What do they mean when they say cashing out is X amount of dollar?

they can pay whith this cash (in dollard, now, whihout debts).
usually, it also means that they can stop all and go away whith benefits.

economy and politics try together to not allowed cash and they prefer credits;
like that the entreprises put the money in bank for a long time.

in wall street, a percent is nothing, and in a bank the same cash is a lot.