[GNC] Keep the Reconciliation Feature (was Re: Gnucash 4.0 Paper Clip and Link glyphs for file/web transaction associations)

[Michael Hendry]

> On 4 Jul 2020, at 02:45, Chris Good <goodchris96 at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Hi Ken,
> 
> I'm afraid I'm in the group that finds reconciling very useful. I want to
> know if anyone is charging me when they shouldn't be, without having to
> check my phone all the time. Admittedly it happens so infrequently I could
> probably do without it, but I sleep better with it.
> 
> I know a developer is considering restructuring the columns to make better
> use of wider displays. Maybe that will help you in future. Myself, I don't
> really want to use the whole screen, but who knows, I often find I
> automatically dislike change but end up liking it.
> 
> Regards,
> Chris Good


I agree with Chris that reconciliation is very useful, and I’d go so far as to say essential.

Without it, my reaction to an incoming bank or credit card statement couldn’t be more precise than “that looks about right”, with a gradual slide away from synchronisation.

A few examples:

My pension is paid net of tax and I set up a Scheduled Transaction (Sx) at the start of the financial year. My tax code varies through the year, and the net payment is tweaked during the year to get the whole-year tax-take correct - reconciliation allows me to knock these small differences into line.

Similarly, my mobile phone bill includes most of what I need in a fixed monthly payment, recorded by Sx, but occasionally adjusted to deal with surcharges for out-of-contract services.

Apart from my personal accounts, I deal with the bookkeeping for two small charities, whose accounts have to be certified by a qualified accountant for submission to the Office of the Scottish Charity Register. “About right” is not sufficient for this purpose, and as our accountants charge nominal sums for the service it is a matter of common courtesy to minimise (if not abolish altogether) any queries. One particular example from last year was an unpresented cheque which had been sent to another charity for a joint project and recorded through our books some months before the end-of-year.

Regards,

Michael Hendry