A financial close is a situation in which all necessary events and conditions related to a financial agreement or process have been fulfilled in some manner, making it possible to take into consideration any draw-downs that may need to take place. The term is often identified with satisfying accounts connected with investments such as currency trading accounts, but may also have to do with the end of period reconciliation that takes place with company payables and receivables. The purpose of a financial close is to make sure all financial documents are in order before proceeding to the next accounting period.
The actual financial close process calls for making sure all documentation related to the enterprise has been executed and posted accordingly. The idea is to make sure all transactions relevant to the period have been addressed, qualified, accounted for, and posted correctly. This includes any activity to waive certain conditions until the next period, provided the activity is properly documented. The end result is the ability to identify both the gross and net balances connected with the financial records, since the process will call for allowing any transactions that have been begun but not yet completed.