Piecemeal Opinion

We just hate it when we’re right in the middle of telling a long, complicated story and some random goober walks up, listens for five seconds, and thinks they totally understand the whole situation. How can they grasp the big picture when they’re only looking at one itty-bitty piece of the puzzle?

This is the complaint lodged against “piecemeal opinions,” which are reports issued by accountants on the basis of very specific, finite data on an organization’s financial statements.

So who’s doing the complaining? Other accountants, that’s who. Piecemeal opinions get a big thumbs-down from those folks over at Team GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles). Since one piecemeal opinion could contradict and even offset a much more comprehensive and accurate opinion based on a larger financial picture, it was decided they shouldn’t be allowed anymore.