Account a record that provides information about a given asset, liability, equity, revenue, or expense Accountant   a practitioner with acquired skills in the field of accountancy Accounting academic discipline involving the reporting, interpretation, and organization of a financial structure for a business Accounting Cycle a series of steps followed when processing and reporting accounting information Assets physical or non-physical resources owned by an organization that has economic value    Auditor an individual who conducts an objective appraisal of accounting processes and data within an organization Bookkeeper an individual who documents an organization's monetary transactions Controller an individual within an organization accountable for all aspects of financial reporting and accounting Credit entry made on the right side of an account Debit entry made on the left side of an account Equity the remaining value once liabilities are subtracted from assets Expenses costs associated with operating or maintaining a business Financial Accounting a branch of accounting focused on external reporting of financial status to provide information to decision-makers and interested parties General Journal initial documentation of a financial transaction as it originates General Ledger aggregates all accounting records within an organization in preparation for financial statements Investor an individual who has dedicated capital to a company with an expectation of a return on their investments Liabilities Debts and other financial responsibilities of an organization Managerial Accounting  a branch of accounting focused on internal reporting to assist internal management with decisions, structure, and goods Natural Balance expected type of balance for a specific account classification Permanent Accounts accounts whose balances carry over from one accounting period to the next accounting period Revenue earnings from interest or from the sale of goods or services Shareholder an individual or organization that legally owns one or more shares in a company Temporary Accounts accounts whose balances are closed at the end of an accounting period and reopened at the beginning of the next period