Financial Accounting versus Managerial Accounting

What is the difference between financial accounting and managerial accounting and who benefits from the information derived for the reports and advice offered by these accountants? Financial accounting is typically used for external oriented groups and results in the development of a balance sheet and financial statements. Managerial accounting, on the other hand, uses the information in the balance sheet and on the profit and loss statement in a comparative manner to allow the manager to make decisions to better plan, organize, and control the operations of the business. These internal reports consists of financial and non-financial information that includes both historical and estimated data used by management in conducting daily operations, planning future operations, and developing overall business strategies.
Financial accounting as defined by Bromwich (1988) is the reporting of past financial results and is intended for an external audience. Financial accounting is involved with record keeping through the use of ledgers, invoices, preparing balance sheets, and financial statements and are the tools used by external stakeholders such as current and prospective stockholders, lenders, investment analysts, unions, consumer groups, and government agencies.
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