Balance Alerts

Balance Alerts

Balance alerts notify you when your account balances cross thresholds you've set. Whether you're avoiding overdrafts, monitoring credit utilization, or tracking savings goals, balance alerts keep you informed.

How Balance Alerts Work

Threshold Monitoring

You set a threshold, and Curl Budget watches:

1. Account balance syncs from your bank
2. Curl Budget compares to your threshold
3. If crossed, a notification is sent
4. You're aware without checking manually

Trigger Conditions

Alerts trigger when:

• Balance falls below a set amount (checking/savings)
• Credit usage exceeds a set percentage (credit cards)
• Balance crosses the threshold in either direction

Types of Thresholds

Amount Threshold

Set a specific dollar amount:

Use for:

• Checking accounts: Alert when below $500
• Savings accounts: Alert when below $1,000
• Any account where you care about an absolute amount

Example:

"Alert me when Chase Checking falls below $500"

Percentage Threshold

Set a percentage of credit limit:

Use for:

• Credit cards: Alert when utilization exceeds 30%
• Lines of credit: Monitor usage percentage

Example:

"Alert me when credit utilization on my Visa exceeds 30%"

Why Percentage Matters for Credit

Credit utilization affects:

• Credit score (stay under 30% for best scores)
• Available credit awareness
• Spending discipline

Setting Up Balance Alerts

For a Checking/Savings Account

1. Go to Settings → Notifications
2. Find "Balance Alerts"
3. Tap "Add Alert"
4. Select the account
5. Choose "Amount" threshold type
6. Enter the threshold (e.g., $500)
7. Choose alert direction (below)
8. Save

For a Credit Card

1. Go to Settings → Notifications
2. Find "Balance Alerts"
3. Tap "Add Alert"
4. Select the credit card
5. Choose "Percentage" threshold type
6. Enter the percentage (e.g., 30%)
7. Choose alert direction (above)
8. Save

Multiple Alerts per Account

You can set multiple thresholds:

• Alert at $500 (warning)
• Alert at $200 (critical)
• Alert at $0 (emergency)

Each triggers independently.

Alert Notifications

What You'll See

When a threshold is crossed:

Notification example:

"Chase Checking fell below $500 (Current: $423.50)"

Or for credit:

"Visa credit utilization exceeded 30% (Current: 34%)"

Alert Timing

Alerts are sent:

• When the threshold is first crossed
• Not repeatedly while below/above threshold
• Again if it crosses back and then crosses again

Alert Reset

After an alert:

• The threshold "resets" once balance returns to safe side
• If it crosses again, you'll get another alert
• Prevents duplicate alerts while still below threshold

Common Configurations

Overdraft Prevention

For checking accounts:

Threshold	Purpose
$500	Early warning
$100	Getting critical
$50	Immediate attention

Credit Score Management

For credit cards:

Threshold	Purpose
30%	Credit score optimal
50%	Moderate usage
75%	High usage warning

Savings Goals

For savings accounts:

Threshold	Purpose
$1,000	Minimum emergency fund
$5,000	3-month emergency fund
$10,000	6-month emergency fund

Managing Alerts

Viewing Current Alerts

See all configured alerts:

1. Go to Settings → Notifications → Balance Alerts
2. View list of all alerts
3. See account, threshold, and status

Editing an Alert

Modify existing alerts:

1. Tap the alert to edit
2. Change threshold amount/percentage
3. Save

Deleting an Alert

Remove alerts you no longer need:

1. Tap the alert
2. Tap "Delete"
3. Confirm

Temporarily Disabling

Pause alerts without deleting:

1. Toggle the alert off
2. Re-enable later
3. Settings are preserved

Best Practices

Set Meaningful Thresholds

Choose thresholds that give you time to act:

• Not so high you're constantly alerted
• Not so low that action comes too late
• Based on your spending patterns and cash flow

Consider Buffer Time

Think about how quickly you can respond:

• If paycheck is Friday, alert might need to be higher
• If you check the app daily, lower thresholds work
• Account for weekends/holidays

Layer Your Alerts

Multiple thresholds provide escalating warnings:

• First alert: "Start paying attention"
• Second alert: "Take action soon"
• Third alert: "Immediate action needed"

Review Periodically

Update alerts as circumstances change:

• Income changes
• Bill amounts change
• Financial goals evolve
• New accounts added

Alert vs. Budgets

Different Purpose

Feature	Purpose
Balance Alerts	Monitor account balances (what you have)
Budget Alerts	Monitor spending (what you spend)

Complementary Use

Use both together:

• Budget alerts track category spending
• Balance alerts track overall account health
• Together they provide complete awareness

Example

• Budget alert: "Dining budget is at 80%"
• Balance alert: "Checking fell below $500"

Both are valuable for different reasons.

Troubleshooting

Not Receiving Alerts

If balance alerts aren't working:

1. Check threshold settings - Is the threshold correct?
2. Check notification settings - Are balance alerts enabled?
3. Check device settings - Are push notifications allowed?
4. Check balance - Has the threshold actually been crossed?
5. Check sync status - Is the account syncing properly?

Too Many Alerts

If you're getting too many:

1. Adjust threshold - Set to a more meaningful level
2. Remove duplicates - Don't need multiple similar thresholds
3. Check alert direction - Make sure it's correct

Alert for Wrong Direction

If you want "below $500" but get alerts when above:

1. Edit the alert
2. Change the direction setting
3. Save and test

Privacy Note

Balance alert thresholds are:

• Stored securely with your account
• Not shared with workspace members
• Personal to your notification preferences

Workspace members set their own alert thresholds.

Related Features

• Push Notifications - How alerts are delivered
• Notification Settings - Configure all notifications
• Budget Alerts - Spending-based alerts
• Account Health - Account status notifications