What does 'accounts receivable' represent?

'Accounts receivable' refers specifically to the amounts of money that customers owe to a business for products or services that have already been delivered but not yet paid for. This concept is key in understanding how a business manages its cash flow and is crucial for assessing its financial health.

When a business makes a sale on credit, it records that transaction as an account receivable, reflecting the expectation that the customer will pay in the future. This asset is considered important because it can affect a company's liquidity; the quicker a business can collect on its accounts receivable, the more cash it has available for operations and investments.

In contrast, the other choices define different financial concepts: monetary obligations relate to liabilities, cash on hand pertains to liquidity, and investments involve resources allocated in other companies. Each of these choices represents different aspects of a business's financial reporting, but they do not convey the specific meaning of accounts receivable as effectively as the chosen answer.