Identifying future income possibilities and planning with your own personal goals in mind is crucial for long-term financial success. Understanding your true cash flow and yearly revenue is an often overlooked aspect of personal finance that leaves people guessing and unable to make strong financial decisions that support growth over time.
If you are planning on developing a strong savings strategy and creating wealth to use for retirement, understanding your cash flow is a vital step in this process. Without a viable cash flow plan, it’s easy to lose track of capital flows over time, which can lead to investment mistakes and lost cash.
What Is Cash Flow Analysis And Management?
Having a solid understanding of all of the channels your money is traveling down enables smarter decision-making and a more organized, efficient financial climate.
This approach requires you to plan ahead, estimate what money needs to be raised, capital asset replacement, sales or purchases, and other factors that could either provide or take cash from your portfolio.
The process of cash flow analysis and management include:
- Identify what you should be saving on a regular basis
- Determine channels where cash is coming in versus leaving
- Clarify the long-term effects of deposits and withdrawals from your portfolio
- Provide a clearer view of future income and lifestyle needs and circumstances
Understanding your true cash flow and budget is not an easy task. That is why our team of experts have designed an easy-to-follow and customizable cash flow and analysis management plan that can help anyone maximize the value of their portfolio and optimize their cash flow for long-term financial success.
What The Cash Flow Analysis Is Not
The cash flow analysis is not the same as an income statement, especially an accrual income statement, and in fact, they can be quite different. The cash flow analysis does not include non-cash items such as depreciation, inventory changes, and changes in accounts receivable/payable. However, the cash flow analysis does include principal payments, cash payments for capital assets, and new loan proceeds that the income statement does not include. Overall, it is more comprehensive and in-depth than simple income statements.
Why Cash Flow Management Is Important
Managing your cash flow is a useful tool because it:
- Forces you to critically think through your financial plans
- Tests your financial plans, such as if you will produce enough income to meet all your cash needs.
- Projects how much operating credit you will need and when loans can be repaid
- Provides a guide against which you can compare your actual cash flow
The primary purpose of using a cash flow analysis is to give you some indication of your business’s ability to create the resources necessary for expansion, or its ability to support you. The cash flow can also predict your business’s cash flow gaps—periods when cash outflows exceed cash inflows when combined with your cash reserves.
Work With Inflection Advisors
Learn how to create a sales forecast for your business with our proven cash flow analysis and management services. Reach out to an advisor today. You can reach us by phone at (424) 372-8399.
