank deposit every week.
Published October 17, 2026churchoffering countnonprofit
Check Stock Security: Storage, Logs and Disposal
Check stock security basics: locked storage, numbering logs, who can print checks, destroying voided stock and reviewing sequence gaps monthly.
Published October 17, 2026check stockcheck frauddisbursements
Cash Receipts Internal Controls From Mail to Deposit
Cash receipts internal controls from mail opening to deposit: logs, restrictive endorsement, daily deposits and matching receipts to the bank.
Published October 17, 2026cash receiptsinternal controlsdeposits
Cash Handling Procedures for Registers and Tills
Cash handling procedures for registers and tills: opening floats, drops, voids, end-of-shift counts and the deposit trail that ties to the bank.
Published October 17, 2026cash handlingregisterstill count
Cash Disbursement Controls That Stop Bad Payments
Cash disbursement controls that stop bad payments: approval limits, supporting documents, payment release and the reports to review after the fact.
Published October 17, 2026disbursementspayment approvalaccounts payable
Cash Control Deficiencies Auditors Report Most
The cash control deficiencies auditors report most: late reconciliations, missing review, shared logins, unsigned checks, and how to fix each one.
Published October 17, 2026deficienciesaudit findingsremediation
Bank Reconciliation Sign Off: Evidence That Counts
What a bank reconciliation sign off should show: preparer and reviewer, dates, what was checked, and why a bare initial is weak evidence of review.
Published October 17, 2026sign-offreview evidencedocumentation
Bank Reconciliation Review Checklist for Reviewers
A bank reconciliation review checklist: tie balances to source, test reconciling items, check dates and signatures, and know what to send back.
Published October 17, 2026reviewbank reconciliationsign-off
Bank Account Inventory: List Every Account You Own
How to keep a bank account inventory: every account, signer and online user, how to confirm the list with each bank and close accounts nobody uses.
Published October 17, 2026account listbank accessdormant accounts
Authorized Signers on Business Bank Account Records
How to manage authorized signers on a business bank account: who should sign, removing departed staff, board resolutions and annual reviews.
Published October 17, 2026signersbank accessboard resolution
ACH Debit Block vs ACH Debit Filter
What an ACH debit block does, how a debit filter differs, which accounts need one and how to authorize the legitimate debits you still want.
Published October 17, 2026achdebit blockbank services