4.Some less scrupulous firms, however, can time accruals changes to give earnings a bump, by bringing forward revenue to the present or deferring costs to the future.
5.Now, in the past, the union drivers at Yellow had accepted delays in paying workers' benefits and pension accruals all to help keep the company going.
6.Accruals also include costs that will eventually be a drain on cash, but aren't yet: wear and tear (depreciation) of assets, pension payments, bad debts and so on.