Explanation

The ABS function is fully automatic. All you need to do is supply a number and ABS will return the absolute value.

Convert negative numbers in place

If you only need to convert negative numbers once, you can convert in-place with Paste Special :

  1. Add -1 to a cell and copy to the clipboard
  2. Select the negative numbers you want to convert
  3. Use Paste Special > Values + Multiply

The video on this page shows this technique and many other paste special shortcuts.

Explanation

The value in G5 is hard-coded. The formula picks up the value in G5, then subtracts the value (if any) in E6 and adds the value (if any) in F6. When the credit or debit values are empty, they behave like zero and have no effect on the result.

When this formula is copied down column G, it will continue to calculate a running balance in each row.

Dealing with blank values

To display nothing in the balance column when the credit and debit columns are empty, you can use the IF function with AND and ISBLANK like this:

=IF(AND(ISBLANK(E6),ISBLANK(F6)),"",G5-E6+F6)

This formula will return an empty string ("") when both credit and debit cells are empty, and returns the running balance if either number exists.

Note: this only handles bank credit and debit values at the end of the table, not rows in between.