Separate an entitlement question from a payment question
A fictional September statement contains $1,250 expected commission and $1,250 reported commission. The payment evidence shows $1,200 received and a confirmed $10 fee withheld from that reported amount. There is no entitlement difference in this example. There is a $40 unexplained settlement balance: $1,250 − $1,200 − $10.
Check whether the $40 is scheduled for another payment, held below a contractual threshold, or affected by a correction. Call it overdue only after establishing the applicable due date and conditions. A statement date alone is not enough.
| Evidence | USD | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Expected | 1,250.00 | Calculated from recorded terms and eligible activity |
| Reported | 1,250.00 | Broker statement amount |
| Received | 1,200.00 | External receipt matched to this statement |
| Withheld fee | 10.00 | Confirmed and not already deducted |
| Open settlement | 40.00 | Needs a timing or adjustment explanation |
A payment date does not identify the earning period
Suppose $100 remains open from August and $900 is earned in September. A $600 payment arrives in September. If the remittance evidence assigns $100 to August and $500 to September, the remaining September balance is $400. Assigning all $600 to September would leave August apparently unpaid and September understated by $100.
Record earning period and receipt date separately. When one payment settles several statements, retain its reference and a documented allocation. Do not count the same receipt in both months. Without allocation evidence, leave the match unresolved rather than choosing the split that makes the dashboard look balanced.
Deduct each fee once, in the correct currency
If the broker statement already reports $1,240 after a $10 fee, and $1,240 arrives, the settlement is complete on that net basis. Subtracting another $10 would invent an overpayment. First determine whether the reported amount is gross or net; preserve that convention with the source.
A USD commission and EUR bank receipt cannot be reconciled by subtracting their displayed numbers. Retain the original amounts, conversion evidence and fee breakdown. The current IBDock sample import accepts USD only and does not perform currency conversion.
Build a small evidence packet before asking for a correction
Start with the exact statement rows and payment references, not just a total. State the amount you cannot explain, the rule you applied and the evidence that would resolve it. A neutral question is easier to investigate than an unsupported allegation of underpayment.
For example: September report S-09 shows $1,250; payment P-42 shows $1,200 received and $10 withheld. Please confirm the settlement status and reference for the remaining $40. The identifiers here are fictional. Share only the account information needed through an appropriate private channel.
- Broker entity and authorized partner-account reference
- Statement period, timezone and original export timestamp
- Relevant agreement version and due-date terms
- Receipt references, confirmed fees and allocation basis
- The unexplained amount, current owner and next review date
Close the review without pretending every exception is resolved
Keep resolved, timing-related and evidence-pending differences distinct. If you issue a review pack while an item remains open, include its amount and next action. A reviewer should be able to understand why a period was reviewed without inferring that every amount was paid or independently audited.
IBDock provides a sample month-end checklist and export tools. It does not yet provide a durable approved close snapshot or a many-to-many payment-allocation journal. Keep source evidence separately; refreshing the public sample workspace clears its in-tab planning data.
Put the method to work.
Try the sample workspace. No broker password required.
Open the month-end review tools ↗Editorial scope: product reporting guidance with fictional examples. No paid broker placement, investment recommendation or independent audit claim. Product capabilities are described as of the update date shown above.
Report a guide issue or suggest a correction →
Continue reading
How to reconcile IB commissions across multiple brokers ↗
A multi-broker IB commission tracking template ↗
Sub-IB commission splits: choose the base and preserve every cent ↗