Which would be the more readable way to format negative numbers:
- -$99.99
- ($99.99)
- Some other format I haven't considered
Details: Most of our user base has finance experience, but some have none at all. We don't deal with international currencies, and it's a web application so I don't know of anyway to get the user's system settings.
Answer
My wife is a Certified General Accountant, so I asked her about this question.
The standard accounting way is always to show negative numbers in parentheses. If you want to appeal to primarily financial professionals, that's the accepted practice.
She also cautions against using red or drawing attention to a negative number. Highlighting a number necessarily draws attention to it, but negative numbers are a normal part of bookkeeping and financial statements. Unless you have a specific reason for drawing attention to a particular number, it's best not to make it stand out. If you're highlighting a number that is completely normal (even if it is negative), you can actually damage readability and usability. The user has to stop and think, why is this number different or special? At best, highlight situationally and only when it makes sense.
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