Financial Planning
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Chapter 9 Financial Planning and Forecasting Financial Statements -------------------------------------------------
ANSWERS TO END-OF-CHAPTER QUESTIONS
9-1 a. The operating plan provides detailed implementation guidance designed to accomplish corporate objectives. It details who is responsible for what particular function, and when specific tasks are to be accomplished. The financial plan details the financial aspects of the corporation’s operating plan. In addition to an analysis of the firm’s current financial condition, the financial plan normally includes a sales forecast, the capital budget, the cash budget, pro forma financial statements, and the external financing plan. A sales forecast is merely the forecast of unit and dollar sales for some future period. Of course, a lot of work is required to produce a good sales forecast. Generally, sales forecasts are based on the recent trend in sales plus forecasts of the economic prospects for the nation, industry, region, and so forth. The sales forecast is critical to good financial planning. b. A pro forma financial statement shows how an actual statement would look if certain assumptions are realized. With the percent of sales forecasting method, many items on the income statement and balance sheets are assumed to increase proportionally with sales. As sales increase, these items that are tied to sales also increase, and the values of these items for a particular year are estimated as percentages of the forecasted sales for that year. c. Funds are spontaneously generated if a liability account increases spontaneously (automatically) as sales increase. An increase in a liability account is a source of funds, thus funds have been generated. Two examples of spontaneous liability accounts are accounts payable and accrued wages. Note that notes payable, although a current liability
Chapter 9 Financial Planning and Forecasting Financial Statements -------------------------------------------------
ANSWERS TO END-OF-CHAPTER QUESTIONS
9-1 a. The operating plan provides detailed implementation guidance designed to accomplish corporate objectives. It details who is responsible for what particular function, and when specific tasks are to be accomplished. The financial plan details the financial aspects of the corporation’s operating plan. In addition to an analysis of the firm’s current financial condition, the financial plan normally includes a sales forecast, the capital budget, the cash budget, pro forma financial statements, and the external financing plan. A sales forecast is merely the forecast of unit and dollar sales for some future period. Of course, a lot of work is required to produce a good sales forecast. Generally, sales forecasts are based on the recent trend in sales plus forecasts of the economic prospects for the nation, industry, region, and so forth. The sales forecast is critical to good financial planning. b. A pro forma financial statement shows how an actual statement would look if certain assumptions are realized. With the percent of sales forecasting method, many items on the income statement and balance sheets are assumed to increase proportionally with sales. As sales increase, these items that are tied to sales also increase, and the values of these items for a particular year are estimated as percentages of the forecasted sales for that year. c. Funds are spontaneously generated if a liability account increases spontaneously (automatically) as sales increase. An increase in a liability account is a source of funds, thus funds have been generated. Two examples of spontaneous liability accounts are accounts payable and accrued wages. Note that notes payable, although a current liability