Final answer:
Cash equivalents, as described by GAAP, are short-term, highly liquid investments that are both readily convertible to known amounts of cash and so near their maturity that they present insignificant risk of changes in interest rates.
Step-by-step explanation:
The basis recommended by the FASB for the statement of cash flows is "cash and cash equivalents." Cash equivalents, as described by GAAP, are short-term, highly liquid investments that are both readily convertible to known amounts of cash and so near their maturity that they present insignificant risk of changes in interest rates. This means that cash equivalents include investments such as Treasury bills, commercial paper, and money market funds that can be easily converted into cash.