If an agreement between the two political parties on spending cuts cannot be reached in that timeframe, the Debt Ceiling debate would then return to the front burner as more debt would thus be needed (potentially involving another increase to the Debt Ceiling) to fund the existing Federal balance sheet imbalance.

FORBES: Fiscal Cliff Deal: 4 Tax Provisions Handled, 1 Hiked, Still Work To Be Done

The interests of its pension-fund members and its own balance sheet may not always coincide with the best interests of the state.

ECONOMIST: Central banking

When it does come into force, firms will have to include the full pension-fund position on their balance-sheet, which will generally reduce their net worth.

ECONOMIST: The companies with the biggest holes in their pension funds

Tudor, Pickering figures that Plains is worth owning, as it has the balance sheet to fund its share of development on this and other recent finds (such as Davy Jones).

FORBES: Lucius is Luscious

The announcement that it will likely need to raise more capital to fund the LTE will make the balance sheet even less attractive.

FORBES: Sprint Stock Good For A Double From Here To $4.75

The Treasury Department is so concerned it got the three biggest U.S. banks to organize a fund to bail out these off-balance sheet holdings.

FORBES: Merrill Under Fire

Many believe capital deployment should follow a "pecking-order theory" that prescribes that managements should apply their cash flow, in order of priority, to fix their balance sheet if overleveraged, fund organic investments, pay dividends, fund acquisitive growth and, only when there is additional cash left over, to distribute it via share repurchases.

WSJ: The Pros and Cons of Stock Buybacks

If a company truly has excess cash on its balance sheet that is not needed to fund future profitable projects, then distributing it to shareholders is the right thing to do.

FORBES: Dividends' Unintended Consequences

In New York, the stock market is down, investors are withdrawing assets from his fund, and he has borrowed four hundred million dollars to cover a hole in his balance sheet.

NEWYORKER: Risky Business