What is a rolling budget? Definition of Rolling Budget A rolling budget often refers to a company’s operating budget which presents the future monthly budgets for the next 12 months. A rolling budget is also known as a...
What is a rolling budget? Definition of Rolling Budget A rolling budget often refers to a company’s operating budget which presents the future monthly budgets for the next 12 months. A rolling budget is also known as a...
What are accounting ratios? Definition of Accounting Ratios Accounting ratios, which are also known as financial ratios, are one part of financial statement analysis. Accounting ratios will often relate one financial...
What is hurdle rate? Definition of Hurdle Rate In capital budgeting, the term hurdle rate is the minimum rate that a company wants to earn when investing in a project. Therefore, the hurdle rate is also referred to as...
The accounting and reporting standards developed by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB). IFRS are used by business entities in most countries. The most notable exception is the U.S. where business...
What is a real account? Definition of a Real Account A real account is a general ledger account that does not close at the end of the accounting year. In other words, the balances in the real accounts are carried over to...
A method for estimating the inventory of a retailer. This method requires that the retail amounts and the related cost amounts are available for beginning inventory and purchases. An illustration of this technique is...
What is financial reporting? Definition of Financial Reporting Financial reporting includes all of a company’s communication of financial information to people outside of the company. Examples of Financial Reporting...
What is a restrictive endorsement? Definition of Restrictive Endorsement A restrictive endorsement or restricted endorsement places a limitation on the use of a check or other negotiable financial instrument. Using a...
What is the reorder point? Definition of Reorder Point The reorder point is the quantity of units in inventory at which time an order should be placed to purchase additional units. The reorder point is calculated by...
Are retained earnings an asset? Definition of Retained Earnings Usually, retained earnings consists of a corporation’s earnings since the corporation was formed minus the amount that was distributed to the stockholders...
What are departmental overhead rates? Definition of Departmental Overhead Rates Departmental overhead rates are used by many manufacturers to allocate (assign, apply) manufacturing overhead to the goods it produces...
What is a LIFO Reserve? Definition of LIFO Reserve The LIFO reserve is a contra inventory account that indicates the difference between the following: Inventory cost reported on the balance sheet under the LIFO cost flow...
The preferred method for systematically moving bond discount or premium from the balance sheet over to interest expense on the income statement over the life of the bond. This method is superior to the straight-line...
Bookkeeping Video Training Part 1 Accounts: record each transaction in two accounts, debits = credits, T-accounts, amounts reported on financial statements Must-Watch Video Learn How to Advance Your Accounting and...
Why can a retailer record its purchase of merchandise as a debit to purchases within the cost of goods sold, instead of the asset inventory? Before we explain why companies will record the purchases of merchandise in the...
Bookkeeping Video Training Part 13 Sales on credit: risk, unsecured accounts receivable, aging to monitor allowance for doubtful accounts, bad debts expense Must-Watch Video Learn How to Advance Your Accounting and...
Financial Statements Video Training Part 1 Introduction to the main financial statements and accounting rules, balance sheet heading and sections, reporting of cash Must-Watch Video Learn How to Advance Your Accounting...
Our Explanation of Accounts Receivable and Bad Debts Expense helps you understand the accounting for the losses associated with selling goods and providing services on credit. You will understand the impact on the...
What is simple linear regression analysis? What is Simple Linear Regression Analysis Simple linear regression analysis is a statistical tool for quantifying the relationship between one independent variable (hence...
What is the rule of 72? The rule of 72 is a simple formula that tells you the approximate amount of time or interest rate needed for an amount to double. The formula is Years X Rate per year = 72. Here’s how it works....
How does revenue affect the balance sheet? Effect of Revenue on the Balance Sheet Generally, when a corporation earns revenue there is an increase in current assets (cash or accounts receivable) and an increase in the...
What is meant by nonoperating revenues and gains? Nonoperating revenues are the amounts earned by a business which are outside of its main or central operations. Nonoperating revenues are also described as incidental or...
The allocation of common costs based on the sales value of the products that emerge. For example, a company develops a large parcel of land at a cost of $5 million dollars. Individual lots will be sold for $100,000 to...
How do you record a payment for insurance? Definition of Payment for Insurance A company’s property insurance, liability insurance, business interruption insurance, etc. often covers a one-year period with the cost...
What is the debt to total assets ratio? Definition of Debt to Total Assets Ratio The debt to total assets ratio is an indicator of a company’s financial leverage. It tells you the percentage of a company’s total...
Our Explanation of Accounts Receivable and Bad Debts Expense helps you understand the accounting for the losses associated with selling goods and providing services on credit. You will understand the impact on the...
What is the working capital ratio? Definition of Working Capital Ratio The working capital ratio is defined as the amount of a company’s current assets divided by the amount of its current liabilities. Hence, the...
What is the fixed asset turnover ratio? Definition of Fixed Asset Turnover Ratio The fixed asset turnover ratio shows the relationship between a company’s annual net sales and the net amount of its fixed assets. The...
Why is income received in advance a liability? Definition of Income Received in Advance Under the accrual method of accounting, when a company receives money from a customer prior to earning it, the company will have to...
What is reported as property, plant and equipment? Definition of Property, Plant and Equipment Property, plant and equipment is the long-term asset or noncurrent asset section of the balance sheet that reports the...
Where is a contingent liability recorded? Recording a Contingent Liability A potential or contingent liability that is both probable and the amount can be estimated is recorded as 1) an expense or loss on the income...
Our Explanation of Accounts Receivable and Bad Debts Expense helps you understand the accounting for the losses associated with selling goods and providing services on credit. You will understand the impact on the...
When should a product warranty liability be recorded? Definition of Product Warranty Liability A product warranty means the manufacturer or seller has a potential liability and expense if its product or service fails to...
Accounts Receivable and Bad Debts Expense Accounts Receivable Accounts receivable refers to a company’s unsecured claim for money it is owed by a customer or client for goods and/or services the company had provided on...
What is the purpose of assigning accounts receivable? The purpose of assigning accounts receivable is to provide collateral in order to obtain a loan. To illustrate, let’s assume that a corporation receives a special...
What is the free cash flow ratio? Definition of Free Cash Flow Free cash flow for a year is an amount (as opposed to a ratio or percentage) usually defined as: net cash provided by operating activities for the year minus...
Reducing the Need for Accruing Expenses One day I was explaining to the owner of a small business that I would have to accrue for the shipping expenses associated with his company’s sales. Since the shipping company...
Featured Review
"I am currently an accounts payable specialist for a hospital in my city residence. I became a PRO user years ago because I was looking for a website that could assist in improving my bookkeeping skills, as I wish to eventually open my own business one day. I really like the use of the materials, such as the chapter breakdowns, the summaries I can read over, the quizzes to ensure I learned what I was reading, and so much more. I feel I have greatly benefitted using the materials, as they helped build my confidence in becoming a self-employed bookkeeper in the near future. Thank you for building such a useful tool for learning accounting and bookkeeping; I see you are still #1 Best Overall Voted by Google and most websites." - Daryl T.
Join PRO or PRO Plus and Get Lifetime Access to Our Premium Materials
Read all 2,645 reviewsWe now offer 10 Certificates of Achievement for Introductory Accounting and Bookkeeping: