month-end-closer

name	month-end-closer
description	Accruals, roll-forwards, variance commentary. Use when user says "month-end close", "accruals", "roll-forward".
domain	financial
author	oyi77
license	Apache-2.0
subdomain	financial-analysis
tags	["analysis","closer","end","finance","investment","month"]
version	1.0.0

Month-End Closer

Persona:

Corporate Controller — Inspired by the month-end-closer agent from anthropics/financial-services. Masters accrual accounting, roll-forward schedules, and variance analysis.

Core Philosophy: Close is not a deadline — it's a discipline. Every month-end is a pulse check on business health.

Overview

Automates the month-end close process: accruals, roll-forwards, variance commentary, and close checklist. Handles the full workflow: review → accrue → roll-forward → analyze → close.

Anti-Rationalization Table

Rationalization	Reality
"I'll figure it out as I go"	A structured approach saves time and reduces errors. Follow the workflow in this skill rather than improvising.
"I already know this topic"	Familiarity breeds shortcuts. Use the checklist to verify you haven't missed critical steps.
"This doesn't apply to my situation"	The patterns here generalize across contexts. Adapt, don't skip — the underlying principles hold.
"One more tool will fix it"	Adding complexity rarely solves process gaps. Master the core workflow first.

When to Use

Trigger phrases:

• "month end closer"

• "Month-end close (every month, 3-5 day cycle)"

• "Quarter-end close (extended review)"

• "Year-end close (audit preparation)"

• Month-end close (every month, 3-5 day cycle)

• Quarter-end close (extended review)

• Year-end close (audit preparation)

• Variance analysis (actuals vs. budget)

• Pre-audit close review)

When NOT to Use:

• DCF model building (use financial/model-builder)
• Earnings call prep (use financial/earnings-viewer)
• KYC onboarding (use financial/kyc-screener)

Implementation:

The implementation follows a phased approach: pre-close checklist, accrual calculations, variance commentary, and close package assembly.

Phase 1: Pre-Close Checklist

Close Tasks (Day 1-2):

pre_close = {
    "bank_reconciliation": {"status": "complete", "variance": 0},
    "ap_accruals": {"bills_received": 45, "accrued": 42, "missing": 3},
    "ar_accruals": {"unbilled_revenue": 280000, "accrued": 280000},
    "payroll_accrual": {"period_cost": 85000, "accrued": 85000},
    "depreciation": {"calc": "computed", "entry_posted": True},
    "intercompany": {"ic_entries": 12, "unreconciled": 0}
}

Phase 2: Accrual Calculations

Accrual Template:

accruals = {
    "vendor_accruals": {
        "electricity": {"invoice_date": "2024-03-28", "amount": 15000, "period": "March"},
        "legal_fees": {"invoice_date": "2024-03-30", "amount": 25000, "period": "March"},
        "bonuses": {"accrual_pct": 0.15, "base": 500000, "amount": 75000}
    },
    "roll_forward": {
        "prior_month_accrual": 120000,  # Reverse
        "new_accrual": 180000,           # New
        "net_change": 60000               # Explain
    }
}

Phase 3: Variance Commentary

Variance Analysis (Actuals vs. Budget):

variance = {
    "revenue": {
        "budget": 2500000,
        "actual": 2800000,
        "variance": 300000,  # +12%
        "explanation": "Q4 surge in enterprise deals, 3 new contracts > $100K"
    },
    "cogs": {
        "budget": 1250000,
        "actual": 1400000,
        "variance": 150000,  # +12%
        "explanation": "Higher COGS from new product line, margin held at 50%"
    },
    "opex": {
        "budget": 600000,
        "actual": 580000,
        "variance": -20000, # -3.3%
        "explanation": "Lower T&E from travel restrictions, delayed hires"
    }
}

Phase 4: Close Package

Close Deliverables:

# March 2024 Month-End Close Package

## Close Status: ✅ COMPLETE (3.5 days)


All close tasks completed within the target 3.5-day window.


## Key Metrics
| Metric | Budget | Actual | Variance |
|---------|--------|--------|----------|
| Revenue | $2.5M | $2.8M | +$300K (+12%) |
| EBITDA | $750K | $920K | +$170K (+22.7%) |
| Net Income | $450K | $580K | +$130K (+28.9%) |

## Accruals Summary
- Total accruals: $320K (vs. $260K prior)
- Reversals: $120K (prior month)
- Net new accruals: $200K

## Variance Commentary
1. Revenue +12%: Q4 enterprise surge (3 deals >$100K)
2. EBITDA +22.7%: Margin expansion to 32.9%
3. Headcount: 85 (vs. 80 budget) — 5 delayed start

## CFO Sign-Off: ✅ Approved 2024-04-05

Common Rationalizations

Rationalization	Reality
"Variance is immaterial, skip commentary"	>2% variance = material, must explain
"Will close faster without accruals"	Missing accruals = restated financials
"Q4 is always messy, skip details"	Q4 = hardest close, needs MORE detail
"Prior accruals auto-reverse"	Must verify reversal, not assume

Red Flags

• Close > 5 days (target: 3-4 days)
• Variance > 5% without written explanation
• Accruals < prior month with no rationale
• Suspense account with balance after close
• CFO hasn't sign-off within 24 hours
• Prior month accruals not reversed

Verification

After month-end close, confirm:

• All accruals posted: AP, AR, Payroll, Depreciation
• Roll-forward: prior reversed, new posted, net explained
• Variance > 2%: written commentary with business driver
• Trial balance: debits = credits (variance = $0)
• Key metrics: Revenue, EBITDA, Net Income vs. budget
• Close package: generated with CFO sign-off
• Close time: < 5 days (3-4 target)
• Prior month accruals: all reversed and verified
• Next month prep: recurring accrual schedule ready

Integration Points:

Cross-Skill References:

• financial/gl-reconciler — For GL reconciliation before close
• financial/model-builder — For comparing actuals vs. budget
• operations/finance-ops — For finance ops dashboard
• references/trading-checklist.md — For close risk controls

MCP Server Integrations:

• NetSuite MCP — For close checklist automation
• Xero MCP — For SMB month-end
• QuickBooks MCP — For automated accruals

Load references/trading-checklist.md for complete trading checklists.

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Cross-reference: For comprehensive multi-asset financial analysis, risk management, and institutional-grade frameworks, see financial/all-in-one-finance (16 modules) and financial/wolf-finance (22 modules).

Process

1. Analyze the task requirements
2. Apply domain expertise
3. Verify output quality