Professional golfer Phil Mickelson was recently named in an SEC complaint regarding insider trading information that he received from William Walters, a sports gambler. Questions: 1. During what period did the insider trading take place? 2. Phil has been named as a “relief defendant.” What does that mean? 3. What shares did Phil buy and… Read more »
Posts Tagged: ethics
A Fraud Caught by a Channel-Surfing Judge!
Dance Moms, a show on Lifetime TV is in its 6th season. The host is Abby Lee Miller, who is facing 20 counts of fraud due to allegations that she fudged specifics when it came to a bankruptcy filing. If found guilty on all counts, Ms. Miller is facing $5 million in fines and five… Read more »
The Shipping News
According to a study released last Tuesday, U.S. multinational companies are saving $100 billion a year by shifting their profits overseas to lower their tax bills. Questions: 1. Is this tax fraud? Why or why not? 2. Explain the mechanism they are using. 3. Which countries are companies shifting profits to and why (be specific)?… Read more »
Fine Print – Gotcha!
Tara Zoumer thought she had found her dream job when she was hired at WeWork, a $16 billion start-up that rents office space to young entrepreneurs. As a salaried employee, she was soon asked to expand her duties to include many things that an hourly custodian should do. When she tried to get other employees… Read more »
Here we Go Again! Contracts for Deed!
In the 1930s through the 1960s, most African-Americans could not get mortgages. This was because the U.S. government deemed neighborhoods where they lived ineligible for federal mortgage insurance, which was the Depression-era innovation that made mortgages widely affordable. As a result, hucksters moved in and peddled homeownership through contracts for deed, where the home seller… Read more »
What a Heist!
Swift — the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication — is billed as a supersecure system that banks use to authorize payments from one account to another. However, last week, Swift announced that hackers had captured $81 million from Bangladesh’s central bank in February and that other similar heists have been attempted. Questions: 1. According… Read more »
Can you Alter what the Internet says about you? Ask UC – Davis.
To improve the reputation of the University of California, Davis, and its Chancellor, Linda P.B. Katehi, after the November 2011 pepper spraying of students, the university contracted with consultants for at least $175,000 to scrub negative online Internet postings about the incident. Questions: 1. Explain what percentage the strategic communications budget increased by from 2009… Read more »
Pet Valuation: A slippery slope or not?
The Monyak family decided to board their 2 dogs when they took a vacation in France. The Monyaks gave special instructions to the caretakers to give an anti-inflammatory prescription to one of the dogs. Unfortunately, the kennel gave it to the wrong dog who died from an overdose shortly after the family returned. The Monyak’s… Read more »
The benefits of offshore without leaving the country
For wealthy Americans looking to veil their assets and shield some of their income from taxation, there is no need to go to Panama or any other offshore tax haven. According to the New York Times, it’s easy to establish a shell corporation right here at home and virtually no questions are asked. Questions: 1…. Read more »
A crummy $56?????
Drivers who worked for the “taxi” service known as Lyft, (in California) during the past four years, would have been entitled to an estimated $126 million in expense reimbursements had they been employees rather than independent contractors. Questions: 1. How much would Lyft drivers have recouped under a standard rate for mileage reimbursement set by… Read more »