When you apply for business funding, lenders and investors want to ensure they won’t lose money on your venture. That’s why bringing detailed financial statements to your pitch meeting is crucial.

Every business has an accountant who prepares financial statements on a regular basis. Management, creditors and stockholders use these statements to gauge the performance of the company and make ...

Learn how to prepare an up-to-date profit and loss statement, balance sheet and statement of cash flows. Many, or all, of the products featured on this page are from our advertising partners who ...

Charlene Rhinehart is a CPA , CFE, chair of an Illinois CPA Society committee, and has a degree in accounting and finance from DePaul University. Katrina Ávila Munichiello is an experienced editor, ...

Financial statements are written records of a business’s financial situation. They include standard reports like the balance sheet, income or profit and loss statements, and cash flow statement. They ...

All publicly traded companies are required to release financial statements quarterly so investors can get a sense of how the business is doing. There are three main financial statements investors ...

What could your business do with an extra $1 million in cash? Borrow less? Invest in new equipment? Hire staff to help grow your sales? The answers likely depend on the goals for your specific ...

Troy Segal is an editor and writer. She has 20+ years of experience covering personal finance, wealth management, and business news. Katrina Ávila Munichiello is an experienced editor, writer, ...

Have a question for Kevin Payne or our other editors? Ask here for a chance to be featured in a story. Submit your question This form is protected by reCAPTCHA ...

A written report of the financial condition of a firm. Financial statements include the balance sheet, income statement, statement of changes in net worth and statement of cash flow. The first step in ...