Cash flow is the amount of cash received less the amount spent by a business or a household for a given accounting period. For a business, this is recorded in a cash flow statement that shows all sources and uses of cash from one period to the next and serves as a measure of the short-term financial health of the business. A major responsibility of the finance director of any business is to forecast its cash flow, on both current and capital account, and to ensure that the timing of receipts and payments is such that money is always available to meet any payments that have to be made. See also discounted cash flow.