The Definitive Guide to Business Finance: What smart managers do with the numbers, Second Edition

Ten hard questions to ask or be asked

1	Are the book values of fixed assets representative of realizable market values?
2	What intangibles (such as brands, location and other intellectual property) exist which are not recorded as fixed assets?
3	Should this item really be regarded and booked as a fixed asset? Or is it an expense?
4	Have we taken the correct amount of the acquisition and maintenance costs and residual values?
5	Are expected lives realistic?
6	Is the depreciation policy for each category of fixed assets appropriate?
7	Should we rent or buy?
8	What are the true costs of ownership?
9	Are insured values correct?
10	When comparing two asset-rich companies, is depreciation calculated on the same basis? (If not, adjust before comparison.)