Peter Gratton, Ph.D., is a New Orleans-based editor and professor with over 20 years of experience in investing, economics, and public policy. Peter began covering markets at Multex (Reuters) and has ...

The goal of accounting is to produce fair and accurate statements about a company's financial performance and condition. An underlying principle of accounting is to connect the expenses that are ...

Depreciation expense can be a big portion of a company’s total expense. And since expenses decrease income, it affects the overall value of a company. Understanding what it is and the methods can help ...

Assets like equipment, vehicles and furniture lose value as they age. Parts wear out and pieces break, eventually requiring repair or replacement. Depreciation helps companies account for the ...

The straight-line method depreciates an asset on the assumption that the asset will lose the same amount of value for the duration of its service life. The straight-line method requires you to ...

When companies invest in assets, they expect those assets to last a certain number of years. Over time, they’re depreciated based on their remaining serviceable life and any potential saleable value ...

When a business acquires an asset to be used in its operations, the cost of the asset is generally not expensed all at once. Rather, the cost is depreciated over a period of time that depends on the ...

Amortization and depreciation are accounting methods used to allocate the cost of assets over their useful lives. Amortization applies to intangible assets like patents and trademarks. Depreciation ...