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August 1, 2011 |  BY Gary James |  Article

The U.K. Bribery Act 2010 that took effect July 1 represents a major change in global anticorruption law, but awareness of its provisions remains low, according to a Deloitte webcast poll. U.S. companies with offices or sales activities in the U.K. need to get up to speed with its provisions, experts warn, because the law applies both to companies that are incorporated in the U.K.

July 28, 2011 |  BY MICHAEL FERGUSON, CPA |  Article

In recent years, as economies in developed countries have slipped and stagnated, a number of U.S. and other companies have sought to fuel growth by investing in emerging markets. There are many benefits to employing such a strategy: By and large, developing countries promise access to new, untapped markets; rising levels of consumption, driven by rapidly growing middle classes; and access to inexpensive labor and materials.

June 10, 2011 |  Article

While awareness is growing about the dangers posed by bribery and other forms of corruption in various countries around the world, many U.S. and U.K. companies still have gaps in the programs they put in place to mitigate such risks, according to a newly released survey by KPMG International.

February 2, 2011 |  BY Barry Mishra, Ph.D. and Erik Rolland, Ph.D. |  Article

The catastrophic meltdown of financial markets that began in September 2008 resulted in a full range of challenges—both old and new—for organizations worldwide. Similar to other periods of adversity and uncertainty, it prompted organizations to re-evaluate their policies, processes and procedures from a renewed perspective, and implement change wherever it was needed.

February 1, 2011 |  BY Joel Sinkin and Ira Rosenbloom, CPA |  Article

There comes a time when every sole practitioner or small firm owner needs to consider the consequences of a disruption in leadership of his or her CPA practice. Illness, disability, family obligation or death can be devastating for the CPA’s clients, family and employees. Proper planning, however, can mitigate the consequences.

February 1, 2011 |  BY LOANNA OVERCASH |  Article

Editor's note: Also read "Who Would Run Your Firm?" Feb. 2011, page 40. In August 1988, 48-year-old CPA Jim Feigel was in an accident that left him in a coma for 23 days. “If anything ever happens to me, the first thing you should do is sell the practice,” he recalled telling his wife, Janice, well before the accident.

June 1, 2010 |  Article

The federal banking agencies, in conjunction with the Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS), released a policy statement on their expectations for sound funding and liquidity risk management practices. The Interagency Policy Statement on Funding and Liquidity Risk Management, adopted by the FDIC, the Federal Reserve, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Office of Thrift Supervision, the National Credit Union Administration and the CSBS, summarizes the principles of sound liquidity risk management issued previously and, when appropriate, supplements them with the Principles for Sound Liquidity Risk Management and Supervision (tinyurl.com/yk8ondu) issued in September 2008

April 12, 2010 |  Article

Risk management processes within businesses continue to be relatively immature and ad hoc despite increased volume and complexity of risks, according to a study published by N.C. State University’s ERM Initiative in partnership with AICPA’s Business, Industry, & Government Team. The second annual study, 2010 Report on the Current State of Enterprise Risk Oversight: 2nd Edition, also found that almost 70% of the executives surveyed noted that management does not routinely report the entity’s top risk exposures to the board of directors.

January 1, 2010 |  Article

The Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) released a thought paper, Strengthening Enterprise Risk Management for Strategic Advantage, that highlights specific areas where senior management can work with directors to enhance the board’s risk oversight capabilities and the organization’s strategic value. This document builds on four specific board risk oversight responsibilities outlined in another COSO thought paper, Effective Enterprise Risk Oversight: The Role of the Board of Directors, that was released Sept.

December 1, 2009 |  BY Arnold H. Schanfield, CPA, CIA, CFE |  Article

The authors of “ERM: Opportunities for Improvement” (Sept. 09, page 28) only discuss/reference the COSO ERM Framework. The body of risk management knowledge includes many other sources, including lectures and books from recognized thought leaders, such as Robert Shiller, Nassim Taleb and others; at least 15 professional risk-related organizations such as the Casualty Actuarial Society, the Federation of European Risk Management Associations, the Global Association of Risk Professionals, and the Institute of Internal Auditors; and at least 15 other risk-related frameworks, including ISO 31000 and AS/NZS (Australian/New Zealand standard) 4360:2004.