In: Finance
what is meant by term "off-balance sheet financing"?
How can this practice potentially produce misleading financial statements and increased risk?
The financing by debt and liability not present in the balance
sheet is called off balance sheet financing,Operating leases and
partnerships are different forms of off balance sheet
financing.
This practice is dangerous and has potential risks because a highly
leveraged firm can increase its liability even more without showing
it in the balance sheet thus masking the potential danger of the
company form its investors.