Learn how to analyze a company's balance sheet, including assets, liabilities, and equity, for smarter investment decisions.

A balance sheet is a company's financial big picture for a particular moment in time. Every financial decision a business makes will eventually land on the balance sheet but understanding how the ...

A balance sheet is a financial statement that provides a snapshot of a company's assets, liabilities, and shareholder's equity. A balance sheet is a type of financial statement. It gives you an ...

Accountants with businesses big and small normally compile financial statements each quarter. The statements paint a picture of all of the company's transactions. First, the company will record the ...

Learn how accounting spreadsheets work with real examples of journals plus when to switch to accounting software.

Creative accounting can come in many different forms. It can also occur in many different ways. Keep in mind that certain loopholes exist that may help a company legally spin its financial reporting ...

Charlene Rhinehart is a CPA , CFE, chair of an Illinois CPA Society committee, and has a degree in accounting and finance from DePaul University. As the name implies, a balance sheet should reveal ...

Our column in the Feb. 11, 2008, issue addressed the pitfalls of pursuing off-balance-sheet financing. In light of the August 2010 exposure draft from the Financial Accounting Standards Board and the ...

Accounting practices in the U.S. have improved over the years, but there are still plenty of ways that companies can manipulate their financial results. And not just in the usual ways--the balance ...