Regulators Got their Eyes on You!

Posted by & filed under Accounting Information Systems, Accounting Principles, All Articles, Auditing, Cost Accounting, Financial Accounting, Financial Reporting and Analysis, Income Taxes, Intermediate Accounting, International Accounting, Managerial Accounting, Uncategorized, Video Updates.

According to the New York Times, Big Tech (Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google) are being investigated by regulators and lawmakers regarding how these companies may have used their size and wealth to quash competition and expand their dominance. Questions: Who are some of the regulators and lawmakers investigating Google and for what reason? What are… Read more »

Millionaires’ numbers are rising in both 401(k)’s and IRA’s

Posted by & filed under Accounting Information Systems, Accounting Principles, Advanced Accounting, All Articles, Auditing, Cost Accounting, Financial Accounting, Financial Statement Analysis, Income Taxes, Intermediate Accounting, Managerial Accounting, Uncategorized.

According to the Washington Post, the number of employees able to reach millionaire status in their workplace retirement plans has hit record levels. Questions: By how much did the number of Fidelity Investment 401(k) plans increase having $1 million or more over the 1st quarter of the year? Vanguard Investments also saw a spike in… Read more »

Is this a good idea?

Posted by & filed under Accounting Information Systems, Accounting Principles, Advanced Accounting, All Articles, Auditing, Cost Accounting, Financial Accounting, Financial Reporting and Analysis, Financial Statement Analysis, Income Taxes, Intermediate Accounting, Managerial Accounting, Uncategorized.

According to the New York Times, one of the largest active construction projects in the United States will produce more than 1 million tons of plastic a year and is operated by Royal Dutch Shell near Pittsburgh. Questions: Where will pipelines for the plant be stretched and how many freight cars does it expect to… Read more »

Who can save Barnes and Noble?

Posted by & filed under Accounting Information Systems, Accounting Principles, Advanced Accounting, All Articles, Auditing, Cost Accounting, Financial Accounting, Intermediate Accounting, International Accounting, Managerial Accounting, Uncategorized, Video Updates.

According to the New York Times, the man, James Daunt, who will soon try to revive Barnes & Noble once spent weeks arguing with a bookstore shelving designer that the correct angle of tilt for a shelf is three degrees, because books catch more light and attention on shelves below eye level. Questions: Which bookstore… Read more »

White House Blues

Posted by & filed under Accounting Information Systems, Accounting Principles, Advanced Accounting, All Articles, Auditing, Cost Accounting, Financial Accounting, Income Taxes, Intermediate Accounting, Managerial Accounting, Uncategorized.

According to the Washington Post, there is discussion among senior White House officials to advance a temporary payroll tax cut as a way to limit the economic slowdown forecast by economists. Questions: When and how much was the last payroll tax cut and why was it made? Payroll tax cuts add dramatically to the deficit… Read more »

We’ve Seen This Movie Before And It Does Not End Well

Posted by & filed under Accounting Information Systems, Accounting Principles, Advanced Accounting, All Articles, Auditing, Cost Accounting, Financial Accounting, Intermediate Accounting, Managerial Accounting, Uncategorized.

According to Paul Whitfield, economists differ on how much blame the Smoot-Hawley tariffs deserve for the Great Depression. They also disagree on how much credit President Franklin Roosevelt deserves for the Reciprocal Tariff Act, which put the U.S. on a path to lower  tariffs. But the market knows. Questions: According to the article, what similarities… Read more »

Strategic Differences

Posted by & filed under Accounting Information Systems, Accounting Principles, Advanced Accounting, All Articles, Auditing, Cost Accounting, Financial Accounting, Intermediate Accounting, International Accounting, Managerial Accounting, Uncategorized.

HSBC announced that CEO, John Flint, was leaving the bank after only 18 months in the role.  Questions: What issues is Europe’s biggest bank grappling with currently? What specific strategic reason does the Board give for his departure?  What is the revenue risk that HSBC faces? Source: Reuters Staff. (2019). HSBC CEO John Flint leaves… Read more »

Woes for Lowe’s?

Posted by & filed under Accounting Information Systems, Accounting Principles, Advanced Accounting, All Articles, Auditing, Cost Accounting, Financial Accounting, Income Taxes, Intermediate Accounting, Managerial Accounting, Uncategorized, Video Updates.

Lowe’s announced that it will be laying off thousands of workers, including maintenance workers, service workers, and furniture and grill assemblers. Questions: How does Lowe’s plan to fill this void? What will it offer the laid-off workers? What is the health of Lowe’s stores overall? Source: Dockery, W. (2019). Lowe’s Layoffs 2019: Why The Hardware… Read more »

CVS wants to be the Ultimate Healthcare Provider

Posted by & filed under Accounting Information Systems, Accounting Principles, Advanced Accounting, All Articles, Auditing, Cost Accounting, Ethical Dilemma, Financial Accounting, Income Taxes, Intermediate Accounting, Managerial Accounting, Uncategorized.

According to Business Insider, when in 2018, CVS Health acquired Aetna, combining a chain of nearly 10,000 pharmacies dispensing prescriptions and selling snacks and soda with one of the biggest US health insurers, the company also took greater steps to promote healthier options. Questions: What was CVS’s stand regarding the sale of cigarettes? Where does… Read more »

SEC helps the mom and pop investors

Posted by & filed under Accounting Information Systems, Accounting Principles, Advanced Accounting, All Articles, Auditing, Cost Accounting, Income Taxes, Intermediate Accounting, Uncategorized.

According to Business Insider, the Securities and Exchange Commission is stepping up scrutiny of mutual fund investments in private companies, according to people with knowledge of the agency’s interest. Questions: What has been the problem with mutual funds investing in companies like Airbnb or WeWork? Which case is notorious for spiking the SEC’s interest in… Read more »