Closing the books on an accounting period is a lengthy and complex process. No matter how complex, it needs to start somewhere. For every company, big or small, it starts with a trial balance. This is ...

Businesses use trial balance sheets to calculate the monthly debits and credits posted in their general ledgers. Debits are the money a business spends or loses, while credits are the money a business ...

The general ledger is a central location for recording all of the financial activity for your business. Accurate ledger activity is essential to ensuring that the financial statements for each period ...

Julia is a writer in New York and started covering tech and business during the pandemic. She also covers books and the publishing industry. With over a decade of editorial experience, Rob Watts ...

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 type of financial statement that lists a company's assets, liabilities, and shareholders' equity. The assets should be in "balance" and equal the total liabilities and ...

Balance sheets consist of assets, liabilities, and shareholders' equity, revealing financial health. Shareholders' equity equals assets minus liabilities and reflects theoretical investor value if a ...