accounting

Evaluating Business Decisions Using Breakeven Analysis

You shouldn’t rely on gut instinct when making major business decisions, such as launching a new product line, investing in new equipment, or changing your pricing structure. Projecting the financial…

Receivables Rx: Key Metrics to Assess the Health of Your Cash Flow

For many businesses, accounts receivable (AR) is one of the largest assets on the balance sheet. It represents the cash you’ve earned but haven’t yet collected. Efficient AR management is…

Cash or Accrual Accounting: Choose Carefully for Your Small Business

To manage their finances and accurately file their taxes, most small business owners must choose between two accounting methods: cash or accrual. This choice directly affects how and when you…

How to Prepay Expenses Strategically and Report Them Accurately

In accrual-basis accounting, timing is everything. One core principle of U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) is the matching concept, which requires organizations to recognize expenses in the same period…

How to Turn F&A Turnover Into a Business Opportunity

Turnover in finance and accounting (F&A) leadership is on the rise. In 2024, CFO turnover among Standard & Poor’s 500 companies hit 17.8%, tying a record high in 2021, according…

M&A Accounting: Identifying the Acquirer in Business Combinations Involving VIEs

On May 12, 2025, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) finalized new guidance that clarifies how to identify the acquirer in mergers and acquisitions (M&As) involving variable interest entities (VIEs). The…

Old Invoices, New Rules: Tap Into the Power of the AR Aging Report

For many businesses, accounts receivable (AR) are more than just a line item on the balance sheet. This account provides a key indicator of potential cash flow, customer relationships, and…

Loan Applications: How to Strengthen Your Hand in Today’s Credit Markets

In recent years, interest rates have increased and credit has tightened. Under these conditions, which are expected to persist in the coming months, securing a commercial loan can be challenging…

6 Inventory Management Tips in an Uncertain Tariff Landscape

With new tariff structures looming and global trade relationships in flux, businesses face rising uncertainty in supply chain costs and inventory planning. As countries iron out the details of future…

Fight Corporate Corruption With Robust Accounting Systems

Financial losses from corruption are on the rise, according to “Occupational Fraud 2024: A Report to the Nations,” published by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE). Nearly half the…

Ratio Rundown: Use Financial Benchmarking to Unlock Profitability, Efficiency and Growth

Financial statements tell a powerful story about your business. However, they can seem like an overwhelming collection of figures without proper analysis. Financial benchmarking studies can help you identify historical…

6 Practical Tips to Lower Business Travel Expenses

Travel remains a critical expense for many businesses, whether for client meetings, networking, industry conferences or sales opportunities. However, travel and entertainment (T&E) costs can quickly spiral out of control,…

Reminder: Profits and Cash Flow Aren’t the Same

Profitable businesses often experience cash flow shortages, particularly if they’re experiencing rapid growth. Business owners may wonder why they owe taxes when they regularly struggle to find cash to cover…

Cutoffs: When to Report Revenue and Expenses

Timing is critical in financial reporting. Under accrual-basis accounting, the end of the accounting period serves as a “cutoff” for when companies recognize revenue and expenses. However, some companies may…

Mind the GAAP: How to Ensure Transparency When Using Non-GAAP Metrics

At Financial Executives International’s Corporate Financial Reporting Insights Conference last November, staff from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) expressed concerns related to the use of financial metrics that don’t…