Learn key skills and concepts for financial accounting in this beginner-friendly course, from the basics of accounting statements to complex topics like investments and securities.
Designed for beginners, this class covers essential financial accounting principles that are important to know for careers in accounting, bookkeeping, and other finance-related fields.
The course begins with an introduction to financial accounting. You'll learn about the users and sources of financial reports, the types of financial reports available, and the importance of adhering to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). The class will review how to distinguish between cash and accrual accounting, gaining insights into income statements, essential line items, and profit ratios. From there, you'll dive into accrual accounting specifics, including depreciation and amortization, and analytical tools such as Trailing Twelve Months (TTM) and Year-over-year (Y/Y) comparisons.
After covering these fundamental concepts, the course will move to more advanced topics. These include components of balance sheets, cash flow statements, advanced details of income statements, how to handle unusual items, and more. By the time you finish the course, you'll have a solid grounding in the important financial accounting information you'll need to know for professional use.
Course Outline
Intro to Financial Accounting & Financial Statements
- Financial accounting fundamentals, including cash versus accrual accounting and GAAP
- Income statement line items and financial metrics
- Balance sheet: Assets = Liabilities + Shareholder's Equity
- Cash Flow Statement: Cash flows from operations, investing, and financing
- How the financial statements tie together
Intermediate Financial Accounting
- Prepare for complex accounting tasks
- Learn advanced income statement processes
- Handle unusual items and EPs
- Work with deferred taxes and tax journal entries
- Manage intercompany investments
- Understand how debt accounting works
