Zillow, the number one online real estate website, is facing a $5 million class action lawsuit for intimidating employees to skip meals and work long hours without pay. Questions: 1. Who was Zillow’s top competition and how much did Zillow pay to buy the company? 2. Would this acquisition be reported on the Statement of… Read more »
Posts Tagged: contemporary business issues
It’s Not Over Yet!
Looking at GDP reporting GDP on a quarter-on-quarter basis, it turns out that Greece’s six-year recession is over, but recovery is far from near. The country’s economy grew at a 3.2 percent annual pace in the first quarter, 1.2 percent in the second, and 2.8 percent in the most recent one. However, unemployment is 25.9%…. Read more »
Congressional Insider Trading?
Nineteen months ago, with only 20 minutes remaining in the trading day, a Washington-based broker-dealer, Height Securities, blasted out a “flash report” to nearly 200 clients, including hedge funds on Wall Street that predicted a raise in Medicare reimbursement rates. This sent many health insurance companies’ stocks soaring. Regulators are now trying to investigate insider… Read more »
Medical Malpractice Reform: Will it save money?
According to the New York Times, many people believe that medical malpractice reform is the key to removing waste from the health care system and making the practice of medicine better. But a growing body of evidence shows that belief is most likely mistaken. Questions: 1. What is the rationale for malpractice reform as cost… Read more »
Attack of the SuperCookies!
What is your privacy worth? Most people would say A LOT! According to Craig Timberg, Verizon and AT&T have been quietly tracking the Internet activity of more than 100 million cellular customers with what critics have dubbed “supercookies.” These supercookies cannot be erased and can even get around the “private” or “incognito” settings on your… Read more »
Shopping Comes at A Price
According to Chico Harlan, five years after the Great Recession, the most striking change in the world of low-income commerce has been the proliferation of rent-to-own stores. Questions: 1. How do rent to own stores avoid state usury laws and other regulations aimed at excessive interest payments? 2. What percentage of items are returned or… Read more »
The new trend in non-compete clauses
If you are a chief executive of a large company, you very likely have a non-compete clause in your contract and also understand the importance of this clause in preventing you from jumping ship to a competitor until some period has elapsed. However, according to the New York Times, non-compete clauses are popping up in… Read more »
Dutch Treat?
According to the New York Times, “Dutch pensions are scrupulously funded, unlike many United States plans, and are required to tally their liabilities with brutal honesty, using a method that is common in the financial-services industry but rejected by American public pension funds.” This article discusses the Dutch belief that each generation should pay its… Read more »
Ouch! Sometimes Consent Forms Hurt!
According to the New York Times, an increasingly common practice used by hospitals is that some medical experts call drive-by doctoring assistants, consultants, and other hospital employees into cases and these incidents are charging patients or their insurers hefty fees. Most times patients do not realize these individuals have been involved or are charging until… Read more »
Operating Leases
For years, there has been a debate about whether operating leases should be capitalized. In a recent IASB project update report, it is estimated that the long-term liabilities on the balance sheet are underestimated by as much as 46% due to non-recognition of operating leases. Many wonder whether the IASB will scrap the dual lease… Read more »