Bookkeeping is about collecting information, recording events, and organizing those records to make better decisions. Accountants use the financial transactions recorded in ledgers or "books" to create a company's income statement and balance sheet. In this course, accounting professors Jim and Kay Stice walk you through the four key steps in the bookkeeping process: analyzing transactions, recording the effects, summarizing the effects, and preparing financial reports. They explain the components of a journal entry—debits and credits—and the essential questions a bookkeeper/accountant asks in reviewing those transactions. They also explain how accountants translate ledger information into financial statements and the role of computer programs in helping businesses manage their accounts.