Rotations don't lead to audit improvements, studies find

Efforts by firms to minimize disruption when engagement partners leave appear to work well in keeping audit quality high. 

By Robert Freedman • Sept. 27, 2020

SEC hits BMW with $18M fine for false sales disclosures

 Investors who purchased some $18 billion in company bond offerings were misinformed about the pace of the company's U.S. sales.  

By Robert Freedman • Sept. 27, 2020

Modeling skills a key shift in FP&A teams, CFOs say

The pandemic has accelerated the trend of new finance hires being expected to bring modeling competency to improve predictive analytics capabilities.  

By Robert Freedman • Sept. 22, 2020

CFO: Crisis 'not a good time to slow down' on innovation

Shoring up cash and investing for growth can happen in tandem, Learn4Life Network finance leader Guita Sharifi says.

By Robert Freedman • Sept. 21, 2020

The cost CFOs refuse to cut: Employee retention

As the pandemic drags on, CFOs are reexamining their budgets and overwhelmingly opting to protect staff retention efforts, fearing the costly departure of top performers.

By Jane Thier • Sept. 16, 2020

Real-time planning helps CFOs answer pandemic-critical 'what if' questions

To forecast today, think in shorter time horizons, identify how COVID-19 changes your business drivers, use large amounts of quality data to weigh "what if" scenarios, and create agile processes, specialists say. 

By Paul Prendergast and Patrick Picha • Aug. 27, 2020

Wall nonprofit said to have used shell entities to pass donations to officers

We Build the Wall is charged with using a shell nonprofit, a veiled corporation and two anonymous associates as part of an effort to pass payments to officers.

By Robert Freedman • Aug. 24, 2020

Judge OKs lawsuit by businesses seeking coronavirus-related insurance claims

In a first, restaurants and other businesses hit by pandemic shutdowns can move forward on legal efforts to get insurers to pay on business interruption policies.

By Robert Freedman • Aug. 23, 2020

Improper revenue recognition tops SEC fraud cases

Attorneys who work with SEC whistleblowers walk through the 10 most common types of fraud in an Accounting Today analysis.  

By Robert Freedman • Aug. 20, 2020

Rank-and-file sexual harassment can devalue companies by 20%

Sexual harassment that doesn't make the news won't often affect stock prices right away, but within a year it can hit valuations hard.

By Robert Freedman • Aug. 17, 2020

Making recovery audits part of your source-to-pay process

Invoicing errors chip away at margins, eventually turning into large losses, which recovery audits can help address.

By Mark Irwin • Aug. 13, 2020

Pension debt expected to rise 6% due to COVID-19 volatility

Companies in the auto and airline industries, among other sectors hard hit by the coronavirus, will see pension debt rise most, Moody's Investors Services analysts say.

By Robert Freedman • Aug. 13, 2020

3 things CFOs can do to navigate change (but aren't)

How are finance leaders adapting to today's business changes? Vena's 2020 Industry Benchmark Report takes a closer look.

Aug. 11, 2020

CFOs challenged to retain finance talent amid COVID-19

At a CFO Live virtual event, panelists shared thoughts on retaining crucial finance talent during a time when companies need it most.

By Jane Thier • July 30, 2020

False claims expected to be principal source of Main Street loan enforcement

Companies who act in good faith and can back up their certifications "have little to fear" from federal enforcement, the Department of Justice says.

By Robert Freedman • July 27, 2020

Understand your coverage options in the face of 2020's triple risk threat

COVID-19, protest-related vandalism, and a severe hurricane season promise to test organizations' insurance against loss of business. 

By Joseph Galanti and Peter Halprin • July 27, 2020

Bessemer finance leader: You need 2 years of cash to survive

Veteran CFO Jeff Epstein says it's time to make a change if you can't support yourself into 2022.

By Robert Freedman • July 19, 2020

Your financial controls probably don't work under today's conditions

With staff remote, executives in survival mode, and hundreds of billions in assistance pouring into the economy, the chances of mistakes and abuse getting past safeguards are heightened, accounting specialists say.

By Robert Freedman • July 14, 2020

Preparing for risk the way insurers do

Insurers manage their risks not just to preserve assets but to capitalize on their ability to price uncertainty, turning some risks into opportunities.

By Jim Toole • July 9, 2020

Survey: 77% of CFOs say company is underprepared for climate change

CFOs rate floods, droughts and wildfires as most financially concerning, according to a survey conducted by property insurer FM Global. 

By Jane Thier • July 8, 2020

How COVID-19 is changing conversations about going concern

CFOs should expect more — and more targeted — questions as auditors try to get a picture of how well their organization is positioned to survive the downturn. 

By Bob Dohrer • June 30, 2020

A CFO's 3-step plan for remaining profitable during COVID-19

LendingUSA's Ron Oertell says his company's services as a point-of-sale fintech are greater now than they were, pre-pandemic.

By Jane Thier • June 24, 2020

5 transfer pricing actions to consider during COVID-19

If your intercompany pricing policies are based on normally functioning markets, you could be faced with tax inefficiencies and distortion in how you allocate profits or losses.

By Barry Freeman and Selena Schneider • June 16, 2020

Sec. 363 bankruptcy sales may yield higher prices than Chapter 11

The process is less familiar than Chapter 11 but can result in quicker sales and more proceeds to secured creditors.

By Robert Freedman • June 1, 2020

Insurers propose pandemic assistance plan

Federal money, not business interruption insurance, is the appropriate response to a pandemic, property and casualty carriers say. 

By Robert Freedman • May 26, 2020