Cases in Financial Reporting

This book is a collection of financial accounting cases designed to help you become a user of financial reports. Learning accounting is very much like learning a new language. The best way to learn any language is to immerse oneself in the language and to converse with many people. Conversations speed up language acquisition and teach the nuances of the language. Conversations strengthen language skills and build breadth. This collection of cases creates a set of conversational opportunities. You will learn accounting by reading financial statements and disclosures and by responding to topical questions about those financial reports. By reading and using many different companies' financial statements, you will speed-up your acquisition of accounting concepts and skills. By observing the nuances of financial reporting, you will quickly learn to speak "accounting," the language of business. These materials bridge a void in introductory financial statement materials at both the undergraduate and the graduate level. Typically, students are required to read a textbook chapter and do some exercises to ensure concept comprehension. Assigned end of chapter material, however, is often not sufficiently challenging to students with stronger analytical abilities or doesn't fully capture the look and feel of actual financial statements and their footnote disclosures. Questions often focus on financial statement preparation rather than, as appropriate for many students, financial statement use. At the other extreme, unstructured discussion cases can leave students with a weak grasp of the mechanics and subtleties of financial accounting. These cases are designed to fill the void and help you become a sophisticated user of financial information.