Online Champions
 With its reputation for downloadable action
games and pornography, the World Wide Web may seem at times as
if it was designed by and for teenage boys. However, an online
Web navigation test, organized by MCI Communications and the
Educational Testing Service, had some surprising results. Out of
a possible 100, women scored an average of 79.91, higher than
the mens average of 78.29. Youth isnt a help either: Women 60
and older scored 71.38; boys 17 and younger only 70.64.
Everything You Wanted to Know About Pensions
The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation
published its Pension Insurance Data Book 1996 , a
collection of charts and graphs on the status of the programs
it protects. This book can be downloaded from http://www.pbgc.gov . For
free hard copies, fax a request to 202-326-4042 or write to
PBGC Data Book, Room 240, 1200 K Street, N.W., Washington,
D.C. 20005-4026.
We Love Your Hedges
The Securities and Exchange Commission
released a staff publication that contains frequently asked
questions and answers about the SECs new market risk
disclosure rules. The rules, adopted in January, require
disclosures about the policies used to account for derivatives
and certain quantitative and qualitative information about
market risk exposures. The publication is available on the SEC
Web site at
http://www.sec.gov/rules/othern/derivfaq.htm .
The Leaders of the PAC
The public accounting profession donated
more than $10 million to various political action committees
and congressional campaigns in the 1995-96 election period.
The biggest donor was Ernst & Young, with total PAC and
individual contributions of $2.6 million, an average of $1,357
per partner.
Conquistadors Didnt Underestimate the Value
When Hernando Cortes landed in the New
World, he brought horses, soldiersand his accountant. Recent
historical research has highlighted Alonso de Avila, who kept
the books for the Cortes army. As the reward for excellent
service, he was made the first mayor of Veracruz, in what is
now Mexico. | Families in the
1990s
The Employee Benefit Research Institute
published an article, "Domestic Partner Benefits,"
discussing the nature and extent of such benefits, including tax
implications. The article also points out the costs of providing
benefits to domestic partners are not as high as often assumed.
For the full article, order EBRI Notes , no. 7, for
$25 by calling 410-516-6946. More Branches on the Net
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
(FDIC) and the Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS) made
available on one Web site information on branches and deposits
for banks and thrift institutions. The new Bank/Thrift Deposit
Inquiry service allows users to search for information about
any of the more than 81,000 U.S. FDIC-insured branches by
accessing the FDIC Web site at
http://www.fdic.gov or the OTS home page at http://www.ots.treas.gov
.
New Chairman for Canadian CMAs
The Society of Management Accountants of
Canada in Hamilton, Ontario, appointed its 1997-98 executive
committee. The new chairman is Derrick F. Sturge, CMA, FCMA,
chief financial officer of Voiseys Bay Nickel Co., Ltd.
Pennies From Heaven
The U.S. Small Business Administration
published the 1996 edition of Micro-Business-Friendly
Banks in the United States , which identifies 478
banks specializing in business loans of less than $100,000. To
order, call the National Technical Information Service at
703-487-4650.
Boost for Future Accountants
The National Society of Public
Accountants awarded 40 scholarships to college accounting
students, in amounts ranging from $500 to $2,000. Roger Wells,
a junior at Bryant College, was selected as the outstanding
student in the scholarship competition.
Learn More, Earn More
CPAs planning their own futureand
helping clients plan theirsshould note that according to
Census Bureau data, the more advanced the degree, the more
money you make. In 1995, those with just bachelors degrees
earned an average of $44,523; with masters degrees, $55,384;
and with a professional degree, $98,197. |
