What financial document helps managers make decisions about future financial performance?

The correct choice, a budget, is a vital financial document that helps managers in planning and making informed decisions about future financial performance. A budget outlines expected revenues and expenses over a specific period, allowing managers to allocate resources effectively, set financial targets, and monitor actual performance against these goals. It serves as a financial blueprint, guiding decision-making processes such as production levels, staffing, and investment opportunities, ultimately influencing the organization’s strategic direction.

While a cash flow forecast is also important for predicting cash inflows and outflows, it typically focuses on short-term liquidity rather than overall financial performance direction. A trial balance is primarily an internal accounting tool used to ensure that all financial transactions have been recorded accurately, but it does not provide a forward-looking perspective necessary for decision-making. An annual report, although informative and comprehensive in presenting a company's past performance and financial position, is more retrospective in nature and does not serve the same planning function as a budget.