Accounting For Dummies. John A. Tracy

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

      List of Tables

      1 Chapter 3TABLE 3-1 Bookkeeping Rules for Debits and Credits

      List of Illustrations

      1 Chapter 2FIGURE 2-1: Income statement information components for a technology company th...FIGURE 2-2: Balance sheet information