What happens if your client's beginning balance is inconsistent while reconciling?

When reconciling accounts in QuickBooks, if a client's beginning balance is inconsistent, the software will trigger an alert indicating that the account isn’t ready for reconciliation. This alert serves as a crucial warning to the user, signaling that something is amiss with the balance and that it requires investigation and correction prior to proceeding with reconciliation. Ensuring that the beginning balance matches the ending balance from the previous statement is essential for accurate financial reporting, and the alert helps to prevent errors from worsening.

The other options do not align with the functionality of QuickBooks during reconciliation. Ignoring balance discrepancies is not advisable as it can lead to further inaccuracies in financial records. Automatic adjustments by QuickBooks are also not a feature when discrepancies occur; users must manually address any variances to ensure correct data entry. Lastly, getting locked out until a resolution is found is not a typical or necessary response within the software; instead, the alert prompts action while allowing continued access to the account.