Posts Tagged: SEC filings

LIBOR Scandal Widens

Posted by & filed under Accounting Principles, Advanced Accounting, All Articles, Auditing, Cost Accounting, Financial Accounting, Financial Reporting and Analysis, Financial Statement Analysis, Fraud Accounting, IFRS, Intermediate Accounting, International Accounting, Managerial Accounting.

Bank of America, the second largest U.S. bank, has received subpoenas from the U.S.Justice Department, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and U.K. Financial Services Authority requesting information about the company’s possible role in the rigging of a key international lending benchmark, LIBOR. Regulators have queried at least a dozen banks worldwide about their roles in… Read more »

A Ponzi Scheme in Ohio

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In September, a prominent member of the Amish community in Sugarcreek, Ohio was arrested and accused by federal prosecutors of running a Ponzi scheme that betrayed his neighbors’ trust and wiped out more than $16 million of their savings. The elderly defendant, Monroe L. Beachy, had been a respected financial figure in his community for… Read more »

No More “Neither Admit or Deny”

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The Securities and Exchange Commission, in a fundamental policy shift, said Friday, January 6, that it would no longer allow defendants to say they neither admit nor deny civil fraud or insider trading charges when, at the same time, they admit to or have been convicted of criminal violations. This has been a longstanding practice… Read more »

Do you think they will notice if we understate the numbers a little?

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The Securities and Exchange Commission capped a three-year investigation into Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac on Friday, filing securities fraud charges against six former executives at the government-sponsored mortgage giants. The SEC claims that the execs failed to disclose the full extent of their companies’ subprime loan exposure. However, the outcome of the cases could… Read more »

A Feel-Bad Ending: Swell the Music for Rudy

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If you look up memorable quotes by Rudy Ruettiger, they exact all the inspirational feelings you can muster about “acting on your dreams.” One of my favorites does not have such a pretty answer, now: –If you knew you couldn’t fail, what would your goals be? Sadly, the answer might be: –To attempt a “pump-and-dump… Read more »

Accounting Error or Change in Estimate?

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On November 21, 2011, independent research firm, Gradient Analytics issued a report that questioned whether j2 Global appropriately treated the measurement of annual contacts with eFax customers as a change in estimate. Based on its examination of the j2 Global’s financial disclosures, applicable accounting rules, and limited feedback from the company, Gradient reported that “…the… Read more »

Raj Going to the Big House

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Raj Rajaratnam is entering the next phase of his insider trading case. A Federal District Court judge, Richard J. Holwell, sentenced Mr. Rajaratnam to 11 years in a federal prison, and he will now try to remain out of prison as long as possible while his lawyers prepare a promised appeal. This is the longest sentence… Read more »

Rhode Island Nearly Broke?

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The current general treasurer of Rhode Island, Gina Raimondo, warns that the state will soon be broke due to its debt problems. After decades of drift, denial and inaction, Rhode Island’s $14.8 billion pension system is in crisis. Ten cents of every state tax dollar now goes to retired public workers and that figure will… Read more »

The Cost of Financial Ignorance

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In Hernando de Soto’s very interesting commentary, he expands Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke’s thoughts that the U.S. needed to “re-learn some of the lessons” that have led to success among emerging market economies. The bulk of his commentary focuses on the reliability of accounting records that guarantee or make credit trustworthy, including the deeds,… Read more »

Groupon in the News

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Groupon disclosed a major accounting change on Friday, essentially halving its once-jaw-dropping revenue after it encountered resistance from regulators with its filing to go public. Groupon, the online coupon titan, announced separately that its chief operating officer of about five months, Margo Georgiadis, resigned and will return to her former employer, Google, as president of… Read more »