The balance sheet is one of the most important pieces of financial information issued by a company. It is a snapshot of what a company owns and owes at that point in time. The income statement, in contrast, shows the company's revenues and profits over a certain period.
Variable interest entity. Variable interest entity (VIE) is a term used by the United States Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) in FIN 46 to refer to an entity (the investee) in which the investor holds a controlling interest that is not based on the majority of voting rights. It is closely related to the concept of a special purpose entity.
Interest. Interest is the fee someone pays to be able to borrow money. You either pay interest on money you borrow (like when you take out a loan to buy a car) or you make interest on the money you save (like when a bank pays you interest on money you put into a savings account). î î î.