In an extended expose, the New York Magazine reported that Bernard Madoff described his scheme as a real nightmare to him, as if he were the real victim, and complained about little old ladies bugging him for money. The article goes on to describe his celebrity in prison among the other inmates and his “freedom  Read more »
Posts Tagged: SEC filings
Bond Rating Under Fire
E-mails and other documents were presented as evidence at a hearing examining the causes of the financial crisis on Capitol Hill on April 23, 2010. This hearing is part of an 18-month investigation by the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, led by Senator Carl Levin. Subcommittee assertions are that the rating agencies were well aware… Read more »
FASB Sued for Intellectual Property Infringement
Joel Jameson, the founder of Silicon Economics, Inc. is suing the FASB. He filed for a patent for his invention called “EarningsPower Accounting,†and claims that the FASB has infringed upon the patent. Jameson claims that his invention is a patented method developed by the company to improve the accuracy, validity, and usefulness of financial… Read more »
Reform Bill Targets Credit Raters
On Thursday, May 13, 2010, the U.S. Senate took steps to overhaul the credit-rating agency business, which is widely maligned for its role in the 2007-2009 financial crisis. An amendment by Democratic Senator Al Franken passed for a government clearinghouse to be set up to assign debt rating duties to agencies, with federal regulators developing… Read more »
Sarbanes-Oxley Benefits without Cost
Many have debated the cost of Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) versus its benefits, given the recent accounting scandals that continue to “pile on”. However, according to Harvard Business School professor, Francois Brochet, the little discussed 2002 provision known as Section 403 is actually making a difference for investors and small companies (and with little cost, unlike some… Read more »
What’s the Diagnosis – Accounting Fatigue Syndrome (AFS)?
At a recent conference in Orlando, financial executives discussed one of the top reasons for employee fatigue – a continuous stream of regulatory and accounting standard-setting guidance that has been issued in recent years and the promise of more to come over the foreseeable future. Questions: 1. Although the article provides little detail, what accounting… Read more »
The Effects of Converting to IFRS
The Effects of Converting to IFRS The primary question raised in this article is: “What effects would switching to IFRS have for companies, if forced to switch by the SEC?†Based on a panel of four executives from four major companies, most agreed that there will be almost no material effects in areas that investors… Read more »
Airlines Are Raising the Fees They Charge Travelers to Check Baggage
Both Delta Air Lines and Continental Airlines are raising their checked-baggage fees. According to this article the winners may be package-delivery companies and airlines without such fees. Unfortunately, it is hard to verify the exact numbers through shipping companies, but officials from both Southwest Air Lines and JetBlue Air Lines admit that their lack of… Read more »
Fraud at Koss Corporation
Sujata “Sue” Sachdeva, the former vice president of finance and secretary at Koss Corporation, was arrested on December 21, 2009, for allegedly using interstate wire communications to defraud the company. The largest employee theft of 2009 was not detected by the auditors, but in fact resulted when American Express contacted Koss Corp. CEO, Michael J…. Read more »
Walgreen Outsources Accounting
On January 6, 2010, Walgreen Company, the drugstore giant, announced that it had signed a 10-year contract to outsource its accounting services with Genpact. Genpact Limited, a spin-off from General Electric in 2005, characterizes itself as a company that has achieved growth from both existing and new clients as companies across industries enacted massive layoffs… Read more »