{"id":"acct-bank-rec-owner-email","audience":"small-business","category":"finance-work","track":"finance","technique":"verification","level":"intermediate","title":"Explain a bank reconciliation to an owner and show the math","free":false,"task":"Leo owns Harbor Lane Bakery and isn't an accountant. Write a prompt for a plain-text email (under 150 words) that explains October's bank reconciliation from the bookkeeper's notes. It needs a line starting \"Bank side:\" and a line starting \"Book side:\", each showing the math to an adjusted balance. Check the cleared checks yourself, and if a gap remains, say so plainly: nothing gets plugged to force a match.","materialLabel":"Bookkeeper's bank rec notes (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"Bank rec working notes - Harbor Lane Bakery, October 2026 (operating account ending 4417)\nFrom Tess (bookkeeper), Nov 3\n\nBank statement ending balance 10/31: $18,400\nQuickBooks balance 10/31: $19,615\n\nOutstanding checks per my list:\n#1042 Millstone Flour $1,150\n#1045 Coastal Packaging $850\n#1047 City Water $300\n\nDeposit in transit: Oct 31 weekend sales deposit, $2,600 (shows on the bank Nov 2)\n\nOn the statement, not yet in QuickBooks:\n- Monthly service fee $25\n- Returned customer check (Delgado Catering) $80\n\nStatement excerpt, cleared checks:\n10/28 #1040 $410\n10/30 #1045 $850\n10/31 #1041 $95\n\nTess: \"I'm $40 off somewhere. I'll just book it to misc expense so we can close.\"","rules":[{"type":"plainText"},{"type":"maxWords","max":150}],"promptHints":[{"label":"Says who reads it","patterns":["leo","owner","not an accountant"]},{"label":"Asks for labeled math","patterns":["bank side","book side","show (the )?math"]},{"label":"Checks the cleared list","patterns":["cleared","verify","double.?check","check each"]},{"label":"Refuses to plug","patterns":["plug","force","don'?t (book|adjust)","unexplained"]},{"label":"Sets length and format","patterns":["\\d+\\s*words","plain","no bold"]}],"mistakes":[{"title":"Trusting the outstanding list","why":"The AI takes the bookkeeper's list as given and keeps #1045 outstanding, though it cleared Oct 30.","fix":"Say: \"Check each outstanding check against the cleared list first.\"","checks":["r0"]},{"title":"No labeled math lines","why":"The AI explains in paragraphs, so the owner can't follow the numbers.","fix":"Ask for \"one line starting Bank side: and one starting Book side:, each with the full math\".","checks":["r0","r1"]},{"title":"Plugging the difference","why":"The AI goes along with booking the gap to misc expense so the rec 'balances'.","fix":"Add: \"If a gap remains, say it's unexplained. Don't plug it to any account.\"","checks":["r2"]},{"title":"Writing for an accountant","why":"The AI uses tables, bold and jargon an owner skims past, and runs long.","fix":"Say: \"Plain-text email for an owner who isn't an accountant, under 110 words.\"","checks":["plainText","maxWords"]},{"title":"Trusting the AI to count words","why":"AI is bad at counting and runs past word limits.","fix":"Ask for fewer words than the real cap and keep each line short.","checks":["maxWords"]}],"hint":"The bookkeeper's notes have a check that already cleared and a plan to hide a gap. Tell the AI to verify the list, show both sides of the math, and leave any gap visible.","rubricLabels":["Has a line starting \"Bank side:\" showing $18,400 + $2,600 - $1,450 = $19,550 (outstanding checks are only #1042 and #1047, because #1045 cleared Oct 30)","Has a line starting \"Book side:\" showing $19,615 - $25 - $80 = $19,510","Says a $40 difference is still unexplained and needs to be found before closing, and does not suggest booking it to miscellaneous expense or any other account to force a match"]}