Sat.Oct 28, 2023

article thumbnail

The advantages of budgeting

Accounting Tools

Related Courses Budgeting Capital Budgeting Formulating a budget is essential for many organizations. We note below seven advantages to having (and using) a budget. Planning Orientation The process of creating a budget takes management away from its short-term, day-to-day management of the business and forces it to think longer-term. This is the chief goal of budgeting, even if management does not succeed in meeting its goals as outlined in the budget - at least it is thinking about the company'

article thumbnail

Lease accounting

Accounting Tools

Related Courses Accounting for Leases What is a Lease? A lease is an arrangement under which a lessor agrees to allow a lessee to control the use of identified property, plant, and equipment for a stated period of time in exchange for one or more payments. There are several types of lease designations, which differ if an entity is the lessee or the lessor.

professionals

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

article thumbnail

Accounting for pensions

Accounting Tools

Related Courses Accounting for Retirement Benefits How to Account for a Pension The accounting for pensions can be quite complex, especially in regard to defined benefit plans. In this type of plan, the employer provides a predetermined periodic payment to employees after they retire. The amount of this future payment depends upon a number of future events, such as estimates of employee lifespan, how long current employees will continue to work for the company, and the pay level of employees jus

article thumbnail

Account balance definition

Accounting Tools

Related Courses Bookkeeper Education Bundle Bookkeeping Guidebook What is an Account Balance? An account balance is the current total in an account. The concept can be applied to the situations noted below. General Ledger Account In accounting, the account balance is the current residual balance in an account. Under this definition, an account is the record in a system of accounting in which a business records debits and credits as evidence of accounting transactions.

article thumbnail

Fall In Love With the Month-End Close

It's the time of year to give our close process some TLC. Join us in this one hour webinar where we discuss how to adopt leading practices and infuse technology into the month-end close process to improve our experience and increase our productivity during month-end and quarter-end close. Learning Objectives: This course's objective is to understand how the month-end close can be improved with automation and adoption of leading practices.

article thumbnail

Net float definition

Accounting Tools

Related Courses Corporate Cash Management Payables Management What is Net Float? Net float is the combination of the mail float , processing float , and availability float , and so represents the full duration of all types of check payment float. The net float is important when a business makes payments and receives payments primarily with checks. It is not an issue when electronic payments are used.

article thumbnail

Net settlement definition

Accounting Tools

Related Courses Corporate Cash Management What is Net Settlement? Net settlement is a payment settlement system between banks, where a large number of transactions are accumulated and offset against each other, with only the net differential being transferred between banks. Payments handled through a net settlement system usually wait until the end of the day, when all transactions between the banks are summarized and offset against each other by a clearing institution; the clearing institution

More Trending

article thumbnail

Traditional income statement definition

Accounting Tools

Related Courses The Income Statement What is the Traditional Income Statement? A traditional income statement employs absorption costing to arrive at a profit or loss figure. This statement contains several blocks of revenue and expense information, which are organized as follows: Revenue block. Usually a one-line aggregation of gross sales and a variety of sales discounts and sales allowances.

article thumbnail

Notional pooling definition

Accounting Tools

Related Courses Corporate Cash Management Treasurer's Guidebook What is Notional Pooling? Notional pooling is a mechanism for calculating interest on the combined credit and debit balances of accounts that a corporate parent chooses to cluster together, without actually transferring any funds between the accounts. It is ideal for companies with decentralized organizations that want to allow some autonomy to their subsidiaries , including their control over bank accounts.

article thumbnail

Net present value definition

Accounting Tools

Related Courses Capital Budgeting Excel Formulas and Functions Financial Analysis What is Net Present Value? Net present value is an analysis tool used to decide whether to invest in a capital asset. It is employed as part of the capital budgeting process. A desirable investment is one that yields a positive net present value, which implies that a business will receive excess cash over time as a result of the investment.

article thumbnail

Normal spoilage definition

Accounting Tools

Related Courses Accounting for Inventory Cost Accounting Fundamentals What is Normal Spoilage? Normal spoilage is the expected amount of materials that are rendered unusable as part of the production process. This expected amount is included in the standard cost of goods for units produced. This amount is primarily based on historical results, along with input from the industrial engineering staff regarding the expectations for spoilage.

article thumbnail

Navigating Payroll Compliance: Future-Proofing Payroll in an Evolving Regulatory Landscape

Speaker: Jennifer Hill

Payroll compliance is a cornerstone of business success, yet for small and midsize businesses, it’s becoming increasingly challenging to navigate the ever-evolving landscape of federal, state, and local regulations. Mistakes can lead to costly penalties and operational disruptions, making it essential to adopt advanced solutions that ensure accuracy and efficiency.

article thumbnail

Net current assets definition

Accounting Tools

What are Net Current Assets? Net current assets is the aggregate amount of all current assets , minus the aggregate amount of all current liabilities. There should be a positive amount of net current assets on hand, since this implies that there are sufficient current assets to pay for all current obligations. If the net amount is negative, it could be an indicator that a business is having financial difficulties, and will need additional funding fairly soon.

article thumbnail

Valuation account definition

Accounting Tools

Related Courses Bookkeeper Education Bundle Bookkeeping Guidebook What is a Valuation Account? A valuation account is paired with an asset account or liability account , and offsets the value of the assets or liabilities in the paired account. The result of this account pairing is a net balance, which is the carrying amount of the underlying asset or liability.

article thumbnail

How to calculate NPV

Accounting Tools

Related Courses Capital Budgeting Financial Analysis Net present value (NPV) analysis is a way to determine the current value of a stream of future cash flows. It is a common tool in capital budgeting to select the best projects for funding. In essence, you should only invest in a project if it has a positive net present value. To calculate NPV, we use the following formula: NPV = X * [(1+r)^n - 1]/[r * (1+r)^n] Where: X = The amount received per period n = The number of periods r = The rate of

article thumbnail

Next in, first out definition

Accounting Tools

Related Courses Accounting for Inventory How to Audit Inventory What is Next In, First Out? Next in, first out (NIFO) is a cost flow assumption, stating that the cost assigned to a product is the cost required to replace it. This concept is not allowed under any of the accounting frameworks (such as GAAP and IFRS ), so it cannot be used in the preparation of financial statements that are supposed to be constructed under an accounting framework.

article thumbnail

Next-Level Fraud Prevention: Strategies for Today’s Threat Landscape

Speaker: Sierre Lindgren

Fraud is a battle that every organization must face – it’s no longer a question of “if” but “when.” Every organization is a potential target for fraud, and the finance department is often the bullseye. From cleverly disguised emails to fraudulent payment requests, the tactics of cybercriminals are advancing rapidly. Drawing insights from real-world cases and industry expertise, we’ll explore the vulnerabilities in your processes and how to fortify them effectively.

article thumbnail

Price point definition

Accounting Tools

Related Courses Revenue Management What is a Price Point? A price point is the suggested retail price of a product or service. It is usually set in relation to the prices at which goods and services are being offered by competitors, or at the prices associated with substitute products. An ideal price point should maximize profitability for the seller.

40
article thumbnail

Capital turnover definition

Accounting Tools

Related Courses Business Ratios Guidebook The Interpretation of Financial Statements What is Capital Turnover? Capital turnover compares the annual sales of a business to the total amount of its stockholders' equity. The intent is to measure the proportion of revenue that a company can generate with a given amount of equity. It is also a general measure of the level of capital investment needed in a specific industry in order to generate sales.

article thumbnail

Control cycle definition

Accounting Tools

Related Courses Budgeting Capital Budgeting What is the Control Cycle? The control cycle is the iterative process of planning, monitoring outcomes, assessing results, and making revisions. The control cycle is commonly applied to the ongoing revision of corporate budgets and process flows. When applying the control cycle to budgeting, the expectation is that each successive version of the budget will be improved, based on the information gleaned when the initial budget is compared to actual resu

article thumbnail

Moving average inventory method definition

Accounting Tools

Related Courses Accounting for Inventory How to Audit Inventory What is the Moving Average Inventory Method? Under the moving average inventory method, the average cost of each inventory item in stock is re-calculated after every inventory purchase. This method tends to yield inventory valuations and cost of goods sold results that are in-between those derived under the first in, first out (FIFO) method and the last in, first out (LIFO) method.

article thumbnail

Cash Flow Secrets Every Upskilled CPA Should Know

Speaker: Debra L. Robinson

CPAs know the drill: taxes, compliance, rinse, repeat. But what about the sneaky cash flow that’s quietly messing with your organization’s success? It’s time to step into the spotlight and expose the “dirty little secrets” of cash flow to fuel strategic growth. By upskilling your accounting practices and shifting focus from tax compliance to the strategic movement of money, you can transform your role from reactive accountant to proactive financial strategist.

article thumbnail

Competitive advantage definition

Accounting Tools

Related Courses Business Strategy New Manager Guidebook What is Competitive Advantage? Competitive advantage is the ability of an organization to gain a material edge over its competitors. Having such an advantage can result in above-average profits or high levels of customer loyalty. One of the key goals of strategy is to develop a set of competitive advantages.

40