Textbook: https://openstax.org/books/introduction-business/pages/14-introduction
One of the best ways to learn about financial statements is to prepare them. Put together your personal balance sheet and income statement, using Table 14.1 (see p. 554 in course textbook) and Table 14.2 (see p. 557 in course textbook) as samples. You will have to adjust the account categories to fit your needs. Here are some suggestions:
Current assetscash on hand, balances in savings and checking accounts
Investmentsstocks and bonds, retirement funds
Fixed assetsreal estate, personal property (cars, furniture, jewelry, etc.)
Current liabilitiescharge-card balances, loan payments due in one year
Long-term liabilitiesauto loan balance, mortgage on real estate, other loan balances that will not come due until after one year
Incomeemployment income, investment income (interest, dividends)
Expenseshousing, utilities, food, transportation, medical, clothing, insurance, loan payments, taxes, personal care, recreation and entertainment, and miscellaneous expenses
After you complete your personal financial statements, use them to see how well you are managing your finances. Consider the following questions:
- Should you be concerned about your debt ratio?
- Would a potential creditor conclude that it is safe or risky to lend you money?
- If you were a company, would people want to invest in you? Why or why not?
- What could you do to improve your financial condition?
This assignment submission must have an APA cover page. Submitted assignment must include a balance sheet and an income statement. Options for submission are:
- Excel Spreadsheets (submitted as separate files) and a separate MS Word file with answers to questions (to include APA cover page), or
- one submitted MS Word document that has inserted (cut and paste) Excel tables or created MS Word tables to represent balance sheet and income statement.
