Hoofdsaldo

Hoofdsaldo is a Dutch term used in banking to denote the main balance of a financial account at a given moment. It refers to the amount of money that is currently in the account as recorded by the bank and shown on statements or in online banking interfaces.

In practice, banks may use several balance terms. Hoofdsaldo is often related to the posted or main balance, while other figures such as beschikbaar saldo (available balance) can reflect funds that are immediately usable, taking into account holds, pending transactions, or overdraft limits. The exact terminology and its meaning can vary between banks and countries, so hoofdsaldo should be understood in the context of the issuing institution’s definitions.

A negative hoofdsaldo occurs when charges exceed the funds available, potentially indicating an overdraft or insufficient funds. Pending transactions or card authorizations can temporarily affect the available balance without immediately changing the hoofdsaldo, depending on processing and posting times.

Etymology-wise, hoofdsaldo combines hoofd (head/main) and saldo (balance). While it is a common term in Dutch-speaking banking, users should consult their bank’s glossary to confirm how hoofdsaldo is calculated and presented for their specific account.

See also: saldo, rekening, bankrekening, online bankieren.