Cash Management: Planning and Flows

Choose a study mode

Play Quiz
Study Flashcards
Spaced Repetition
Chat to Lesson

Podcast

Play an AI-generated podcast conversation about this lesson
Download our mobile app to listen on the go
Get App

Questions and Answers

Which of the following reflects the primary objective of cash management?

  • Maximizing cash balances to ensure financial security.
  • Increasing sales volume to generate more cash inflow.
  • Investing in long-term assets to increase the firm's net worth.
  • Minimizing fruitless cash balances while ensuring obligations are met. (correct)

What is the initial and most important step in cash management?

  • Investing idle cash in money market funds.
  • Managing cash flows to accelerate collections.
  • Cash planning to predict future needs and resources. (correct)
  • Controlling cash flows by tracing concealed cash.

How does managing cash flows contribute to effective cash management?

  • Increasing the rate of cash inflow and minimizing cash outflow. (correct)
  • Maintaining a constant rate of both cash inflow and outflow.
  • Increasing cash outflow while keeping inflow constant.
  • Minimizing both cash inflow and outflow.

Why is controlling cash flows an essential function of cash management, especially after initial planning?

<p>To correct variances between planned and actual cash flows due to prediction inaccuracies. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does optimizing the cash level primarily involve?

<p>Establishing an equilibrium between risk and expected profit by maintaining a sound liquidity position. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the main reason for a firm to invest idle cash?

<p>To put extra cash inflows to use when they are not needed for specific operations. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following financial instruments is commonly used in cash management?

<p>Money market funds. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does a Cash Management System (CMS) benefit corporate clients regarding their cash flows?

<p>It enables corporates to precisely plan their cash flows with funds availability on specific days. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the comprehensive aim of cash management in terms of cash flow?

<p>To balance and optimize cash flows, balances, and short-term investments. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which activity is least likely to be carried out by managers to maintain cash flow?

<p>Delaying inevitable expenses indefinitely. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

A company is experiencing a slowdown in customer payments. How can effective cash management address this issue?

<p>By accelerating collections through incentives and stricter credit terms. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What potential risk does a company face if it fails to optimize its cash level, keeping too much cash on hand?

<p>Missed investment opportunities and decreased return on assets. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

A company anticipates a significant drop in sales in the next quarter. How should its cash planning strategy adapt to this forecast?

<p>Secure a line of credit and reduce discretionary spending to prepare for decreased cash inflows. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How can improved control over payments contribute to better management of cash?

<p>By centralizing payments and taking advantage of early payment discounts. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What internal benefit does greater speed of cash flow provide for a company?

<p>Allows a firm to convert its goods and services into cash several times, reducing the requirement to finance desired business volume. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What should a financial manager primarily do to maintain a sound liquidity position?

<p>Focus all efforts relating to planning, managing and controlling cash. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the aim of good cash planning?

<p>Providing cash for regular, irregular and abnormal requirements. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does cash management denote?

<p>Concentration, collection, and disbursement of cash. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does private banking relate to cash management services?

<p>Private banking customers may be given cash management services. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Why does control become an unavoidable function of cash management?

<p>Prediction is not an exact science. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Cash Management

Minimizing cash balances, investing excess cash, and meeting cash demands.

Cash Planning

Planning for and controlling cash, predicting future needs and uses.

Managing Cash Flows

Efficiently managing cash inflow and outflow to maximize cash availability.

Controlling Cash Flows

Monitoring cash flows to ensure they align with the cash plan, addressing deviations.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Optimizing Cash Level

Striking a balance between having enough cash and maximizing profitability.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Investing Idle Cash

Putting surplus cash to work to generate returns.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Cash Management (Summarized)

Concentration, collection, and disbursement of cash efficiently.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Study Notes

  • Cash management aims to minimize unproductive cash balances.
  • It also focuses on investing excess cash profitably.
  • The goal is arranging finances to meet both expected and unexpected financial obligations.
  • Cash Management aims to lower necessary cash levels while minimizing the risk of failing to meet financial obligations.

Five Functions of Cash Management

  • Cash Planning
  • Managing Cash Flows
  • Controlling the Cash Flows
  • Optimizing the Cash Level
  • Investing Idle Cash

Cash Planning

  • Effective fund planning leads to success.
  • Planning is a mental process involving order, thought, and fact-based action.
  • Cash planning involves planning and controlling cash, predicting future needs, resources, and uses over time.
  • It includes creating necessary cash policies and procedures for consistent business operations.
  • Good cash planning provides cash for regular, irregular, and unusual needs.

Managing Cash Flows

  • It involves efficiently managing cash inflow and outflow.
  • Success comes from increasing inflow and minimizing outflow.
  • Better cash management involves accelerating collections, avoiding excess inventory, and improving payment controls.
  • Businesses can protect cash and need smaller cash balances for operations.

Controlling the Cash Flows

  • Prediction is not exact, so cash planning will vary from actual results.
  • Control increases usable cash within the enterprise.
  • Faster cash flow cycles mean more frequent conversion of goods/services into cash.
  • It means lower cash requirements to finance business volume.
  • Businesses have hidden cash that, if found, reduces cash needs.

Optimizing the Cash Level

  • Financial managers should focus on maintaining a robust liquidity, i.e. cash level
  • Efforts in planning, managing, and controlling cash should maintain the optimum level of cash.
  • Maintaining optimum cash levels is vital to meet requirements and settle obligations on time.
  • Optimizing cash level involves balancing risk and expected profit.

Investing Idle Cash

  • Idle or surplus cash refers to extra cash inflows exceeding outflows without a current specific purpose.
  • Firms usually hold cash to meet working needs, handle contingencies, and maintain positive relationships with banks.
  • In banking, cash management is a marketing term for services related to cash flow, mainly for large business clients.
  • It describes bank accounts for businesses and specific services like cash concentration and automated clearing.
  • Cash management services are sometimes offered to private banking clients.
  • Financial instruments in cash management include money market funds, treasury bills, and certificates of deposit.

Benefits of Cash Management System

  • It offers funds availability as needed on specific days (day zero, day one, etc.)
  • It enables corporate cash flow planning.
  • Faster collection of instruments saves bank interest.
  • Cash Management System comes with affordable and competitive rates.
  • Single point of contact for all queries.
  • Pooling of funds at desired locations.

Cash Management Summary

  • Cash Management focuses on cash concentration, collection, and disbursement.
  • Managers primarily maintain cash flow.
  • Cash Management includes competently handling cash inflow and outflow.
  • It mainly involves moving cash to where it's needed.
  • Cash management optimizes cash flows, balances, and short-term investments.

Studying That Suits You

Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.

Quiz Team

More Like This

Cash Flow Management
10 questions

Cash Flow Management

EnergySavingTangent5513 avatar
EnergySavingTangent5513
Use Quizgecko on...
Browser
Browser