A balance sheet is a record of your assets and liabilities and the value of your shareholders' stock. Shareholders are people who invest in your business. Your total assets must equal the sum of your ...

An audit is an inspection of a company's accounting records, usually done by an independent certified public accountant. Audits are performed in an effort to determine whether a business is ...

When you want to know a company’s financial health, it helps to look at its balance sheet. But if you’ve never seen a balance sheet before or don’t know how to read one, all you’ll see is a collection ...

Joseph Nguyen is a contributing author at Investopedia and a research analyst with experience at a securities brokerage firm. Charlene Rhinehart is a CPA , CFE, chair of an Illinois CPA Society ...

A balance sheet is a financial statement that provides a snapshot of a company's assets, liabilities, and shareholder's equity. A balance sheet is a type of financial statement. It gives you an ...

Nearly every financial crisis can be traced back to a foundation of weak balance sheets that cracked under the pressure of excessive debt. Companies, households, and governments load up on debt during ...

J.B. Maverick is an active trader, commodity futures broker, and stock market analyst 17+ years of experience, in addition to 10+ years of experience as a finance writer and book editor. Andy Smith is ...

If you’ve ever looked at a balance sheet and immediately wanted to slam your laptop shut, you’re not alone. Most business owners don’t come from accounting backgrounds, and the sheer volume of numbers ...

A balance sheet provides a snapshot of a company's assets, liabilities and equity at a specific point in time, while an income statement summarizes its revenues and expenses over a period to show ...

Tim Bennett explains what a balance sheet is for, including the type of information it contains, and how you can use it. See all of Tim's video tutorials here. Don't miss the latest investment and ...

If you're interested in investing, you've probably read quite a few articles that say "do your homework" before buying a stock. Reading and understanding a balance sheet is part of that homework.