Guide: tie-out
When a loss run does not foot to the carrier's total
A loss run foots when its claim rows add up to the carrier's printed totals. When they do not, the cause is usually a missing or repeated row, a total struck at another date, a different basis or a misread digit. Start with the size of the difference.
General information, not advice. This is not insurance, legal or financial advice. Requirements differ by carrier, state and market; follow the instructions of the market you are approaching.
What a difference tells you
Which columns differ, and by how much
Compare the claim rows with the printed total for each policy period and each column: claim count, paid loss, paid expense, reserve and incurred. The pattern points to the cause.
In the workers' compensation sample on the home page, the 2024-25 claim rows add to a reserve of $53,750.00 while the printed total says $55,000.00. The printed paid, expense and incurred totals agree with the claim rows, and only the reserve total does not, so it looks like the odd one out. The carrier should confirm.
Steps
How to find the difference, in order
Work from the coarse check to the fine one.
- Compare counts firstA different claim count points to a missing or repeated row before any amount is involved.
- Take the difference in each columnRows minus printed, with the sign, for paid loss, expense, reserve and incurred.
- Look for the patternA difference equal to one claim's amount suggests that claim was missed or doubled. A difference in one column only suggests a misread or a changed figure.
- Test the printed total against itselfPaid plus expense plus reserve should equal the printed incurred, on the report's basis (see paid, reserved and incurred). If it does not, the total row has the problem.
- Check pages and datesLook at page breaks for repeated rows, at the first and last page for missed ones, and at whether the total and the rows carry the same valuation date.
- Ask the carrier, and disclose what remainsAsk for a corrected run or a written explanation. If a difference stays, state it in the submission. Never adjust figures to force a match.
Reference
Symptoms, likely causes and how to check
| Symptom | Likely cause | How to check |
|---|---|---|
| Count differs by one, and amounts differ by that claim's figures | A claim row missing or repeated | Look at page breaks, and search the claim number |
| The same difference in paid and incurred | A paid amount missing or misread | Compare the PDF digits, especially on a scan |
| Only reserve differs, and incurred ties | The printed reserve total is wrong, or a reserve was misread | Test the total row against itself |
| Paid and reserve tie, incurred differs | Incurred basis: expense in the total but not the rows, or the reverse | Test one row, with and without expense |
| A difference divisible by nine | Possibly two adjacent digits transposed | Re-read the amounts in the rows |
| A difference of a few cents | Rounding by the carrier's system | Compare to the cent and note it |
| Periods tie, grand total does not | A period missing from the rows, or a grand total on another basis | Count the periods. See five years of loss runs |
Pitfalls
What goes wrong
- Forcing the match. A plug row or an edited digit turns an open question into a misstatement.
- Trusting the printed total. It can be the figure in error, as in the sample above.
- Removing a duplicate blindly. Identical amounts under one claim number across a page break are probably a repeat, but different amounts may be separate coverages.
- Comparing across valuations. A total from one run and rows from another will not agree.
- A misread digit on a scan. If the carrier can supply a text PDF, use it.
The tool
How LossRun Pro helps
LossRun Pro runs this check on every upload that prints totals. For each policy period, and for the grand total when one is printed, it compares the claim rows with whichever printed figures the report has, for claim count, paid loss, paid expense, reserve and incurred, and shows each difference to the cent. It also flags duplicate claim numbers, incurred below paid and closed claims that still carry a reserve. It cannot say which side is right, so check the PDF. Try it on the loss run to Excel page. Free: 1 file per day, up to 10 pages, no account. Files over 10 pages are converted up to page 10 on the free allowance; a page code converts the whole file, up to 150 pages. See pricing.
FAQ
Questions about totals that do not match
What does it mean to foot a loss run?
To add up a column of claim amounts and see whether the sum equals the total the carrier printed. If it does, the report foots.
Which is right, the rows or the total?
Neither can be assumed. A missing row makes the rows short, and a stale or mistyped total makes the total wrong. Check the PDF and ask the carrier.
Should I adjust the schedule so it matches the carrier's total?
No. Show what the rows add up to, show the printed total and state the difference. A forced match hides a question the underwriter may find anyway.
What if the carrier prints no totals?
Then nothing can be checked. Say that the totals are your own sums of the rows, and ask the carrier whether it can print totals.
How do I tell a duplicate from two coverages on one claim?
Identical rows with the same claim number, often across a page break, are probably a repeat. Rows with the same number and different amounts may be separate coverages. Ask the carrier if you are unsure.
Can different valuation dates cause a difference?
Yes, if the total and the rows came from different runs. Compare the dates first. See loss run valuation date.