re: The Auditors

Pay Cut For JPM’s Jamie Dimon? There’s Still Time To Vote

My column on the subject this morning at American Banker is getting quite a bit of play. Dimon's mea culpa on the loss was timed to avoid lying, again, to a room full of people - JP Morgan's Annual Meeting is tomorrow May 15 - about how bad 2nd quarter results will end up.

Now Available: A New e-Book On The MF Global Mystery

Available Now: re: The Auditors: The Mystery of The MF Global Failure This book is the fourth in a series of compilations from re: The Auditors. This volume focuses on the failure of MF Global on October 31, 2011. MF Global was a broker-dealer and futures commission merchant (FCM).

Georgia Southern Fraud and Forensic Accounting Conference: Special Offer for Readers

Georgia Southern University’s Center for Forensic Studies in Accounting and Business and sponsor Porter Keadle Moore, LLC (PKM) team up again to host the Sixth Annual Fraud and Forensic Accounting Conference at the Hilton Desoto, Savannah on May 15-17, 2012.

Why Is The SEC Pursuing Deloitte Shanghai? Looks Like It’s Personal

The Securities and Exchange Commission is rattling a dull sabre again towards Shanghai-based Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu CPA Ltd. for its refusal to provide the agency with audit work papers related to another China-based company under investigation for potential accounting fraud against U.S. investors. It looks to me like it's personal rather than productive.

First Forbes Magazine Feature

My first feature article for Forbes magazine is out on the newsstands today.

Aubrey McClendon Pigs Out: Chesapeake Energy’s Hidden Loans:

Chesapeake Energy's auditor is PricewaterhouseCoopers. The auditor is paid lass than $3 million to prepare an opinion on this challenging company. Sometimes you can be paid too little to be sufficiently skeptical...

I’m In Congress! Foreclosure Review Work Cited By Congressman

A column I wrote for American Banker on March 5, 2012, "What Little We Know About Foreclosure Reviews Is Troubling", was mentioned during the recent House Financial Services Subcommittee hearing on issues facing the accounting and auditing industry.

New York’s Carolyn Maloney More Focused On Politics Than Investors

With Democrats like Representative Carolyn Maloney of New York, who needs the Republicans? When special interests pursue self-interested legislation or seek to block legislation that affects their interests Maloney is ready to wave the jobs and economic growth flag for her campaign contributors rather than looking out for investors.

Groupon: You Must Have Fallen From The Sky

I expect the auditors to earn their fees by looking out for investors. But maybe that's just pie in the sky.

Auditor Rotation and Banks: If It Makes You Happy…

My column today at American Banker is about the PCAOB's auditor rotation and auditor independence concept release and its impact on banks. My favorite lines are...