diff --git a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Balance.hs b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Balance.hs
index 9bc11b2df..b325d75ba 100644
--- a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Balance.hs
+++ b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Balance.hs
@@ -248,6 +248,7 @@ import Data.Maybe
 import System.Console.CmdArgs.Explicit as C
 -- import System.Console.CmdArgs.Text
 import Test.HUnit
+import Text.Printf (printf)
 import Text.Tabular as T
 import Text.Tabular.AsciiArt
 
@@ -366,10 +367,15 @@ formatField opts accountName depth total ljust min max field = case field of
         TotalField       -> formatValue ljust min max $ showAmountWithoutPrice total
         _                  -> ""
 
+-- | Figure out the overall date span of a multicolumn balance report.
+multiBalanceReportSpan :: MultiBalanceReport -> DateSpan
+multiBalanceReportSpan (MultiBalanceReport ([], _, _))       = DateSpan Nothing Nothing
+multiBalanceReportSpan (MultiBalanceReport (colspans, _, _)) = DateSpan (spanStart $ head colspans) (spanEnd $ last colspans)
+
 -- | Render a multi-column period balance report as plain text suitable for console output.
 periodBalanceReportAsText :: ReportOpts -> MultiBalanceReport -> [String]
-periodBalanceReportAsText opts (MultiBalanceReport (colspans, items, coltotals)) =
-  (["Balance changes:"] ++) $
+periodBalanceReportAsText opts r@(MultiBalanceReport (colspans, items, coltotals)) =
+  ([printf "Balance changes in %s:" (showDateSpan $ multiBalanceReportSpan r)] ++) $
   trimborder $ lines $
    render
     id
@@ -395,8 +401,8 @@ periodBalanceReportAsText opts (MultiBalanceReport (colspans, items, coltotals))
 
 -- | Render a multi-column cumulative balance report as plain text suitable for console output.
 cumulativeBalanceReportAsText :: ReportOpts -> MultiBalanceReport -> [String]
-cumulativeBalanceReportAsText opts (MultiBalanceReport (colspans, items, coltotals)) =
-  (["Ending balances (cumulative):"] ++) $
+cumulativeBalanceReportAsText opts r@(MultiBalanceReport (colspans, items, coltotals)) =
+  ([printf "Ending balances (cumulative) in %s:" (showDateSpan $ multiBalanceReportSpan r)] ++) $
   trimborder $ lines $
    render id ((" "++) . maybe "" (showDate . prevday) . spanEnd) showMixedAmountOneLineWithoutPrice $
     addtotalrow $ 
@@ -416,8 +422,8 @@ cumulativeBalanceReportAsText opts (MultiBalanceReport (colspans, items, coltota
 
 -- | Render a multi-column historical balance report as plain text suitable for console output.
 historicalBalanceReportAsText :: ReportOpts -> MultiBalanceReport -> [String]
-historicalBalanceReportAsText opts (MultiBalanceReport (colspans, items, coltotals)) =
-  (["Ending balances (historical):"] ++) $
+historicalBalanceReportAsText opts r@(MultiBalanceReport (colspans, items, coltotals)) =
+  ([printf "Ending balances (historical) in %s:" (showDateSpan $ multiBalanceReportSpan r)] ++) $
   trimborder $ lines $
    render id ((" "++) . maybe "" (showDate . prevday) . spanEnd) showMixedAmountOneLineWithoutPrice $
     addtotalrow $ 
diff --git a/tests/balance/intervals.test b/tests/balance/intervals.test
index a6564ca8e..9c9427702 100644
--- a/tests/balance/intervals.test
+++ b/tests/balance/intervals.test
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ hledgerdev -f balance-multicol.journal register
 # 2. A period balance (flow) report. --no-total also works but isn't pretty.
 hledgerdev -f balance-multicol.journal balance -p 'monthly in 2013' --no-total
 >>>
-Balance changes:
+Balance changes in 2013q1:
 
                  ||  2013/01  2013/02  2013/03 
 =================++============================
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ hledgerdev -f - balance -p 'quarterly in 2013' --empty
 2013/3/1
   (a)  1
 >>>
-Balance changes:
+Balance changes in 2013:
 
    ||  2013q1  2013q2  2013q3  2013q4 
 ===++=================================
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ Balance changes:
 # the highest-level displayed accounts (here, assets).
 hledgerdev -f balance-multicol.journal balance -p 'monthly in 2013' --cumulative
 >>>
-Ending balances (cumulative):
+Ending balances (cumulative) in 2013q1:
 
                  ||  2013/01/31  2013/02/28  2013/03/31 
 =================++=====================================
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ Ending balances (cumulative):
 # includes the displayed subaccount and not the excluded one.
 hledgerdev -f balance-multicol.journal balance -p 'monthly in 2013' --cumulative not:cash
 >>>
-Ending balances (cumulative):
+Ending balances (cumulative) in 2013q1:
 
                  ||  2013/01/31  2013/02/28  2013/03/31 
 =================++=====================================
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ Ending balances (cumulative):
 # 6. A historical ending balance report.
 hledgerdev -f balance-multicol.journal balance -p 'monthly in 2013' --historical
 >>>
-Ending balances (historical):
+Ending balances (historical) in 2013q1:
 
                  ||  2013/01/31  2013/02/28  2013/03/31 
 =================++=====================================
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ Ending balances (historical):
 # the highest-level displayed accounts, now assets:cash and assets:checking.
 hledgerdev -f balance-multicol.journal balance -p 'monthly in 2013' not:assets$
 >>>
-Balance changes:
+Balance changes in 2013q1:
 
                  ||  2013/01  2013/02  2013/03 
 =================++============================
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ Balance changes:
 # 8. cumulative:
 hledgerdev -f balance-multicol.journal balance -p 'monthly in 2013' not:assets$ --cumulative
 >>>
-Ending balances (cumulative):
+Ending balances (cumulative) in 2013q1:
 
                  ||  2013/01/31  2013/02/28  2013/03/31 
 =================++=====================================
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ Ending balances (cumulative):
 # 9. historical
 hledgerdev -f balance-multicol.journal balance -p 'monthly in 2013' --historical
 >>>
-Ending balances (historical):
+Ending balances (historical) in 2013q1:
 
                  ||  2013/01/31  2013/02/28  2013/03/31 
 =================++=====================================
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ Ending balances (historical):
 # 10. A flow report with depth limiting. The depth limit aggregates the three accounts as "assets".
 hledgerdev -f balance-multicol.journal balance -p 'monthly in 2013' --depth 1
 >>>
-Balance changes:
+Balance changes in 2013q1:
 
         ||  2013/01  2013/02  2013/03 
 ========++============================
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ Balance changes:
 # 11. As above, but postings in the top-level assets account have been excluded.
 hledgerdev -f balance-multicol.journal balance -p 'monthly in 2013' --depth 1 assets:
 >>>
-Balance changes:
+Balance changes in 2013q1:
 
         ||  2013/01  2013/02  2013/03 
 ========++============================
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ Balance changes:
 # 12. A cumulative balance report with depth limiting.
 hledgerdev -f balance-multicol.journal balance -p 'monthly in 2013' --depth 1 --cumulative
 >>>
-Ending balances (cumulative):
+Ending balances (cumulative) in 2013q1:
 
         ||  2013/01/31  2013/02/28  2013/03/31 
 ========++=====================================
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ Ending balances (cumulative):
 # 13. A historical balance report with depth limiting.
 hledgerdev -f balance-multicol.journal balance -p 'monthly in 2013' --depth 1 --historical
 >>>
-Ending balances (historical):
+Ending balances (historical) in 2013q1:
 
         ||  2013/01/31  2013/02/28  2013/03/31 
 ========++=====================================
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ Ending balances (historical):
 # 14. The three multicol balance report types again, this time with --tree
 hledgerdev -f balance-multicol.journal balance -p 'monthly in 2013' --tree
 >>>
-Balance changes:
+Balance changes in 2013q1:
 
             ||  2013/01  2013/02  2013/03 
 ============++============================
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ Balance changes:
 # 15.
 hledgerdev -f balance-multicol.journal balance -p 'monthly in 2013' --cumulative --tree
 >>>
-Ending balances (cumulative):
+Ending balances (cumulative) in 2013q1:
 
             ||  2013/01/31  2013/02/28  2013/03/31 
 ============++=====================================
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ Ending balances (cumulative):
 # 16.
 hledgerdev -f balance-multicol.journal balance -p 'monthly in 2013' --historical --tree
 >>>
-Ending balances (historical):
+Ending balances (historical) in 2013q1:
 
             ||  2013/01/31  2013/02/28  2013/03/31 
 ============++=====================================
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ hledgerdev -f- balance --monthly --date2
  (b)  1
 
 >>>
-Balance changes:
+Balance changes in 2014/01:
 
    ||  2014/01 
 ===++==========
@@ -271,7 +271,7 @@ hledgerdev -f- balance -p 'monthly 2014/1/10-2014/2/20'
  (after)  1
 
 >>>
-Balance changes:
+Balance changes in 2014/01/01-2014/02/28:
 
         ||  2014/01  2014/02 
 ========++===================