What is a Cash flow statement?

Cash flow statement (Definition)

A cash flow statement is a document that helps to track the general cash flow in the business which assists in determining the long-term solvency, or the ability to pay bills. The cash flow statement shows the activity of money coming in and going out of the business during a specific time frame and helps with determining details on the businesses spending habits, helps with maintaining an optimum cash balance by determining if there is too much cash lying idle or if there may be a shortage or excess of funds, helps to highlight ways for generating cash and is often useful for short-term planning by being able to analyse past incoming and outgoing transactions.