The balance sheet is one of the first financial statements I turn to when reviewing a company. You can learn a lot about a company by looking at its balance sheet. The balance sheet is also called the statement of financial position. Why is this? What is the purpose of the balance sheet?

Disclosures are required to elaborate on certain items that are presented in summarized form in the financial statements. There are specific disclosure notes that are required to be present in all financial statements, while others may be unique to the disclosure needs of a particular company.

Let’s start by discussing the three required disclosures. Please pick one and explain what information is to be included in the note:

• Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
• Subsequent Events
• Third Party Transactions