Depositing money with a bank

There are two general reasons for using a bank account. The first and most common is the convenience and safety pro­vided by a current account at a bank. The second is that small and perhaps regular surpluses are available to be saved, and for this purpose a bank provides deposit accounts.

A deposit account will not offer a high rate of interest and would not be the best way to save large sums of money for any long period of time, but it is designed to make saving simple, convenient and safe. It is especially appropriate for those who may save small amounts from time to time without any planned regularity or for those who wish to save for a particular purpose in the immediate future, for example for; annual holidays or for the purchase of a major item such as a car. Most customers of a bank who have opened a deposit ac­count will also have a current account and this makes the transfer of amounts of money from one to the other an easy matter. Regular payments in deposit account can be made through a standing order lo the bank that will automatically transfer the agreed amount according to your instructions. Other payments are made on standard forms but it is most convenient and provides a useful record if the depositor uses a paying in book. Interest is calculated every six months and added to the account. The rate of interest varies from time to time and is publicly advertised in any bank. Because the bank uses money deposited with them to lend to others it normally requires about seven days notice of intention to withdraw money from a deposit account, but unless there is a heavy demand for money. They are not likely to insist on this and cash is often immediately available to those who wish to withdraw it. There is an assumption that such notice was given and you would lose seven, day's interest on the money. The increasing need for security and the use of computers in wage payments have combined to make it more common to have a bank account than to be without one. This kind of account is a current one and its most common use is a single regular payment in either a weekly wage or a monthly salary and regular payments out to meet the normal everyday ex­penses. Most payments are still made by cheque although the use, of the standing order or the direct debit is becoming very common. It is normally expected that a current account will remain in balance and customers who regularly maintain an agreed minimum balance are often given the services of the bank without charge. In general, however, charges are made which vary with the size of the balance. The amount of use of the bank's services and the number of transactions. If the account is overdrawn a further charge, which is interest on the overdrawn amount, is also made. Overdrafts are not permitted automatically and anything other than a small temporary overdraft would have to be by agreement with the bank manager. Such a facility is often useful particularly when there is a short term disbalance be­tween income and expenditure. On the other hand, since money in a current account does not attract interest, it is not a good idea to maintain large cash balances, these would be better transferred to a deposit account or to an alternative form of saving.

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Auditing

A. Internal auditing

After bookkeepers complete their accounts, and accountants prepare their financial statements, these are checked by internal auditors. An internal audit is an examination of a company’s accounts by its own internal auditors or controllers. They evaluate the accuracy or correctness of the accounts, and check for errors. They make sure that the accounts comply with, or follow, established policies, procedures, standards, laws and regulations. (See Units 7 and 8) The internal auditors also check the company’s systems of control, related to recording transactions, valuing assets and so on. They check to see that these are adequate or sufficient and, if necessary, recommend changes to existing policies and procedures.

B External auditing

Public companies have to submit their financial statements to external auditors - independent auditors who do not work for the company. The auditors have to give an opinion about whether the financial statements represent a true and fair view of the company’s financial situation and results.

During the audit, the external auditors examine the company’s systems of internal control, to see whether transactions have been recorded correctly. They check whether the assets mentioned on the balance sheet actually exist, and whether their valuation is correct. For example, they usually check that some of the debtors recorded on the balance sheet are genuine. They also check the annual stock take - the count of all the goods held ready for sale. They always look for any unusual items in the company’s account books or statements.

Until recently, the big auditing firms also offered consulting services to the companies whose accounts they audited, giving them advice about business planning, strategy and restructuring. But after a number of big financial scandals, most accounting firms separated their auditing and consulting divisions, because an auditor who is also getting paid to advise a client is no longer totally independent.

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BALANCE SHEET 1

Company law in Britain and the Securities and Exchange Commission in the US, require companies to publish annual balance sheets: statements for shareholders and creditors. The balance sheet is a document which has two halves. The totals of both halves are always the same, so they balance. One half shows a business’s assets, which are things owned by the company, such as factories and machines that will bring future economic benefits. The other half shows the company’s liabilities, and its capital or shareholders’ equity (see below). Liabilities are obligations to pay other organizations or people: money that the company owes, or will owe at a future date. These often include loans, taxes that will soon have to be paid, future pension payments to employees, and bills from suppliers: companies which provide raw materials or parts. If the suppliers have given the buyer a period of time before they have to pay for the goods, this is known as granting credit. Since assets are shown as debits (as the cash or capital account was debited to purchase them), and the total must correspond with the total sum of the credits - that is the liabilities and capital - assets equal liabilities plus capital (or A = L + C).

American and continental European companies usually put assets on the left and capital and liabilities on the right. In Britain, this was traditionally the other way round, but now most British companies use a vertical format, with assets at the top, and liabilities and capital below.

BrE: balance sheet; AmE: balance sheet or statement of financial position

BrE: shareholders' equity; AmE: stockholders' equity

B. Shareholders' equity

Shareholders’ equity consists of all the money belonging to shareholders. Part of this is share capital - the money the company raised by selling its shares. But shareholders’ equity also includes retained earnings: profits from previous years that have not been distributed - paid out to shareholders - as dividends. Shareholders’ equity is the same as the company’s net assets, or assets minus liabilities.

A balance sheet does not show how much money a company has spent or received during a year. This information is given in other financial statements: the profit and loss account and the cash flow statement.

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