Review / checklist
Bank statement reconciliation checklist for reviewed transactions
Use the statement period and available balances to test an extracted sequence, and record exceptions that statement data alone cannot settle.
Watch it done
How to review bank transactions beside their source
A worked example
A balance is a check, not proof of every row
Fictional balance example
Work through the checklist.
Use these checks while you review. Marks stay on this page only.
0 of 5 checks marked
Identify the account, currency, statement start and end dates, and the records being compared. Note any missing or overlapping statement periods.
Compare the source pages with extracted rows, especially transactions split across pages and opening or closing balance sections.
Compare debits, credits, dates, and running balances with their source evidence; correct mistaken signs or duplicate and missing rows.
Where balances exist, compare opening balance plus signed transactions with closing balance; separately identify timing items or external ledger entries not shown on the statement.
Resolve source-row issues or document outstanding external differences before a person approves the exact saved revision for export.
Establish what the statement can prove
A reconciliation needs a defined account, currency, and date range. Check that the first and last transaction dates fit the statement period and that every transaction-bearing page is represented. Compare like periods when using another record; a bank statement ending mid-month cannot establish a full-month match.
Opening, running, and closing balances are useful when the bank supplies them. If they are absent, you can still inspect transaction rows and totals, but you cannot claim a complete balance tie-out from statement data alone.
Test the movement before the match
Follow the balance from the opening amount through signed credits and debits to the closing amount where available. A mismatch can point to an omitted row, a duplicate, a reversed sign, or a date or amount read incorrectly.
Use the source-linked page to examine a disputed row before changing it. Split a combined row or merge a wrapped description only when the source supports that change; then recalculate the sequence rather than assuming a correction fixed every difference.
Separate source errors from timing differences
A statement can verify what the bank reported, not every entry in a separate ledger. Deposits in transit, outstanding payments, fees, and transactions outside the compared dates may explain a difference with external records. Investigate these against the relevant external evidence instead of changing a bank row to force a match.
Keep unresolved differences visible to the reviewer. Fulla supports source-linked corrections and reconciliation checks on the drafted statement, but the reviewer decides whether the saved revision reflects the source and approves it. Approval does not certify an external ledger reconciliation.
Questions about this guide
Can a statement without opening and closing balances be reconciled?
You can review row coverage and transaction amounts, but a full opening-to-closing balance check requires the relevant balances. Do not treat their absence as proof that the rows tie out.
Why might the bank rows differ from my ledger?
The compared periods may differ, or an external record may contain an outstanding payment, deposit in transit, or entry not shown on this statement. Confirm the source rows first, then investigate the external difference separately.
Does a passing balance check remove the need to review?
No. Offsetting mistakes can preserve a total. Check page coverage and source-linked dates, descriptions, and amounts before a person approves the revision.