> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.eosb.org/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# The monthly cycle

> What happens on the platform every month, who does what and when, and what runs automatically.

Once an employer is active, the platform settles into a monthly rhythm. Most of it is automatic; the rest is each organisation's routine.

## A month at a glance

<Frame>
  <img className="block dark:hidden" src="https://mintcdn.com/eosb/GRy-Q58mCmjMCd_D/images/diagrams/concepts-monthly-cycle-1.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=GRy-Q58mCmjMCd_D&q=85&s=b02c6252ccaa4e7340943c9c0d370335" alt="Flow diagram: A month at a glance" style={{ width: "343px", maxWidth: "100%", marginLeft: "auto", marginRight: "auto" }} width="686" height="1448" data-path="images/diagrams/concepts-monthly-cycle-1.png" />

  <img className="hidden dark:block" src="https://mintcdn.com/eosb/GRy-Q58mCmjMCd_D/images/diagrams/concepts-monthly-cycle-1-dark.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=GRy-Q58mCmjMCd_D&q=85&s=1dc45611d235254768c3cd3800009fde" alt="Flow diagram: A month at a glance" style={{ width: "343px", maxWidth: "100%", marginLeft: "auto", marginRight: "auto" }} width="686" height="1448" data-path="images/diagrams/concepts-monthly-cycle-1-dark.png" />
</Frame>

The dates are a guide; the order is what matters.

## Step by step

<Steps>
  <Step title="Month-end: the platform calculates (automatic)">
    The night after the month ends, every employee's benefit is recalculated and the increase is posted as a **monthly accrual**. Each employer's liability goes up. See [Liability and accruals](/concepts/liability-and-accruals).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Early in the month: oversight (regulator, admin)">
    The regulator checks the run completed with no exceptions. The administrator fixes any exceptions and reruns the month.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Through the month: employees (employer)">
    The employer registers new starters, records changes and terminates leavers. Leavers' settlements go to the trustee, then to the administrator to pay.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Through the month: funding (employer, trustee)">
    The employer pays into the trust to keep up with the liability. The trustee confirms each proof against the bank statement.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Mid-month: investing (trustee, fund manager)">
    The trustee sends confirmed cash to the fund manager. The fund manager recognises it, invests it within the policy mix, records income and pays costs within the budget.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Month-end: the fund manager closes the books">
    The fund manager records valuations, creates the month-end asset register snapshot and reconciles each trust's statement of account.
  </Step>

  <Step title="About a week later: returns are published (automatic)">
    After five business days for late entries, the month's ROI is published and locked. The trustee and employer can review returns.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## What runs automatically

| Job | When (UTC) | What it does |
| - | - | - |
| Monthly accrual | Every night at 00:00 | Runs any month-end not yet calculated, oldest first. |
| Allocation variance snapshot | Every night at 00:15 | Takes the month-end variance snapshot for each active portfolio, if the fund manager has not already. |
| ROI month close | Every night at 00:30 | Publishes and locks a month's ROI once its late-entry window has closed. |
| Wallet reconciliation | Every night at 01:30 | Checks wallet payments against the wallet provider. |
| Decision reminders | Every day at 08:00 | Sends each person a digest of their overdue decisions. |
| Notifications | Continuously | Sends emails, SMS and WhatsApp messages as events happen. |

## Keeping the funding ratio healthy

Liability rises every month, and jumps on employees' work anniversaries and pay rises. To stop the gap between liability and funding from growing, an employer needs to pay in at least its monthly accrual each month. Investment income helps; benefit payouts and expenses reduce what the trust holds.

<Frame>
  <img className="block dark:hidden" src="https://mintcdn.com/eosb/GRy-Q58mCmjMCd_D/images/diagrams/concepts-monthly-cycle-2.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=GRy-Q58mCmjMCd_D&q=85&s=36455761908df405ee8c137545b3326a" alt="Flow diagram: Keeping the funding ratio healthy" style={{ width: "581px", maxWidth: "100%", marginLeft: "auto", marginRight: "auto" }} width="1162" height="736" data-path="images/diagrams/concepts-monthly-cycle-2.png" />

  <img className="hidden dark:block" src="https://mintcdn.com/eosb/GRy-Q58mCmjMCd_D/images/diagrams/concepts-monthly-cycle-2-dark.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=GRy-Q58mCmjMCd_D&q=85&s=243dbf891d9cca8c173fbccdca18713d" alt="Flow diagram: Keeping the funding ratio healthy" style={{ width: "581px", maxWidth: "100%", marginLeft: "auto", marginRight: "auto" }} width="1162" height="736" data-path="images/diagrams/concepts-monthly-cycle-2-dark.png" />
</Frame>


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