Joel Jameson, the founder of Silicon Economics, Inc. is suing the FASB. He filed for a patent for his invention called “EarningsPower Accounting,†and claims that the FASB has infringed upon the patent. Jameson claims that his invention is a patented method developed by the company to improve the accuracy, validity, and usefulness of financial… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Financial Statement Analysis
Tighter Regulations on Swipe Fees
On May 13, 2010, retailers won a victory over the fees they pay to banks for credit cards. An amendment by Sen. Richard J. Durbin is just one more element of the financial regulation overhaul currently underway the Senate.  The measure allows stores to give customers discounts for paying with cash or using cards with cheaper… Read more »
Reform Bill Targets Credit Raters
On Thursday, May 13, 2010, the U.S. Senate took steps to overhaul the credit-rating agency business, which is widely maligned for its role in the 2007-2009 financial crisis. An amendment by Democratic Senator Al Franken passed for a government clearinghouse to be set up to assign debt rating duties to agencies, with federal regulators developing… Read more »
The Costs and Benefits of Simultaneous Audits for Multinational Companies
Simultaneous audits mean two separate exams, conducted by different governments, in which those governments share with each other some of the taxpayer’s information. Even though you may not have heard of them, they have existed since the 1970s, but are becoming more common today as government tax agencies race to match the level of global… Read more »
Sarbanes-Oxley Benefits without Cost
Many have debated the cost of Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) versus its benefits, given the recent accounting scandals that continue to “pile on”. However, according to Harvard Business School professor, Francois Brochet, the little discussed 2002 provision known as Section 403 is actually making a difference for investors and small companies (and with little cost, unlike some… Read more »
What’s the Diagnosis – Accounting Fatigue Syndrome (AFS)?
At a recent conference in Orlando, financial executives discussed one of the top reasons for employee fatigue – a continuous stream of regulatory and accounting standard-setting guidance that has been issued in recent years and the promise of more to come over the foreseeable future. Questions: 1. Although the article provides little detail, what accounting… Read more »
New Accounting Rules for Off-Balance Sheet Assets
New accounting rules governing off-balance-sheet transactions went into effect for most companies in January 2010. The rules force companies to put assets, like mortgage servicing rights, back on their balance sheets. Questions: 1. What financial accounting standards (FASs) are forcing companies to put such assets back on their balance sheets? 2. What are some of… Read more »
Late Payments Matter
Late Payments Matter According to new research, approximately 4,000 small and medium sized firms in the U.K. collapsed in 2008 due to late payments by customers. This amounted to approximately 62 billion pounds that were more than 30 days late and of this 15.5 billion that were more than 120 days overdue. For more than… Read more »
Health Reform and Payments to Doctors
In September 2009, Merck & Co. Inc. announced that they will be the largest drug company to publish details of payments to doctors. The prescription drug industry has met with growing criticism about its lack of disclosure regarding payments that may influence drug prescribing. As the second-largest U.S. drug company, the company vowed to begin… Read more »
Is the SEC Going to Get Tough On Compliance with Executive Pay Disclosures?
The SEC revised its disclosure guidelines for executive pay in late 2006. Since that time the regulator has been sending out letters to violator companies with insufficient disclosures, but has seen little compliance. Now the commission indicates that reviews will be tighter and there’s no room for a “Mister Nice Guy†approach. In fact, its… Read more »
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