break-trace

name	break-trace
description	Root-cause a reconciliation break to its source transaction or posting — follow the audit trail from the break row back to the originating entry on each side and state what differs and why. Use after gl-recon has classified a break.

Root-cause a break

Given a single break row (key, GL values, subledger values, bucket, likely cause), trace it to source and produce a root-cause statement.

Trace path

1. Pull the GL side — from the GL extract the user attached (Excel / CSV / system export), locate the journal entry or posting that produced this GL line: entry id, posting date, source system, batch id, preparer.
2. Pull the subledger side — from the subledger extract the user attached, locate the matching transaction: trade id, trade/settle dates, counterparty, source feed, FX rate used.
3. Diff the attributes — line up posting date, FX rate/date, account mapping, quantity sign, amount sign. The differing attribute is usually the cause.

Cause → statement

Write the root cause as a single sentence in the form "⟨side⟩ ⟨did what⟩ because ⟨reason⟩", e.g.:

• "GL posted on settle date (T+2) while subledger posted on trade date — timing break, will clear on 2026-05-07."
• "Subledger used WM/R 4pm rate; GL used Bloomberg close — FX break of 12 bps on the base amount."
• "Security ABC123 maps to GL account 11420 in the mapping table but the subledger fed 11410 — mapping break, raise to reference-data."
• "Subledger posted the trade twice (trade ids 88412 and 88419 are duplicates) — duplicate post, suppress 88419."

Output

For each traced break, return:

{
  "key": "...",
  "root_cause": "one sentence as above",
  "owner": "ops | reference-data | accounting | upstream-system",
  "expected_clear_date": "YYYY-MM-DD or null",
  "action": "monitor | adjust | raise-ticket | suppress"
}

Only the resolver writes adjustments — this skill diagnoses, it does not post.