Some Important Articles on Finances
Synonyms for financial include financial analysis, financial engineering, and financial economics. Financial generally refers to financial matters or exchanges of some kind: as the exchange of stocks for cash. To a business or individual considering investing money in some sort of financial undertaking, studying financial statements is extremely important, but in what way?
In the broadest sense, financial services refer to those activities that help in managing the financial resources of companies or individuals. That includes helping with investment and saving for retirement and other funds, arranging and carrying out collective investments, and organizing and operating the financial instruments of a company (such as mutual funds or pension plans). The field of finance continues to grow and expand enormously, with new types of financial products coming on the market every day. This has a significant effect on the world economy, because different financial products and systems have different effects on growth and productivity. Finance also includes a large number of activities that are carried out for governmental purposes. These may include creating policies for maintaining the value of public finances, developing national economic strategies, and financing the government.
In order to perform any of these tasks, there must be a methodology by which the various activities can be performed and managed. The discipline of financial analysis has four main areas of research: statistical studies of financial performance; the measurement of performance in terms of the outputs of companies and individuals; the measurement of risk and the use of insurance and bond markets; and development of financial plans and tools. All of these areas require sophisticated statistical methods and models. Some of these areas of specialized study are detailed in detail in books dealing with particular aspects of finance, including the areas of corporate finance, bond finance, the private sector, venture capital, and personal finance.
One of the main articles in this series is the study of corporate bonds, which are a key element in the financial world. Corporate bonds are loans secured against the tangible assets of a corporation. As a rule, they are given at maturity and are usually obtained by borrowing funds from other corporations or other financial institutions. The two main types of corporate bonds are common stock and preferred stock. The articles covering the latter deal with borrowing and issuing commercial paper notes.
Another major subject of financial research is corporate finance, which refers to the management of a firm’s capital structure. A manager of a company’s capital structure is a strategic decision maker. He decides how much money his firm needs in order to satisfy its short term and long term liabilities and wants to maximize its profits. Capital structure decisions are made based on the objectives of management. It aims to maximize the earnings of the firm while minimizing its debt. The articles dealing with corporate finance cover such issues as: determining the capital structure, balancing credit risk, and raising equity.
When one completes the preliminary works of financial planning, he/she should be in a position to explain what has been achieved through the various financial measures taken so far. He/she should then be in a position to show how current savings and investment plans are helping the firm meet its goals and objectives. He can also explain how the creation of a corporate savings account, either through an asset-based or non Asset-based savings account is helpful towards achieving financial planning purposes.