Reports Are Vital Information To Make Important Decisions

Reports are technical documents that provide an account of what happened to the proper authorities. They summarize events and can also present conclusions and recommendations.

There are many types and each is distinct. It all depends on who makes it, who uses it, and for what purpose.

A typical accident report for example would describe the three most important factors causing the accident.

The first factor is called the "claim" and is the conclusion that the writer wants the readers to accept. This based on the physical and visual evidence etc.

The second factor is the "evidence" or the information given to the readers to consider as they read the discussion.

It includes all the visual evidence, the established facts about the sequence of events leading to the accident, the local environment,and about the type of vehicles involved.

Also included would be the location of accident, eye witness and victims interviews, measurements made with tape of skid marks, photos taken, and sketches made.

The third factor is called the "reasoning" or the way the policeman derived his assertion from the facts.

The policeman would have followed the normal general approach to an investigation as laid out by all the government laws involved.

After considering the facts, being careful to differentiate the cause of the accident from that of the injuries, he would write the findings in the Accident Report Form.

A financial report such shown on this page is designed to make an accounting of how various mutual funds did during the course of one year.

This technical document has a front cover that indicates this publication was sent out only to qualified subscribers.

The inside of the cover of the financial report is divided into several sections:

• Executive Chairman's message.
This where the clients are given the "great" news about how well things are going blah, blah, blah.
• Management Discussion of Fund Performance.
Here the fund managers tell of their strategies, the risks, the results, and the good news that things are ontrack and the funds are strong.
• The Individual Funds.
Here there is an executive summary of the invidual funds followed by various tables indicating the fund performances.
• Statement of Net Assets.
This the auditing company's summation of the fund company's assets.
• Statement of Operations.
This the summation of losses.
• Statement of Changes in Net Assets.
This is where a comparison is shown between the previous year and this present. We can see the gains or losses quickly.
• Management Responsibilities for Financial Reporting.
Here is a declaration that the fund company is responsible for the whole list of individual mutual funds. We are told that everything has been done according to the rules.
• Notes to Financial Statements.
information about mutual funds' history, acccounting policies, foreign currency translation, forward contracts etc.
• RRSPs the Basics.
Marketing material about why you should invest in the mutual funds.
• Back cover.
On the inside is a survey that the subscriber is asked to fill out. It asks whether he wants more of these reports or not.

The other side of the back cover shows a postage prepaid and addressed sheet that must be folded in half before sending in the mail.

Return from reports page to index page.