# Notes to the Financial Statements

*Accounting & Reporting — Finicade finance glossary*

The notes explain the numbers: accounting policies, assumptions, commitments, contingencies, and the detail behind every summarised line. They are typically several times longer than the statements themselves and are where the real information sits — pension assumptions, lease obligations, litigation, related-party transactions. Anything a company would rather you didn't dwell on is disclosed here rather than on the face of the statements.

**Also known as:** footnotes, financial statement notes, accounting policies

**Related terms:** [Financial Statements](https://finicade.com/glossary/financial-statements), [Disclosure](https://finicade.com/glossary/disclosure), [Materiality](https://finicade.com/glossary/materiality), [Segment Reporting](https://finicade.com/glossary/segment-reporting), [Off-Balance-Sheet](https://finicade.com/glossary/off-balance-sheet)

Source: https://finicade.com/glossary/notes-to-the-financial-statements