What is a summary of all financial data in account ledgers that ensures the figures are correct and balanced called?

The term that describes a summary of all financial data in account ledgers, ensuring that the figures are correct and balanced, is the trial balance. The trial balance is a crucial accounting tool that lists the balances of all general ledger accounts at a particular point in time. Its primary purpose is to verify that the total debits equal the total credits, which is an essential step in ensuring the accuracy of the financial records before preparing formal financial statements.

A trial balance will include all types of accounts, such as assets, liabilities, equity, revenues, and expenses. This makes it an important preliminary step in the accounting cycle, providing a snapshot of the company's accounts and confirming that the ledger is correctly balanced. If the trial balance does not balance, it indicates that there might be errors in the ledger entries that need to be investigated and corrected.

In contrast, a financial statement refers to broader reports like income statements or cash flow statements that summarize a company’s overall financial performance, while a profit and loss statement specifically shows revenues and expenses over a period, and a balance sheet provides a snapshot of a company’s assets, liabilities, and equity at a specific point in time. Each serves its purpose but does not focus solely on confirming the balance between debits and credits in