Which finance option does not require interest payments, reducing cash flow pressure?

• A. Long-term loans
• B. Bank overdraft
• C. Retained profit
• D. Share capital

Answer: (D)

When a business uses financing, any interest payments are cash outflows that can tighten cash flow. Share capital involves raising funds by selling ownership to investors, and it carries no obligation to make interest payments or fixed debt repayments. Dividends, if paid, are not guaranteed, and there’s no mandatory cash outflow like debt service, so cash flow pressure is reduced. Long-term loans and bank overdrafts, by contrast, require interest (and often principal repayments), which increases cash outflow. Retained profits also avoid interest, but they don’t bring in new external funds; the question focuses on eliminating the obligation to pay interest, and equity funding achieves that most directly.