Trading operations / Records and reconciliation
Every entry
has a source.
A practical way to organise transaction records, distinguish confirmed information from working notes and keep exceptions visible.
Open the record guide →01 / An index, not a financial statement
Give each working entry a route back.
The headings below organise a record. They do not establish an accounting treatment, a reporting obligation or a transaction’s financial meaning.
| Field | What to retain | What to distinguish |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | The transaction reference as shown in the source. | Do not invent a reference when the source is missing one. |
| Description | What the source describes and which record it concerns. | Keep the source wording distinguishable from your summary. |
| Status | What has been confirmed and what remains open. | A working entry is not the same thing as a completed reconciliation. |
| Location | Where the source and related correspondence are kept. | Use the actual access arrangements for sensitive records. |
| Exception | The unresolved point and who will follow it up. | Keep a question visible rather than forcing the record to balance by assumption. |
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Choose the pair to compare
Identify which source and which working entry belong together. Record the references and scope of the comparison so another person knows what was examined.
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Read the same fields
Compare the information the sources actually contain. Keep differences in timing, version and terminology visible before concluding that two entries conflict.
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Log the exception
Describe the unmatched point precisely. Save the source context and the question that would resolve it, rather than editing the working entry to fit an expected result.
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Close with evidence
When a clarification arrives, retain it with the record and update the status. The closing note should explain what changed and which source supports it.
Three records with different jobs.
- The source
- The confirmation, statement or other material from which the working record is derived. Preserve its context and version.
- The working index
- A navigation aid that helps authorised readers locate and understand the material. It does not replace the source.
- The exception log
- A record of questions, their owners and the evidence that later resolves them. An open point should remain visibly open.
03 / When the record is incomplete
Keep the difficult entry readable.
What if a reference is missing?
Record that it is missing and identify what source could clarify it. Avoid substituting a plausible value that another reader might mistake for a source fact.
What if two copies look different?
Keep their origins and versions distinguishable. Note the difference, then seek the context needed to understand which record applies to the question at hand.
What if the question needs a specialist?
Gather the relevant source, the working entry and a concise description of the uncertainty. Ask the appropriately qualified person about the specific point rather than presenting an unexplained folder of files.
A source trail, a clear status and an honest exception log make the notebook easier to hand over.
Use the record organisation guide →