The Great Experiment

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

Finland has become the latest country to propose a basic income for all. Under the plan, all Finnish citizens would receive an 800 euro stipend, per month, tax-free. Questions: 1. Based on the current exchange rate, what amount of U.S. dollars is this equal to? 2. What incentive does Finland have to implement this proposal?… Read more »

Stagefright!

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According to Jeff Larson, for the last five months, military officials and officers have continued to use phones that can be attacked by the “Stagefright” bugs, a collection of flaws in the phones’ software code that gives attackers access to everything that flows through compromised devices. Questions: 1. How is the military adding to the… Read more »

Security Chips and Bearing the Cost of Fraud

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New payment cards, issued over the last year, come with a small square security chip that can help make in-person transactions more secure. However, retailers complain that they have spent billions of dollars upgrading their payment terminals to accommodate a system that cuts down on the fraud shouldered by banks, but not merchants. Questions: 1…. Read more »

Avoid the crowds with Black Friday Apps

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

Questions: 1. What are the benefits of Nifti? 2. What are the benefits of ShopSavvy? 3. Based on the information in this article and video, if you were a brick-and-mortar retailer, what would you do to counteract the convenience of these apps and get more traffic (that translate into higher sales)? 4. From an accounting… Read more »

Release Cards: Another High Interest Problem?

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As this article points out, unlike consumer debit cards, prison-issued cards are unregulated and subject to exorbitant fees. Questions: 1. What are the typical charges for these cards? 2. For the person that had $120 and was able to use only $70, calculate the percentage of fees. 3. Who is making the money on these… Read more »

Black Friday Worries

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According to this article, Black Friday Shoppers are opting out of the usual frenzied shopping day, because stores are diluting its effect with pre-Black Friday deep discounts. Questions: 1. Why did FDR move Thanksgiving? 2. When did Black Friday begin to lose its luster and why? 3. Which of the retailing changes in the article… Read more »

Litigation Finance

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This article discusses the trend of litigation finance, where individuals and companies are turning to private companies to front the money for legal costs in expensive litigation. Despite having in-house counsel, even larger companies are selling off pieces of lawsuits to improve cash flow and reduce risk. Questions: 1. Between 2013 and 2014, how much… Read more »

Asset Forfeiture Followup

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During 2014, law enforcement officers took more property from American citizens than burglars did. This was a new record. Questions: 1. What was the source of these data? 2. Why aren’t the asset forfeiture deposit amounts necessarily good indicators of the rise in the use of forfeiture? 3. Why are the net assets of the… Read more »

Corporate Challenges to Workman’s Comp

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For quite a while, the state of Texas has allowed companies to opt out of workman’s comp and write their own benefit plans. As a result, benefits for the same body part can differ dramatically depending upon which company you work for. Questions 1. Who is Bill Minick and what corporate movement is his firm… Read more »

Amazon goes “brick and mortar”

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In an unusual move, Amazon opened a storefront bookstore in Seattle’s University Village mall. Questions: 1. What are the characteristics of the books sold in the “brick and mortar store”? 2. In addition to books, what other products does the store carry? 3. What do you see as the costs and benefits of this new… Read more »