Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the AICPA National Conference on PCAOB and SEC Developments in person. As much as I would have loved to be there live, to ask questions and, perhaps, walk all over the wafflers with my Manolos, it’s not always possible. In this case it may have been just as well. […]
On July 30, 2008, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) published its interpretive release explaining how companies can use their websites and blogs to meet their requirements for public disclosure under Regulation FD. Dominic Jones at IR Web Report says, “…I don’t expect a flood of companies ditching their wire services overnight and cranking […]
I laughed out loud when a Google Alert pointed me to the FT article excerpted below. I find this solicitation by the US Internal Revenue Service quite ironic given that four of the six firms mentioned have had serious, and I mean serious, issues with the IRS related to their aiding and abetting the development […]
Funny thing happened last night while chatting with the COO of one of the major hedge funds, a group that has been much maligned lately for being shortys. For the umpteenth time in the last month or so it seems, someone assumed that my partner in our firm (actually my brother) was my husband. “PS. […]
Arthur Levitt recently gave an interview in a Dutch publication de Accountant. Accountancy Age in the UK highlights some key quotes and provides a link to the full article in English. Levitt comments about the potential need for “audit-only” firms and his encouragement of, “…greater transparency, to understand what condition a firm is in. […]
Interesting article today in a publication I receive on line called Hedgeworld (Registration required, with special benefits for membership). Short sellers are certainly on the mind of the business executive on the other side of their acumen. (My bias is showing, I know.) And the SEC has parachuted in to help their beloved business executives […]
Picture Source I so often agree with Tom Selling these days that I’m starting to think he’s my long lost half-brother… His rat-a-tat-tat, fact-based slam down makes me weep. With admiration. I couldn’t agree more with his assessment of the weak WorldCom settlement if I had written it myself. Which I did, in a sense, […]
Picture Source Paul S. Atkins, one of three Republican members of the Securities and Exchange Commission, said on Monday that he would leave the agency after his term ends next month. Mr. Atkins, widely considered the most conservative member of the S.E.C. in recent years with the strongest free-market bent, was appointed by President Bush […]
Picture Source I paid Linda Thomsen a compliment at the recent Capital Markets Summit. I told her that the SEC was out of the gate early and strong on backdating and it was heartening to hear that they were still interested in it, even though the business community, maybe, thought it was old news. She liked […]
Picture Source We’ve talked about the Big 4 audit firm Catch-22 – Pay me here or pay me there, but you’re going to pay, since I hold the trump card. As was reported here and here, intolerance for risk and management of legal liability exposure are motivating the Big 4 to force the extra work […]
Photo SourceOn Friday of this week, I will be attending the US Chamber’s luncheon briefing featuring SEC Chairman Christopher Cox, Outlook from the SEC. Chairman Cox intends to give an in-depth look at the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission’s initiatives and priorities for the year ahead. Christopher Cox has been mentioned by name at least six […]
Picture Source Well, this was news to me. I have written before about incentive compensation and the crime of giving executives bonuses based on targets they set and numbers they have the power to manipulate. So I am excited, tickled pink and delirious over the possibility that the SEC may start to enforce this provision. […]
