A type of asset-financing arrangement in which a company uses its receivables - which is money owed by customers - as collateral in a financing agreement. The company receives an amount that is equal to a reduced value of the receivables pledged. The age of the receivables have a large effect on the amount a company will receive. The older the receivables, the less the company can expect. Also referred to as "factoring".
This type of financing helps companies free up capital that is stuck in accounts receivables. Accounts receivable financing transfers the default risk associated with the accounts receivables to the financing company; this transfer of risk can help the company using the financing to shift focus from trying to collect receivables to current business activities.
How Some Companies Abuse Cash Flow - Pressure to be the best can sometimes push corporations to cheat. Learn how they do it and how to spot it.
When Companies Borrow Money - Here we explain how to evaluate whether a company's debt will pose a threat to investors.
Measuring Company Efficiency - We look at a retailer's inventory turnaround times, its receivables as well as its collection period.