Chapter 14 Flashcards
Financial Information
central to every organization; essential for decision-making
Accounting
the process of collecting, recording classifying, summarizing, reporting, and analyzing financial activities
Internal Reports
used within the organization
Managerial Accounting (Internal)
provides financial information that managers inside the organization use to evaluate and make decisions about current or future operations
Sales Reports (Internal)
show how well marketing strategies are working as well as the # of units sold during a specific time period
Production Costs Reports (Internal)
can help departments track and control costs, as a well as zero in on the amount of labor needed
External Reports
used outside of the organization
Financial Accounting (External)
focuses on preparing external financial reports that are used by outsiders
Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)
principles used by accountants to ensure accuracy and consistency in the way financial information reported
Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB)
a private organization that is responsible for establishing financial accounting standards used in the US
IASB
International Accounting Standards Board
IFRS
International Financial Reporting Standards
MOU
Memorandum of Understanding
Annual Report
a yearly document that describes a firm’s financial status; includes balance sheet, income statement, and statement of cash flow
Public Accountant
independent accounts who serve organizations and individuals on a fee basis
Auditing
process of reviewing the records used to prepare financial statements
Auditor’s Opinion
indicates whether the statements have been prepared in accordance with accepted accounting rules; important to annual reports
CPA
Certified Public Accountants; the only ones allowed to issue an auditor’s opinion; must be certified through AICPA
Private Accountants
accountants employed to serve one particular organization
CMA
Certified Management Accountant; only need to pass an exam
Sarbanes-Oxley Act
2002, clarifies auditor-independence issues, places increased accountability on a company’s senior executives and management, strengthens disclosure of insider’s transactions, and prohibits loans to executives
Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB)
independent 5-member board that has the authority to set and amend auditing, quality control, ethics, independence, and other standards for audit reports
Accountants
develop and manage financial systems and help plan the firm’s financial strategy
Assets
things of value owned by a firm; Liabilities + Owner’s Equity = Assets
Liabilities (debts)
are what a firm owes to its creditors
Owner’s Equity
total amount of investment in the firm minus liabilities; also called net worth; Assets - Liabilities = Owner’s Equity
Double-Entry Bookkeeping
every transaction must be recorded as 2 entries, to keep the accounting equation balanced
Accounting Cycle
the process of generating financial statements, beginning with a business transaction and ending with the preparation of the report; 6 steps
Data Analytics
the process of examining numerous data sets (big data) to draw conclusions about the information they contain, with the assistance of specialized systems and software
Balance Sheet
summarizes a firm’s financial position at a specific point in time
Liquidity
how fast they can be converted to cash
Current Assets (CA)
assets that can or will be converted into cash within the next 12 months