Bill Pierce Owns Several Ice Cream Shops All Within 50

Essay

Bill Pierce owns several ice cream shops all within 50 miles of his home.He has plans to expand greatly the number of shops he owns.This planned expansion will require a large bank loan.Bill has always done his own accounting work and has prepared a set of financial statements for each of the past five years of operations to present to the bank.Because some periods were more profitable than others,Bill attempted to streamline his earnings by switching depreciation and inventory valuation methods frequently.This created the appearance that his company earnings were very consistent over the years.Discuss the merits of Bill's financial statements with regard to his streamlining decisions.