Please read each passage below, I need a few sentences in response to each part. Please use at least one source. Please cite the reference(s) properly. Part 1 and 2 can be on the same page, however, please keep them separate by labeling them Part 1 and Part 2. No Title Page DUE TOMORROW 2/7/22 by 6PM CST
PART 1
Memorandum
To: Marketing Dept.
From:
Date: 2/3/2022
Subject: How to read an Annual Report
Greetings. This memo in regards to interpreting an Annual Report to our customers who purchase shares of our company’s stock. As many of us know, the company is required to provide our investors an annual report (Epstein, 2014). Here are the contents and an explanation for each section:
· Highlights – The best performing subsidiaries, divisions, and internal departments.
· Letter from the CEO – Accomplishments from the company’s progress and future plans.
· Auditors’ Report – External Auditors’ findings and quality assurance.
· Management’s Discussion and Analysis (MD&A) – Detailed future plans and projections.
· Management’s Discussion of Financial Responsibility – A statement from the CEO certifying the audit in accordance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
· Financial Statements – Contains the balance sheet, income statement, and statement of cash flows.
· Notes to the Financial Statements – Includes accounting methods, related financial commitments, and mergers/acquisitions.
· Other Information – Background and credentials from the company’s executives, managers, officers, board members, etc (Thomson, 2013).
If there any questions, comments, or concerns please contact me via phone or email.
I believe that the Marketing staff should have a general knowledge of the company’s financial matters. A portion of Marketing involves sales because the whole point to marketing a brand or product is to increase sales on behalf of the company. Advertising is another powerful tool to persuade to consumer to buy from the company. A general knowledge in this area will allow the Marketing staff to guide the investors with the proper candor. This also helps with tailor fitting the employees with the right amount financial literacy. Furthermore, both the Marketing Dept. and Financial Dept. can interface with each other using this skill in terms of: future projections, baselines, and milestones.
Reference
Epstein, L. (2014). Financial decision making: An introduction to financial reports. Zovio. Retrieved from:
https://content.uagc.edu/ (Links to an external site.)
Thomson, J. (2013). Mind the GAAP: Why private companies should embrace one reporting standard. Forbes. Retrieved from:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffthomson/2013/04/30/mind-the-gaap-why-private-companies-should-embrace-one-reporting-standard/
PART 2
Interoffice Memorandum
To: Marketing Department
From:
Subject: Content of Annual Financial Report
Date: 2/1/2022
This is to address inquiries with concerns and questions about the company’s annual report which is published publicly as per the Securities Act of 1933 and contains documentation according to the Securities Exchange Commission. (Epstein, 2014, p. 1.2)
· Letter from the CEO, Mark Smith, which delineates our past success and our high-level strategy for continued success. (Epstein, 2014, p. 1.2)
· An auditor’s report which was done per the guidelines set by the American Institute of Certified accountants. This report includes the methodology used to conduct the audit, the time period covered by the report, who is accountable for the financial statements that were audited, and opinion of how the data is collected and maintained, and finally the statement that indicates that our financial statements conform with the GAAP, generally accepted accounting principles. (Epstein, 2014, p. 1.2)
· Management’s Discussion and Analysis (MD&A) is the section that discusses the company’s operations, capital resources, their position to be able to pay expenses, revenue recognition or how our revenues were earned, loss of assets, and pension plans.(Epstein, 2014, p. 1.2)
· The statements from the CEO and CFO that certifies, “based on such officer’s knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in the report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition and results of operations of the issuer as of, and for, the periods presented in the report.” This is also known as the letter of “Management’s Responsibility for Financial Statements.”(Epstein, 2014, p. 1.2)
· Last is the financial statements which include a balance sheet showing assets and liabilities, an income statement that provides information about our revenues and expenses, and a statement of cash flow that shows how much cash flowed into and out of the company. (Epstein, 2014, p. 1.1)
I think that marketing teams should not need to be experts on this matter, but should be able to understand it for two reasons. The first reason is in case they are asked questions about it, however I think that should be the case for employees in all departments. Second, I think it important that all employees have some level of understanding of what these mean in order to understand the financial security and position of the company that employs them.
References
Epstein, L. (2014). Financial Decision Making: An Introduction to Financial Reports. Bridgepoint Education, Inc.
