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+{\fonttbl\f0\fmodern\fcharset0 Courier;}
+{\colortbl;\red255\green255\blue255;}
+\pard\tx560\tx1120\tx1680\tx2240\tx2800\tx3360\tx3920\tx4480\tx5040\tx5600\tx6160\tx6720\sl264\slmult1\ql\qnatural\pardirnatural
+
+\f0\fs28 \cf0 The most confusing transaction in any ledger will be your equity account---\
+because starting balances can't come out of nowhere.\
+\
+When you first start your ledger, you will likely already have money\
+in some of your accounts.  Let's say there's $100 in your checking\
+account; then add a transaction to your ledger to reflect this amount.\
+Where will money come from?  The answer: your equity.\
+\
+@smallexample\
+10/2  Opening Balance\
+    Assets:Checking                         $100.00\
+    Equity:Opening Balances\
+@end smallexample\
+\
+But what is equity?  You may have heard of equity when people talked\
+about house mortgages, as ``the part of the house that you own''.\
+Basically, equity is like the value of something.  If you own a car\
+worth $5000, then you have $5000 in equity in that car.  In order to\
+turn that car (a commodity) into a cash flow, or a credit to your bank\
+account, you will have to debit the equity by selling it.\
+\
+When you start a ledger, you are probably already worth something.\
+Your net worth is your current equity.  By transferring the money in\
+the ledger from your equity to your bank accounts, you are crediting\
+the ledger account based on your prior equity.  That is why, when you\
+look at the balance report, you will see a large negative number for\
+Equity that never changes: Because that is what you were worth (what\
+you debited from yourself in order to start the ledger) before the\
+money started moving around.  If the total positive value of your\
+assets is greater than the absolute value of your starting equity, it\
+means you are making money.\
+\
+Clear as mud?  Keep thinking about it.  Until you figure it out, put\
+@samp\{-Equity\} at the end of your balance command, to remove the\
+confusing figure from the total.}
+\ No newline at end of file