The account analysis statement is the most detailed record of what a company pays its bank in the United States. It arrives every month, often as a PDF or a data file, and it is rarely read line by line.
That is a missed opportunity. The statement shows every service the bank charges for, how much of it you used and the price you paid per unit.
What is an account analysis statement?
An account analysis statement is a monthly bill for bank services, common in US corporate banking. It lists each service, the volume used, the unit price and the resulting charge.
It also shows how your balances offset those fees. Most banks apply an earnings credit to a share of your balances, and that credit reduces the fees you owe.
For a company with several banks, these statements are also the only consistent source of total bank cost.
European banks usually bill differently, through fee statements or direct debits on each account. The principle is the same, but the data is harder to collect in one place.
What are the main sections of the statement?
Layouts differ by bank, but most statements contain the same building blocks.
- Balance summary. Average ledger balance, average collected balance and the investable balance used for the earnings credit.
- Earnings credit. The earnings credit rate, often shown as ECR, applied to the investable balance for the period.
- Service detail. One line per service, with a service code, volume, unit price and total charge.
- Fee summary. Total service charges minus the earnings credit, giving the net amount due or carried forward.
- Settlement. Whether net fees are debited from an account each month or settled on another cycle.
Some statements still show a reserve deduction between collected and investable balance. US reserve requirement ratios have been zero since March 26, 2020 (Federal Reserve), so ask why a deduction applies.
Why are statements so hard to read?
Banks name services in their own way, and the same service can appear under different labels at two banks. Some services are bundled, so one line covers several activities.
Pricing can also be split across lines. A wire may carry a base charge, a repair fee and an investigation fee, each on its own line.
Finally, some banks carry unused earnings credits forward or settle fees quarterly. A single month can therefore mislead, so read at least a full year before drawing conclusions.
Ask each bank for statements in a data format rather than PDF. Coding a file is far faster than retyping a document.
How do service codes help you compare banks?
Many US banks map each service line to an AFP Service Code, a standard maintained by the Association for Financial Professionals (AFP Service Codes).
The same code means the same service across banks. That lets you compare unit prices like for like, even when each bank names the service differently.
When a bank does not use the codes, mapping each line yourself is the first job. It takes time once and saves time every month after.
Worked example: one month, five lines
The table uses illustrative numbers for a hypothetical company. The services, volumes and prices are invented to show the arithmetic. They are not client data or market benchmarks.
| Service | Illustrative volume | Illustrative unit price | Illustrative charge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Account maintenance | 12 accounts | USD 75.00 | USD 900 |
| ACH credits received | 8,000 | USD 0.08 | USD 640 |
| ACH debits originated | 6,000 | USD 0.10 | USD 600 |
| Outgoing wires | 400 | USD 18.00 | USD 7,200 |
| Information reporting | 12 accounts | USD 60.00 | USD 720 |
| Total service charges | USD 10,060 |
Assume an illustrative investable balance of USD 3 million and an illustrative earnings credit rate of 2.0% a year. The monthly credit is about USD 5,000, so the net fee is about USD 5,060.
Two things stand out. Outgoing wires drive most of the cost, and the earnings credit hides about half of the gross charges.
A review that only looks at the net fee would miss both points. The gross charges and the credit need separate attention.
If some supplier payments could move from wires to ACH, the same volume would cost a fraction of the price. That is a process change, not a negotiation, and it can matter as much.
Which lines should you question first?
Start where the money is, then look for lines that should not be there. This checklist covers the usual suspects.
- The three to five services that make up most of the total charge.
- Unit prices above your fee schedule or above the price agreed in your last proposal.
- Services you do not recognize or no longer use.
- Maintenance charges on dormant accounts that could be closed.
- A reserve deduction from the investable balance, given that US reserve requirements are zero.
- An earnings credit rate that has not moved while market rates have.
- Waivers or discounts that have expired without notice.
What the bank sees
From the bank side, the account analysis is a profitability report as much as a bill. The bank sees the fees, the balances, the earnings credit it pays and what the relationship earns overall.
Relationship managers know which clients read their statements. Clients who never ask about pricing rarely receive repricing they did not request.
The earnings credit rate is a pricing decision, not a market rate. Banks set it, and they review it when clients ask with evidence.
A client who brings a coded, benchmarked review gets a different conversation. The request goes to the people who can approve exceptions, rather than to a standard reply.
None of this is hidden. The data is on the statement, and the bank expects informed clients to use it.
How do you turn the statement into savings?
Reading the statement is the start. The savings come from acting on it in a structured way.
- Build a baseline. Twelve months of statements, coded and totaled by service, give a stable picture of volumes and prices.
- Benchmark. Compare unit prices with your fee schedule, competing offers and external reference points.
- Prioritize. Rank the gaps by annual value and by how easily the bank can change them.
- Request in writing. Send each bank a specific list of changes, with the evidence behind each one.
- Verify. Check that agreed prices appear on the next statements, and claim credits where they do not.
The verification step matters as much as the negotiation. New prices are not always loaded correctly the first time.
Keep the coded baseline up to date afterwards. Next year's review then takes days rather than weeks.
When is outside help worth it?
Most finance teams can read one statement. Fewer have time to code a year of statements across several banks, benchmark them and run the negotiation.
An independent bank fee analysis does that work and verifies the result on later statements. Balances and earnings credit also depend on your account and pooling structure.
For the wider argument on why this cost goes unmanaged, read why the banking relationship is under-managed. The statement is already in your inbox every month, and reading it properly is the cheapest negotiation preparation there is.
This insight reflects general analysis and observations from FIRMA Advisory's work in treasury, banking, and cross-border financial advisory. It does not constitute investment advice, financial advice, or a recommendation in respect of any specific security, transaction, or financial decision. For analysis specific to your organization, contact us at [email protected].