diff --git a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Balancesheet.md b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Balancesheet.md
index adb55603c..6afebbd2c 100644
--- a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Balancesheet.md
+++ b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Balancesheet.md
@@ -1,15 +1,17 @@
 balancesheet, bs\
-This command displays a simple balance sheet, showing historical ending
-balances of asset and liability accounts (ignoring any report begin date).
-It assumes that these accounts are under a top-level `asset` or `liability`
-account (case insensitive, plural forms also  allowed).
-
-Note this report shows all account balances with normal positive sign
-(like conventional financial statements, unlike balance/print/register)
-(experimental).
+This command displays a balance sheet, showing historical ending
+balances of asset and liability accounts. (To see equity as well,
+use the [balancesheetequity](#balancesheetequity) command.)
+Amounts are shown with normal positive sign, as in conventional
+financial statements.
 
 _FLAGS
 
+The asset and liability accounts shown are those accounts declared
+with the `Asset` or `Cash` or `Liability` type, or otherwise all
+accounts under a top-level `asset` or `liability` account (case
+insensitive, plurals allowed).
+
 Example:
 
 ```shell
diff --git a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Balancesheet.txt b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Balancesheet.txt
index 422716f95..7178763f3 100644
--- a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Balancesheet.txt
+++ b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Balancesheet.txt
@@ -1,15 +1,16 @@
 balancesheet, bs
-This command displays a simple balance sheet, showing historical ending
-balances of asset and liability accounts (ignoring any report begin
-date). It assumes that these accounts are under a top-level asset or
-liability account (case insensitive, plural forms also allowed).
-
-Note this report shows all account balances with normal positive sign
-(like conventional financial statements, unlike balance/print/register)
-(experimental).
+This command displays a balance sheet, showing historical ending
+balances of asset and liability accounts. (To see equity as well, use
+the balancesheetequity command.) Amounts are shown with normal positive
+sign, as in conventional financial statements.
 
 _FLAGS
 
+The asset and liability accounts shown are those accounts declared with
+the Asset or Cash or Liability type, or otherwise all accounts under a
+top-level asset or liability account (case insensitive, plurals
+allowed).
+
 Example:
 
 $ hledger balancesheet
diff --git a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Balancesheetequity.md b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Balancesheetequity.md
index f5d48be6b..b788fb912 100644
--- a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Balancesheetequity.md
+++ b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Balancesheetequity.md
@@ -1,9 +1,16 @@
 balancesheetequity, bse\
-Just like [balancesheet](#balancesheet), but also reports Equity
-(which it assumes is under a top-level `equity` account).
+This command displays a balance sheet, showing historical ending
+balances of asset, liability and equity accounts.
+Amounts are shown with normal positive sign, as in conventional
+financial statements.
 
 _FLAGS
 
+The asset, liability and equity accounts shown are those accounts
+declared with the `Asset`, `Cash`, `Liability` or `Equity` type, or
+otherwise all accounts under a top-level `asset`, `liability` or
+`equity` account (case insensitive, plurals allowed).
+
 Example:
 ```shell
 $ hledger balancesheetequity
diff --git a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Balancesheetequity.txt b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Balancesheetequity.txt
index ea0746b2e..1b64ef07b 100644
--- a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Balancesheetequity.txt
+++ b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Balancesheetequity.txt
@@ -1,9 +1,15 @@
 balancesheetequity, bse
-Just like balancesheet, but also reports Equity (which it assumes is
-under a top-level equity account).
+This command displays a balance sheet, showing historical ending
+balances of asset, liability and equity accounts. Amounts are shown with
+normal positive sign, as in conventional financial statements.
 
 _FLAGS
 
+The asset, liability and equity accounts shown are those accounts
+declared with the Asset, Cash, Liability or Equity type, or otherwise
+all accounts under a top-level asset, liability or equity account (case
+insensitive, plurals allowed).
+
 Example:
 
 $ hledger balancesheetequity
diff --git a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Cashflow.md b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Cashflow.md
index eb84a09d3..b5b51a72a 100644
--- a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Cashflow.md
+++ b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Cashflow.md
@@ -1,14 +1,16 @@
 cashflow, cf\
-This command displays a simple cashflow statement, showing changes
-in "cash" accounts. It assumes that these accounts are under a top-level
-`asset` account (case insensitive, plural forms also allowed) and do not
-contain `receivable` or `A/R` in their name.
-Note this report shows all account balances with normal positive sign
-(like conventional financial statements, unlike balance/print/register)
-(experimental).
+This command displays a cashflow statement, showing the inflows and
+outflows affecting "cash" (ie, liquid) assets.
+Amounts are shown with normal positive sign, as in conventional
+financial statements.
 
 _FLAGS
 
+The "cash" accounts shown are those accounts declared with the `Cash`
+type, or otherwise all accounts under a top-level `asset` account
+(case insensitive, plural allowed) which do not have `fixed`,
+`investment`, `receivable` or `A/R` in their name.
+
 Example:
 ```shell
 $ hledger cashflow
diff --git a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Cashflow.txt b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Cashflow.txt
index 2d58c5f0f..c83d1924f 100644
--- a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Cashflow.txt
+++ b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Cashflow.txt
@@ -1,13 +1,15 @@
 cashflow, cf
-This command displays a simple cashflow statement, showing changes in
-"cash" accounts. It assumes that these accounts are under a top-level
-asset account (case insensitive, plural forms also allowed) and do not
-contain receivable or A/R in their name. Note this report shows all
-account balances with normal positive sign (like conventional financial
-statements, unlike balance/print/register) (experimental).
+This command displays a cashflow statement, showing the inflows and
+outflows affecting "cash" (ie, liquid) assets. Amounts are shown with
+normal positive sign, as in conventional financial statements.
 
 _FLAGS
 
+The "cash" accounts shown are those accounts declared with the Cash
+type, or otherwise all accounts under a top-level asset account (case
+insensitive, plural allowed) which do not have fixed, investment,
+receivable or A/R in their name.
+
 Example:
 
 $ hledger cashflow
diff --git a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Incomestatement.md b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Incomestatement.md
index 865d0dd81..dde86d9c9 100644
--- a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Incomestatement.md
+++ b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Incomestatement.md
@@ -1,19 +1,19 @@
 incomestatement, is\
-This command displays a simple income statement, showing revenues
-and expenses during a period. It assumes that these accounts are under a
-top-level `revenue` or `income` or `expense` account (case insensitive,
-plural forms also allowed).
-Note this report shows all account balances with normal positive sign
-(like conventional financial statements, unlike balance/print/register)
-(experimental).
+
+This command displays an
+[income statement](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Income_statement), 
+showing revenues and expenses during one or more periods. 
+Amounts are shown with normal positive sign, as in conventional
+financial statements.
 
 _FLAGS
 
-This command displays a simple
-[income statement](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Income_statement).  It
-currently assumes that you have top-level accounts named `income` (or
-`revenue`) and `expense` (plural forms also allowed.)
+The revenue and expense accounts shown are those accounts declared
+with the `Revenue` or `Expense` type, or otherwise all accounts under
+a top-level `revenue` or `income` or `expense` account (case
+insensitive, plurals allowed).
 
+Example:
 ```shell
 $ hledger incomestatement
 Income Statement
diff --git a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Incomestatement.txt b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Incomestatement.txt
index 5758bf04f..e8b10cac7 100644
--- a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Incomestatement.txt
+++ b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Incomestatement.txt
@@ -1,16 +1,17 @@
 incomestatement, is
-This command displays a simple income statement, showing revenues and
-expenses during a period. It assumes that these accounts are under a
-top-level revenue or income or expense account (case insensitive, plural
-forms also allowed). Note this report shows all account balances with
-normal positive sign (like conventional financial statements, unlike
-balance/print/register) (experimental).
+
+This command displays an income statement, showing revenues and expenses
+during one or more periods. Amounts are shown with normal positive sign,
+as in conventional financial statements.
 
 _FLAGS
 
-This command displays a simple income statement. It currently assumes
-that you have top-level accounts named income (or revenue) and expense
-(plural forms also allowed.)
+The revenue and expense accounts shown are those accounts declared with
+the Revenue or Expense type, or otherwise all accounts under a top-level
+revenue or income or expense account (case insensitive, plurals
+allowed).
+
+Example:
 
 $ hledger incomestatement
 Income Statement