Cash is important to all businesses, and crucial for small businesses that have less access to financing. Your company needs cash to pay its bills and other near-term obligations. The earlier you can ...

You might not realize it, but every time you sign a credit card slip for your lunch, you are executing a promise to pay. If you are paying in advance for a catered employee luncheon to be delivered ...

IMGCAP(1)]There are a number of challenges when it comes to the valuation of deferred revenue, including the impact of the new accounting rules on revenue recognition. Deferred revenue typically ...

Whether you are a small business owner trying to get an accurate picture of cash flow or a Main Street investor examining financial statements to pick stocks, understanding deferred revenue can help ...

How does a company account for cash payments received in advance of delivering its goods or services? Under the "accrual-basis accounting" rules used by most companies, advance payments can't be ...

Source: www.LearningVideo.com via Flickr. What is the difference between deferred revenue and unearned revenue? Well, the short answer is that both terms mean the same thing -- that a business has ...

These days, it seems as if everyone wants to be a technology company—or to merge with one. Global merger-and-acquisition (M&A) activity through December 2015 was at a record high, with acquisition ...

How does a company account for cash payments received in advance of delivering its goods or services? Under the "accrual-basis accounting" rules used by most companies, advance payments can't be ...

Deferred revenue is recorded when payment is received before services are delivered. It helps companies show a more accurate financial state under GAAP rules. Growing deferred revenue typically ...

Julia Kagan is a financial/consumer journalist and former senior editor, personal finance, of Investopedia. Lea Uradu, J.D., is a Maryland state registered tax preparer, state-certified notary public, ...