Account reconciliation

The Reconciliation Analyst works from provider-held accounts and dated balance snapshots. Each snapshot carries the account, as-of date, ledger balance, available balance and provider snapshot identity. Those figures give the team a dated point of comparison; a newer snapshot must not silently rewrite what the earlier one said. The account’s provider and external identity identify the source of the balance.

• Record owner. The Accounting Preparer keeps the instruction and its revision ready for review.
• Decision owner. The Accounting Reviewer checks authority and records the reason for a decision.
• Evidence owner. The Reconciliation Analyst connects source events and balances to the instruction.

Cash movements have provider event identities, received times, amounts, accounts and linked instructions. A movement can be Unmatched, Matched or Exception. Match against the exact instruction and source evidence, not merely a similar amount. For a trading company’s settlement, the analyst can trace the movement to the provider’s account and the instruction that requested it, then investigate any difference between the expected and observed amounts.

Agree how provider events are imported and who handles an unmatched event. Rehearse a duplicate event identity, a movement for the wrong account and a provider correction. Keep the original event and its exception path visible. A balance snapshot helps explain an account position, while the movement and its instruction explain a transaction; both views matter when the reviewer signs off an exception.

An analyst should be able to move from an exception to its provider event and then to the exact instruction without searching by amount alone. A daily snapshot can explain the account position at a point in time, while a movement explains one change. If the two disagree, keep both observations and investigate the timing and source identities. The review queue should stay open until the actual provider evidence explains the difference.

Use a provider movement that names an account and instruction. Compare its event identity and amount with the instruction evidence, then read the dated balance snapshot for that same account. Give the Reconciliation Analyst a second movement with the right amount but the wrong account. Keep it visible as an exception until its source is resolved; the Accounting Reviewer can then inspect the decision and the Auditor can trace both events.

• Unmatched Movements — Compare each provider event, account and amount with its linked instruction.
• Movement Exceptions — Investigate events whose account or instruction does not agree with the evidence.

Follow instruction review and provider confirmation to rehearse the handoffs.