<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<chapter id="details.reconcile">
<chapterinfo>
  <authorgroup>
    <author>
      <firstname>Michael</firstname>
      <othername>T.</othername>
      <surname>Edwardes</surname>
      <affiliation>
	<address><email>mte@users.sourceforge.net</email></address>
      </affiliation>
    </author>
  </authorgroup>
  <date>2009-07-28</date>
  <releaseinfo>1.0</releaseinfo>
</chapterinfo>

<title>Reconciliation</title>

<sect1 id="details.reconcile.whatis">
<title>What is reconciliation?</title>

<para>
  Reconciliation is the process of matching the transactions you have entered
  into &kappname; with the transactions listed for that account by the
  institution.  This is most commonly done with the list of transactions in a
  statement, be it a bank statement, credit card statement, loan statement, or
  any other statement. It can also be done against an on-line listing of the
  account, although this is less common.  If any discrepancies are found, then
  either you or the person who created the statement have made a mistake.
</para>

<para>
  To reconcile an account, choose your account from the drop down box and click
  on the <guiicon><inlinemediaobject> <imageobject><imagedata
  fileref="reconcile.png"/></imageobject>
  </inlinemediaobject>Reconcile</guiicon> icon, select
  <menuchoice><guimenu>Account</guimenu>
  <guimenuitem>Reconcile...</guimenuitem></menuchoice> or use the key
  combination Ctl+Shift+R.
</para>
</sect1>

<sect1 id="details.reconcile.wizard">
<title>The reconciliation wizard</title>
<para>
  This will open the reconciliation wizard.  The first page of the wizard
  briefly describes the process you will follow.  Click
  on <guibutton>Next</guibutton> to actually start the wizard.
</para>

<para>
<screenshot>
	<screeninfo>Reconciliation wizard</screeninfo>
	<mediaobject>
	<imageobject>
	<imagedata fileref="reconcile1.png" format="PNG" />
	</imageobject>
	<textobject>
	<phrase>Reconciliation wizard</phrase>
	</textobject>
	</mediaobject>
</screenshot>
</para>

<sect2 id="details.reconcile.wizard.statement">
<title>Statement details</title>
<para>
  The statement date, starting balance, and ending balance can be found in your
  statement.  Make sure that the figures match and click on
  the <guibutton>Next</guibutton> button.  If the figures do not match then
  enter the figures as listed on your statement and click on
  the <guibutton>Next</guibutton> button.
</para>

<para>
<screenshot>
	<screeninfo>Reconciliation wizard</screeninfo>
	<mediaobject>
	<imageobject>
	<imagedata fileref="reconcile2.png" format="PNG" />
	</imageobject>
	<textobject>
	<phrase>Reconciliation wizard</phrase>
	</textobject>
	</mediaobject>
</screenshot>
</para>

</sect2>

<sect2 id="details.reconcile.wizard.interest">
<title>Interest</title>
<para>
  If the statement reconciliation is on a bank account or any account with
  interest and/or charges fees, then enter these values in the appropriate
  fields.  A category can be assigned for each of these amounts.
</para>

<para>
<screenshot>
	<screeninfo>Reconciliation wizard</screeninfo>
	<mediaobject>
	<imageobject>
	<imagedata fileref="reconcile3.png" format="PNG" />
	</imageobject>
	<textobject>
	<phrase>Reconciliation wizard</phrase>
	</textobject>
	</mediaobject>
</screenshot>

<note>
<para>
  The interest field is for interest you gained. If you have to pay interest,
  e.g., for a credit card account, this has to be entered as a charge.
</para>
</note>
</para>

<para>
  Click on <guibutton>Finish</guibutton> to start matching your statement to
  what you have entered.  Note that this completes the Reconciliation Wizard,
  but not the process of reconciliation.  As described below, you still need to
  clear transactions and then tell &kappname; that the account is reconciled.
</para>
</sect2>

<sect2 id="details.reconcile.wizard.clearing">
<title>Clearing transactions</title>
<para>
  To mark a transaction as cleared, click on the C column in the list view.  A
  transaction is cleared when it matches the transaction on your statement.
</para>

<para>
  During the reconciliation, any transaction can be edited to make it match the
  statement, and new transactions can be created as usual.
</para>

<para>
<screenshot>
	<screeninfo>Reconciliation wizard</screeninfo>
	<mediaobject>
	<imageobject>
	<imagedata fileref="reconcile4.png" format="PNG" />
	</imageobject>
	<textobject>
	<phrase>Reconciliation wizard</phrase>
	</textobject>
	</mediaobject>
</screenshot>
</para>
</sect2>

<sect2 id="details.reconcile.complete">
<title>Completing Reconciliation</title>

<sect3 id="details.reconcile.finish">
<title>Finishing Reconciliation</title>
<para>
  The command frame (just below the transaction list area) displays the
  statement amount and the cleared amount.  When the difference is zero then the
  account is reconciled and you can click the <guibutton>Finish</guibutton>
  button.  When you do this, &kappname; takes all the transactions which have
  been marked as cleared and marks them as reconciled, and the C column changes
  to 'R' to reflect the change. In addition, it saves the changes and
  records that the account has been reconciled.
</para>
</sect3>

<sect3 id="details.reconcile.postpone">
<title>Postponing Reconciliation</title>
<para>
  To postpone the reconciliation to a later time, click on
  the <guibutton>Postpone</guibutton> button.  Any edits you have made to any
  transactions, such as marking them cleared, can still be saved before you
  exit &kappname;, but you will have to run the reconciliation wizard again in
  order to reconcile the account.  If you exit &kappname; before clicking either
  <guibutton>Finish</guibutton> or <guibutton>Postpone</guibutton>, it has the
  same effect as clicking <guibutton>Postpone</guibutton>.
</para>
</sect3>
</sect2>
</sect1>

</chapter>

