Читать книгу Accounting For Dummies - John A. Tracy - Страница 3

1  Cover

2  Title Page

3  Copyright

4  Introduction About This Book Foolish Assumptions Icons Used in This Book Beyond the Book Where to Go from Here

5  Part 1: Opening the Books on Accounting Chapter 1: Accounting in Today’s New Economy Checking Your Preconceptions about Accounting Providing Vital Financial Information Accounting’s Two Primary Roles Taking a Peek behind the Scenes Focusing on Transactions Taking the Financial Pulse of a Business Accounting as a Form of Art Chapter 2: Introducing Financial Statements Setting the Stage for Financial Statements The Income Statement The Balance Sheet The Statement of Cash Flows A Note about the Statement of Changes in Shareowners’ Equity Gleaning Important Information from Financial Statements Complying with Accounting and Financial Reporting Standards Chapter 3: Safeguarding Company Assets Separating the Duties of Bookkeepers and Accountants Pedaling through the Bookkeeping Cycle Managing Accounting Systems Enforcing Strong Internal Controls Double-Entry Accounting Juggling the Books to Conceal Embezzlement and Fraud Chapter 4: Accounting in the Digital Age Noting a Few Foundational Accounting Concepts Related to Technology Using Accounting Software in the Cloud and on the Ground Controlling and Protecting Money Flows in the Electronic Age Managing the Accounting Function in the On-Demand World Chapter 5: Recognizing the Legal and Accounting Entity Being Aware of the Legal Roots of Business Entities Going It Alone: Sole Proprietorships Differentiating Partnerships and Limited Liability Companies Incorporating a Business

6  Part 2: Exploring Financial Statements Chapter 6: Reporting Profit or Loss in the Income Statement Presenting Typical Income Statements Taking Care of Housekeeping Details Being an Active Reader Deconstructing Profit Pinpointing the Assets and Liabilities Used to Record Revenue and Expenses Reporting Unusual Gains and Losses Watching for Misconceptions and Misleading Reports Chapter 7: Reporting Financial Condition in the Balance Sheet Expanding the Accounting Equation Presenting a Proper Balance Sheet Judging Liquidity and Solvency Understanding That Transactions Drive the Balance Sheet Sizing Up Assets and Liabilities Financing a Business: Sources of Cash and Capital Recognizing the Hodgepodge of Values Reported in a Balance Sheet Chapter 8: Reporting Cash Sources and Uses in the Statement of Cash Flows Meeting the Statement of Cash Flows Explaining the Variance between Cash Flow and Net Income Sailing through the Rest of the Statement of Cash Flows Pinning Down “Free Cash Flow” Limitations of the Statement of Cash Flows Chapter 9: Financial Accounting Issues Reporting Changes in Owners’ Equity Recognizing Reasons for Accounting Differences Looking at a More Conservative Version of the Company’s Income Statement Explaining Differences Calculating Cost of Goods Sold Expense and Inventory Cost Recording Depreciation Expense Scanning the Revenue and Expense Radar Screen Using the Statement of Cash Flows as an Audit/Sanity Test

7  Part 3: Understanding Financial Reports, Financial Statements, and Financial Information Chapter 10: Producing Financial Reports Quickly Reviewing the Theory of Financial Reporting Recognizing Top Management’s Role Keeping Current with Financial Accounting and Reporting Standards Making Sure Disclosure Is Adequate Putting a Spin on the Numbers (Short of Cooking the Books) Comparing Public and Private Companies Dealing with Information Overload Chapter 11: Deciphering a Financial Report Knowing the Rules of the Game Making Investment Choices Contrasting Reading Financial Reports of Private Versus Public Businesses Explaining the Role of MDORs and MD&As Frolicking through the Footnotes Checking Out the Auditor’s Report Chapter 12: Analyzing Financial Information with Ratios Understanding the Importance of Using Ratios to Digest Financial Statements Improving Your Knowledge of Financial Language and Lingo Starting with Sample Company Financial Statements Benchmark Financial Ratios: Financial Strength and Solvency Benchmark Financial Ratios: Financial Performance Making Time for Additional Ratios (If Needed) Chapter 13: Generating Internal Financial Information for Management Use Building on the Foundation of the External Financial Statements Distinguishing Internal and External Financial Statements Gathering Financial Condition Information Culling Profit Information Avoiding Rookie Mistakes Chapter 14: Applying Wall Street’s Tricks and Treats to Engineer Financial Results Knowing What Financial Engineering Is Not Defining What Financial Engineering Is Identifying Commonly Used “Tricks of the Trade” Manufacturing Imaginary Profits (and, Yes, Losses) Looking Out for Particular Trends and Terminology

8  Part 4: Leveraging Accounting in Managing a Business Chapter 15: Analyzing Profit Helping Managers: The Fourth Pillar of Accounting Internal Profit Reporting Looking at Strategic Profit Analysis Taking a Closer Look at the Lines in the Profit Template Using the Profit Template for Decision-Making Analysis Tucking Away Some Valuable Lessons Chapter 16: Accounting for Costs Looking Down the Road to the Destination of Costs Are Costs Really That Important? Becoming More Familiar with Costs Assembling the Product Cost of Manufacturers Puffing Profit by Excessive Production Chapter 17: Preparing Best-in-Class Forecasts, Projections, and Budgets Focusing on Key Forecasting Concepts Putting Forecasting in Its Place Exploring Forecasting Increasing the Power of Your Forecasts Seeing a Financial Forecast in Action Rehashing the Value of Forecasts Chapter 18: Capitalizing a Business: How, When, Why, and What Identifying the Elements of a Business Plan Valuing Businesses: A Crash Course in the Basics Surveying Commonly Used Business Valuation Techniques Summarizing the Two Basic Types of Available Capital Taking a Deeper Dive into Raising Debt Capital Digging Further into the World of Equity Capital Raising Capital: Tips, Tidbits, and Traps

9  Part 5: The Part of Tens Chapter 19: Ten Tips for Managers Reach Breakeven and Then Rake in Profit Set Sales Prices Right Don’t Confuse Profit and Cash Flow Call the Shots on Accounting Policies Prepare Accurate Forecasts and Projections Demand the Accounting Information You Want Tap into Your CPA’s Expertise Critically Review Your Controls over Employee Dishonesty and Fraud Lend a Hand in Preparing Your Financial Reports Speak about Your Financial Statements as a Pro Chapter 20: Ten Tips for Reading a Financial Report Get in the Right Frame of Mind Decide What to Read Improve Your Accounting Savvy Judge Profit Performance Test Earnings Per Share (EPS) against Change in Bottom Line Tackle Unusual Gains and Losses Check Cash Flow from Profit Look for Signs of Financial Distress Recognize the Possibility of Restatement and Fraud Remember the Limits of Financial Reports

10  Index

11  About the Authors

12  Connect with Dummies

13  End User License Agreement