How to Write a Financial Report: Communicating Critical Financial Signs from the Numbers (Paperback)

List of Exhibits vii

Preface xi

Part One?Financial Report Writing Basics ? What You Absolutely Must Know! 1

1 Communicate or Die! 3

2 Target Audience “E” ? External Users 15

3 Target Audience “I” ? Internal Consumers 27

4 Introducing CART ? To Start, the Big “C,” Completeness 37

5 Embracing CART ? Accuracy, Reliability, and Timeliness, the Best of Friends 49

Part Two?Financial Statements ? The Economic Heartbeat of a Company 61

6 Understanding the Income Statement 63

7 Trusting the Balance Sheet 73

8 Relying on the Statement of Cash Flows 85

9 Connecting the Financial Statement Dots 97

10 The Significance of Financial Forecasts 107

Part Three?The Types and Targets of Financial Reports 123

11 The Role of Accounting 125

12 Preparing Financial Reports from Company Financial Statements ? External Users 137

13 Preparing Financial Reports from Company Financial Statements ? Internal Consumers 151

14 Preparing Financial Reports from Company Financial Information 165

15 Revisiting Our Example Company with a Slight Twist 179

About the Author 197

Index 199