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Reconciliation architecture

Safeguarding reconciliation is not one control

Guardexia keeps three comparisons separate: an operational three-way check on customer, ledger and bank totals; CASS 15 Internal (Safeguarding Requirement vs Safeguarding Resource from internal records); and CASS 15 External (internally recorded balances vs third-party statements). Transaction matching supports investigation—it is not the statutory Internal calculation.

Operational three-way run Compare view showing customer funds, internal ledger and bank totals with variances between those three legs.
Operational three-way run detail — customer totals vs ledger totals vs bank totals. This view is not CASS 15 Internal or External.

Walk through your current process

In a focused walkthrough we map your feeds, which comparisons you treat as operational vs statutory, how breaks are owned, and where maker-checker and evidence sit today. The outcome is a clear map of your process into Guardexia’s three controls—not a sales pitch.

Three comparisons, kept apart

Firms often collapse “safeguarding reconciliation” into a single spreadsheet. In Guardexia the same day’s uploads can feed more than one control, but each control asks a different question and keeps its own record.

Operational Three-way Customer totals vs internal ledger totals vs bank totals for the day. A Guardexia operating / data-integrity control. Not a substitute for CASS 15 Internal or External.
Statutory · CASS 15 Internal Safeguarding Requirement vs Safeguarding Resource using internal books and records only. Bank statement balances are not the source for Resource / Item A.
Statutory · CASS 15 External Internally recorded safeguarding account balances vs third-party statements, per account and per currency. No FX translation on those comparison lines.
Operational

What three-way answers

Do the three uploaded legs agree at the reconciliation point? Customer funds, ledger and bank can each diverge for different reasons. Three-way surfaces those variances in one operating record so the firm can see data issues early.

PDF and UI labelling marks this as operational three-way—not Internal or External safeguarding reconciliation.

Statutory

What Internal and External answer

Internal: is Safeguarding Resource (Items A–D from internal records) sufficient for Safeguarding Requirement (positive client balances + unallocated)?

External: does each internally recorded safeguarding balance agree with the corresponding third-party statement line for that account and currency?

Worked example — Internal shortfall (illustrative)

Figures below match the kind of Internal record Guardexia stores. They are illustrative only. Resource is built from internal ledger evidence; the bank statement is not used as Item A.

Internal lineAmount (GBP)
Total positive client balances126,550.00
Unallocated relevant funds750.00
Safeguarding Requirement127,300.00
Item A — relevant funds in RF accounts (internal ledger)125,000.00
Item B — received, not yet in RF accounts0.00
Item C — relevant assets0.00
Item D — insurance / guarantee0.00
Safeguarding Resource125,000.00
Difference (resource − requirement)−2,300.00 shortfall
InvestigateOwn and explain the breakThe Internal discrepancy is recorded on the Internal run with owner, cause and supporting evidence. Maker and checker stay separated.
Related checksDo not conflate the controlsThe same day may show a £2,300 bank vs ledger variance on operational three-way or on External. Those are separate records. Matching bank movements to ledger lines can help explain a movement; it does not recalculate Internal Resource from the statement.

Transaction matching is investigation support

Transaction matching connects bank and ledger movements so unmatched items become owned work instead of email threads. It sits beside External and operational three-way when teams need the movement behind a difference.

It is not CASS 15 Internal. It does not produce Safeguarding Requirement, Safeguarding Resource, or Item A–D. Internal continues to use internal books and records only.

How a day typically runs

01 · IngestCustomer, ledger and bank feedsCSV, API or SFTP. The same uploads can populate operational three-way and, via firm mapping, feed Internal (customer + ledger) and External (ledger + bank) comparisons.
02 · Three-wayOperational totals checkCompare customer, ledger and bank totals by currency. Flag variances for ops attention without treating a clean three-way as statutory completion.
03 · InternalRequirement vs ResourcePull customer and internal ledger evidence into the Internal form. Resource Items A–D come from internal records—not the bank statement.
04 · ExternalLedger vs third partyCompare internally recorded safeguarding balances to statement balances per account and currency.
05 · InvestigateExceptions and matchingOwn differences on the relevant record. Use transaction matching where movements need to be paired; keep that work off the Internal Resource calculation.
06 · ReviewMaker-checker and evidenceSeparate preparation from review on each control record. Retain commentary, evidence and amendments with the run.

What the product screens show

Demo workspace screenshots (illustrative figures). Captions state which control you are looking at.

Discrepancy investigation with owner, timing-difference explanation, evidence reference and checker review actions.
Break investigation — owned explanation and evidence on the control record, not only a variance total.
Today dashboard showing the safeguarding day journey from data through checks, issues and maker-checker review.
Today view — status across the day’s safeguarding work, including open issues awaiting review.
Audit trail listing timestamped maker submission for checker review with actor identity.
Audit trail — who prepared, who reviewed, and what changed on the run.
Compliance dashboard showing reconciliation-day completion and outstanding issues.
Control health across reconciliation days — completion and outstanding issues without collapsing controls into one status.

What to verify in a walkthrough

Ask whether each of these is visible as a separate control, not one blended spreadsheet outcome.

QuestionWhat “good” looks like in Guardexia
Are three-way and statutory Internal/External labelled differently?Yes. Operational three-way is explicitly not Internal or External safeguarding reconciliation.
Where does Internal Resource come from?Internal ledger / books and records. Bank statement balances are not used as Item A.
How is External structured?Per account and per currency against third-party statements; no FX translation on those lines.
What is transaction matching for?Investigating and owning unmatched movements—not calculating Requirement or Resource.
Can a break be evidenced?Owner, explanation, evidence and maker-checker history stay on the relevant run.
Dual pools?Where configured, EMI e-money and payment-services pools can be kept separate on the statutory records.

Compared with one spreadsheet

A single sheet often mixes bank totals into an “internal” resource figure and treats a balancing total as done. Guardexia keeps operational three-way, Internal Requirement/Resource and External statement comparison as separate records with separate review history.

Compared with a matching engine alone

Matching engines help explain movements. Guardexia still requires the statutory Internal and External forms (and the operational three-way) so matching cannot be mistaken for Resource calculation. For statutory depth see CASS 15 software.

Map your process before you change tooling

A walkthrough covers your current feeds, which comparisons you run today, how breaks are owned, and how those steps land on Guardexia’s operational three-way, Internal and External records. Guardexia supports the workflow; it does not decide regulatory scope, approve methodology or replace your auditor.

Safeguarding reconciliation questions

Is safeguarding reconciliation one control in Guardexia?

No. Guardexia separates operational three-way (customer vs ledger vs bank totals), CASS 15 Internal (Requirement vs Resource from internal records) and CASS 15 External (internally recorded balances vs third-party statements, per account and currency).

Does CASS 15 Internal use bank statement balances for Resource?

No. Internal uses the firm’s internal records and ledgers. Item A and Safeguarding Resource are taken from internal ledger evidence. A bank statement does not replace those figures.

What is operational three-way reconciliation?

It compares customer balance totals, internal ledger totals and bank totals for the day. It is a Guardexia operating / data-integrity control. A clean three-way is not treated as CASS 15 Internal or External completion.

Is transaction matching the statutory Internal reconciliation?

No. Transaction matching helps connect bank and ledger movements when explaining a difference. It does not calculate Safeguarding Requirement or Safeguarding Resource.

How does CASS 15 External work?

External compares internally recorded safeguarding account balances with third-party statements, account by account and currency by currency, without FX translation on those lines.

Does Guardexia replace regulatory advice or a safeguarding auditor?

No. Guardexia supports calculations, records, workflow and evidence. The firm remains responsible for regulatory interpretation, its methodology, submissions and independent audit obligations.

This page provides general product information, not legal, regulatory, accounting or audit advice. Firms should assess the current FCA Handbook, official reporting instructions and their individual permissions. Illustrative figures are from a demo workspace.