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Playbooks & Checklists

The Reconciliation Playbook

A concise PDF playbook: the month-end close sequence, the core reconciliations, and a method for investigating any variance.

What's in it

  • The month-end sequence — Which accounts to reconcile, and in what order.
  • The core reconciliations — Bank, credit card, vendor invoices, and GL, and what each one proves.
  • Investigating a variance — A four-step method for finding the cause of any difference.
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A one-page reconciliation playbook for month-end close: the order to work in, the reconciliations that matter, and a repeatable method for chasing down a variance instead of guessing. It pairs with our free reconciliation templates, the playbook is the method, the templates are the worksheets.

Enter your email and we'll send you the PDF. It's concise on purpose: the parts you'll actually use, not a 40-page download you'll never open.

How to use it

  1. 1

    Follow the sequence

    Work cash first, then bank, card, AR, AP, GL, and the balance sheet last. The playbook explains why the order matters.

  2. 2

    Use it with the templates

    Pair each step with the matching free template (bank, GL, balance sheet) to capture the work.

  3. 3

    Investigate every variance

    Apply the four-step variance method to any non-zero difference before you sign off.

Reconciling period over period? Compare last month against this month in SheetCompare.

SheetCompare diffs two versions of a workbook cell by cell, so period-over-period changes are obvious.

Frequently asked questions

Is it really free?▾

Yes. Enter your email and download it, no payment and no account. We'll occasionally email you useful spreadsheet content; unsubscribe anytime.

Does it come with templates?▾

The playbook is the method; the worksheets are our free reconciliation templates on this site, which need no email at all.

What format is it?▾

A PDF you can read on any device or print.

Related templates

Bank Reconciliation Template

Match your ledger against the bank statement, with a live difference column and totals that flag anything out of balance.

General Ledger Reconciliation Template

Reconcile each GL account against its subledger, with an automatic difference column, a reconciled flag, and a reviewer column for sign-off.

Balance Sheet Reconciliation Template

Compare each balance-sheet account prior period vs current period, with an automatic movement column and supporting-doc sign-off.

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