Certified Financial Statement

Did you know that accountants are magic?

Well, they are. Because accountants with GAAP training can take a regular old income statement, look at it with their cold, dead eyes for 60 seconds, and then, once they've finished surveying the numbers on the page (the same ones you slaved over for 60 hours), they can sign that little document with fancy cursive letters…and then...voila! It's not a boring old financial statement anymore. It’s a Certified Financial Statement.

Magic.

Certified Financial Statements are any financial documents, including balance sheets and other ledgers, that have been approved by auditors. The certification and approval of these documents is a vital process that ensures proper accounting, and aims to reduce fraud and error in financial reporting.

Now...get your checkbook out. That guy charges $300 an hour.

Find other enlightening terms in Shmoop Finance Genius Bar(f)