Loretta Smith, president and owner of Custom Enterprises, applied for a $250,000 loan from City National Bank. The bank requested financial statements from Custom Enterprises as a basis for granting the loan. Loretta has told her accountant to provide the bank with a balance sheet. Loretta has decided to omit the other financial statements because there was a net loss during the past year.

Discuss the following questions:

1. Is Loretta behaving in a professional manner by omitting some of the financial statements?

2. a. What types of information about their businesses would owners be willing to provide bankers? What types of information would owners not be willing to provide?

b. What types of information about a business would bankers want before extending a loan?

c. What common interests are shared by bankers and business owners?