Maximize Business Banking Benefits with End-of-Year Planning

November 14, 2025

By Joel Risser, VP – Treasury Services Manager

As the year winds down, it’s easy to get caught up in closing the books, finalizing budgets, and preparing for tax season. But it’s also the perfect time to make sure your business is getting the most out of its banking relationship.

Smart end-of-year planning can uncover new efficiencies, help protect your cash flow, and potentially position your business for a stronger start in the new year. At Texas Gulf Bank, our dedicated Treasury Services team is ready to help you make strategic decisions that may benefit your bottom line.

Discover how our team may be able to help maximize your business banking benefits on the path to achieving your financial goals in the new year.

5 Business Banking Benefits With Our Bank’s Support

The benefit of a business bank account is that you have access to personalized service to support your unique needs. That’s why we offer a wide selection of tools designed to help grow and work to protect your assets. Find out about the various benefits available through our bank to support your company’s financial health.

1. Review Your Cash Management Tools

Are you using the full potential of your business banking suite? Our dedicated Treasury Management tools are designed to save time, strengthen security, and improve liquidity.

Now’s the time to ask these questions about how business funds are being managed:

Are your incoming payments (receivables) streamlined with Remote Deposit, Lockbox, or Autobooks*?
Are your recurring payments set up through ACH origination instead of paper checks?
Are idle balances in your accounts working for you – either earning credit to offset bank fees or generating interest through a money market account sweep?

A short review with your Treasury Management team can identify opportunities that can save money or automate repetitive tasks.

*Texas Gulf Bank, N.A. is not affiliated with Autobooks, Inc. (Autobooks). Certain restrictions and fees apply, as set at the sole discretion of Autobooks.

2. Evaluate Your Fraud Protection Layers

The end of the year is also prime time for fraudsters to take advantage of any vulnerabilities your company might have. Businesses often see an uptick in attempted check fraud and phishing schemes during the holidays. We recommend double-checking that you have these elements in place:

Dual controls set up for all payment approvals.
Positive Pay activated for check and ACH transactions.
Alerts and notifications enabled for large or unusual account activity.
Anti-virus scans to help fight Business Email Compromises (BEC).

Remember, most business fraud happens because of gaps in process, not technology. Tighten your internal controls now to support business operations leading into the new year.

3. Optimize Cash Flow Before Year-End

Good cash flow planning is the key to a smooth January and beyond. Review your current cash cycle and consider the following questions about cash management:

Are receivables being collected and payments processed as quickly as possible?
Can vendors be moved to ACH payments for faster delivery and better tracking?
Should you consolidate accounts or adjust sweep structures for better visibility?
Do you have a reliable system to track income and expenses in real-time?
Would shifting some funds into an ICS® or CDARS® account to help protect large deposits while maintaining liquidity?

These small adjustments may help your business earn more and reduce idle balances heading into next year.

4. Plan Ahead for Growth

Many businesses enter the new year with growth goals, but often without the proper banking structure to support them. Schedule a short conversation with your Treasury Management representative to take inventory and perform these actions:

Review whether your current accounts align with your projected growth.
Identify services like Business Online Wires, ACH Payments, Collections, and even Merchant Services that can scale with your operations.
Explore Treasury Management Automated Solutions that make banking easier to manage for your team.

Our dedicated team can help map out a proactive plan to handle more volume, more efficiently.

5. Take Advantage of Tax and Reporting Insights

As your CPA* finalizes your year-end reporting and sets up for tax preparation season, ask us about detailed ACH, wire, and deposit reports.

Texas Gulf Bank offers downloadable business transaction histories and exportable data to make reconciliation smoother and faster. These tools can also help identify expense trends and inform next year’s budget.

Start the New Year in Control

The close of the year isn’t just about wrapping up; it’s about preparing to grow smarter. Your Treasury Management team is here to help you evaluate, optimize, and plan ahead so you can enter the new year with confidence.

There are tremendous business banking benefits available for your company. Now is the time to take advantage of our offering to help your company grow.

If you’d like a complimentary year-end review of your cash management and fraud protection setup, reach out to the Treasury Services Department at Texas Gulf Bank today. Let’s plan ahead for next year!

Services offered through the Treasury Services Department are fee-based and subject to approval.