Suspense Account
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Definition of 'Suspense Account'In accounting, the section of a company's books where unclassified debits and credits are recorded. The suspense account temporarily holds unclassified transactions while a decision is being made as to their classification. Transactions in the suspense account will still appear in the general ledger, giving the company an accurate indication of how much money it has.In investing, a suspense account is a brokerage account where an investor places cash or short-term securities temporarily while deciding where to invest them for a longer term. |
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Investopedia explains 'Suspense Account'Suppose a doctor's office has two patients named Bob Smith, each with an outstanding balance of $100. One day at lunch, one of the Bobs stops by the office to pay his bill and leaves $100 cash and his name with the receptionist. Unfortunately, the receptionist does not ask for his address or account number and when the office bookkeeper returns from lunch, she doesn't know which Bob Smith has paid his bill. The bookkeeper would classify the transaction in the suspense account until she could determine which patient to attribute the $100 to. |
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