Accounting Today articles from February 2002

Accounting Today archives from February 2002

Profession, lawmakers await details of SEC's new regulatory framework.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... WASHINGTON -- Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Harvey Pitt's plan for a new oversight board "dominated by public members" to regulate and discipline the accounting profession is drawing cautious support from CPA leaders but a cool...

Enron debacle muddies MDP waters; many states still murky on issue.(multidisciplinary practices)
February 11, 2002... The fallout from Enron may be on the minds of the delegates voting on the various multidisciplinary proposals that are up for consideration at the American Bar Association meeting in Philadelphia, but it shouldn't be a hindrance to long-term...

POB votes to disband; industry mulls future of self-regulation process.
February 11, 2002... STAMFORD, CONN. -- The members of the Public Oversight Board, the five-person panel that is charged with overseeing the Securities and Exchange Commission Practice Section and its peer review system -- the Auditing Standards Board and...

Four ways to combat stress. (Action Idea).(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... We all suffer from stress at times. In these days of demanding work and home schedules, it's tougher than ever to keep stress at bay. But it's worth a try. 1. Devote three hours each week to you and you alone. Take up a hobby or pick up a...

PwC to split off consulting arm via IPO.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... NEW YORK -- Just days after it named Thomas O'Neill as chief executive of its consulting arm, Big Five firm PricewaterhouseCoopers said it would file plans for a spring IPO to spin off the arm from the firm's core audit and attest services. ...

Kmart launches accounting probe.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... CHICAGO -- Kmart, which filed for bankruptcy in January, announced that an anonymous letter has prompted the company to launch a serious inquiry into its accounting practices. In what may end up being a knee-jerk reaction to the Enron...

KPMG's Butler to retire in November.(Stephen Butler)(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... NEW YORK -- KPMG's Stephen Butler will retire in November at the end of his six-year term as chief executive of the Big Five firm, the firm announced. The 55-year-old Butler said that his decision to retire was not related to recent...

GT enters Charlotte market; eyes others.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... CHICAGO -- Accounting powerhouse Grant Thornton, based here, has expanded into Charlotte, N.C., with the addition of the partners and staff of Gleiberman Spears Shepherd & Menaker to its fold. The deal adds 47 professionals, including three...

IRS needs to fix internal services.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... WASHINGTON -- The Internal Revenue Service needs to improve internal communications between senior-level managers and field employees about its reorganization and its customer service, the American Institute of CPAs said in testimony before the...

In wake of auditing crises, ACFE chair buoys fraud education. (Top of the news: the complete chronicle of news and trends shaping the profession).(Association of Certified Fraud Examiners)
February 11, 2002... Sparked by the auditing fiasco surrounding Enron, the topic of financial reporting fraud has become a glaring fixture on front pages and TV screens nationwide. And as a result, the accounting profession is being forced to take a long, hard look...

Banks buy into XBRL; seek CPAs to help clients move to new format. (Top of the news: the complete chronicle of news and trends shaping the profession).
February 11, 2002... NEW YORK -- The XBRL language for transmitting business report information over the Internet is catching the attention of the banking industry -- whose support is critical to gaining general market acceptance of the new technology. XBRL,...

Malpractice insurance. (Web Cites).(www.accountingmalpractice.com)(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... * AccountingMalpractice.com -- www.accountingmalpractice.com This site provides CPAs with the latest information and tools to help reduce their exposure to accounting malpractice claims. Resources on this site are delivered in the form of...

Footnotes.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... WILLIAM & MARY STUDENTS TAKE FIRST PLACE IN ANDERSEN TAX CHALLENGE: Williamsburg, Va. -- The College of William & Mary's School of Business captured the undergraduate title during the recent Andersen Tax Challenge competition, which was held in...

Early entrants to financial planning map out succession strategies.(conference of American Institute of CPAs)(Brief Article)(Panel Discussion)
February 11, 2002... Aging has hit the advisory business. As Baby Boomers edge toward retirement, succession planning has become a No. 1 issue for independent advisors. "Twenty years ago there weren't many professional planners," said Beth Gamel, CPA/PFS, and...

SEC, POB, AICPA -- what's going on here? (Opinion: the free and open forum for the tax and accounting community).(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... A cantankerous New York sportswriter named Dick Young used to write a must-read version of a column, which he tiffed "What's Going On Here?" It usually dealt with frustrating happenings in the world of professional sports. I thought I...

XYZ news flash: CPA profession has survived; next battle looming. (Commentary).(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... In the last year or two, CPAs across the nation engaged in a powerful, often uncomfortable debate that crossed all state lines, invaded all media and made spokespeople out of CPAs ordinarily in the shadows. The passion of words, on both sides,...

Whose idea was it ...? (Letters).(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... With the demise of the XYZ/Cognitor/IISBP concept now on the horizon thanks to the AICPA council finally forcing the issue to a vote, and with CPA2biz looking as if it might join the fate of other ill-conceived dot-coms, it is time to...

Hamlet's soliloquy on today's accounting ethics. (Accounting Annotations).(Brief Article)(Column)
February 11, 2002... To disclose or not to disclose: that is the question. ether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of ethical lapses Or to take arms against a sea of immorality And by opposing end them? To account, to audit -- No...

Bush signs new tax relief for terror victims.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... * BUSH SIGNS NEW TAX RELIEF FOR TERROR VICTIMS: President George W. Bush signed into law new tax relief for those who were affected by terrorist attacks. The Internal Revenue Service has developed special procedures to expedite refund...

IRS cautions taxpayers about new line on tax forms.(rate reduction credit)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 11, 2002... * IRS CAUTIONS TAXPAYERS ABOUT NEW LINE ON TAX FORMS: The Internal Revenue Service says that many early filers have made an error related to a new line on the federal tax form. This line is for the Rate Reduction Credit, which taxpayers use if...

Enron news underscores need for tax shelter legislation.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... ENRON NEWS UNDERSCORES NEED FOR TAX SHELTER LEGISLATION: Sen. Chuck Grassley, ranking member of the Committee on Finance, said that revelations that Enron might have used tax-haven subsidiaries to avoid taxes and hide its financial debts...

Survey says: over half of independent earnings still stem from tax returns. (Tax practice: the special report on news and trends for the tax professional).(by Tiburon Strategic Advisors)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 11, 2002... A survey of more than 500 dependent tax professionals (CPAs and enrolled agents) shows that tax return fees still account for over 50 percent of the revenues of independent tax professionals and that the number of tax returns that are completed...

The deadline is looming for deemed-sale 18-percent rate. (Tax Strategy).(capital gains tax)(Statistical Data Included)
February 11, 2002... Picture this possible scenario: A client comes in to see you in 2006 with a huge capital gain, mainly the result of the 2004 and 2005 boom years. You tell her that although income tax rates have progressively gone down following the schedule...

Change of auditors. (Assurance: technical developments, professional issues and engagement changes).(Lurie Besikof Lapidus & Co. dismissed by Vicom)(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... * VICOM OUSTS LURIE BESIKOF LAPIDUS: Lurie Besikof Lapidus & Co. was dismissed as independent accountants for Vicom Inc., after reporting a series of internal accounting concerns at the New Hope, Minn., firm. According to the auditors, these...

Form 8-K filings. (Assurance: technical developments, professional issues and engagement changes).(includes brief articles)(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... Abrams Industries Inc. (Atlanta), from PricewaterhouseCoopers to Andersen. Acola Corp. (Houston), from Cogen Sklar to Harper and Pearson Co. Approved Financial Corp. (Virginia Beach, Va.), from Pricewaterhouse Coopers to Grant...

Small firms feel abandoned in FASB representation. (Assurance Forum).(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... NORWALK, CONN. -- Have America's small accounting firms been given short shrift at the Financial Accounting Standards Board? On the surface, it might seem so, but even the Technical Issues Committee of the American Institute of CPAs said that...

Berardino, Andersen and Enron -- spin, spin, spin! (The Spirit Of Accounting).
February 11, 2002... On Dec. 4, 2001, Joe Berardino, chief executive of Andersen placed his byline on a totally unbelievable piece of spin in the form of a column in The Wall Street Journal titled "Enron: A Wake-Up Call." We'll never know for certain, but we...

E*Trade to offer forecasting tools.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 11, 2002... * E*TRADE TO OFFER FORECASTING TOOLS: In an effort to beef up a business that's trended downhill since the economic slowdown, online service broker E*Trade announced that it is now offering financial forecasting tools, as well as consultations...

Equitable Distributors becomes AXA Distributors.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... * EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTORS BECOMES AXA DISTRIBUTORS: Equitable Distributors, a wholly owned unit of financial services concern AXA Financial Inc., has become AXA Distributors LLC. AXA Distributors is a wholesale broker-dealer and general...

Survey finds more companies using pro-forma.(Brief Article)(Polling Data)
February 11, 2002... * SURVEY FINDS MORE COMPANIES USING PRO-FORMA: A wider range of companies are employing pro-forma earnings to attract investors and analysts, a new study has revealed. According to a group of 233 companies surveyed by the National Investor...

Entrepreneur ranks Jackson-Hewitt as 2nd-best franchise.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... * ENTREPRENEUR RANKS JACKSON-HEWITT AS 2ND-BEST FRANCHISE: The Jackson Hewitt Tax Service system has moved up in ranking on Entrepreneur magazine's Annual Franchise 500 list to place as the second-best franchise for 2002. It also garnered...

Women's financial health week a hit.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... * WOMEN'S FINANCIAL HEALTH WEEK A HIT: A public education campaign aimed at helping women get financially fit and at promoting the Personal Financial Specialist credential was a huge hit, according to the American Institute of CPAs. A Web...

Experts: mutual funds are in transition, not dead. (Financial planning: news and strategies for the personal financial planner).(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... According to the mutual fund industry, rumors of its demise are greatly exaggerated. Stock funds alone added $29 billion in new cash through November 2001. The $7 trillion asset management gorilla trudges along in this difficult time by...

Estate tax relief overview for victims of terrorism. (Financial Planning Tax Tactics).
February 11, 2002... The estate tax that is due from the estates of United States citizens or residents who were active members of the U.S. armed forces is reduced if they were killed in action while serving in a combat zone or if they died as a result of wounds,...

Creative Solutions adds XBRL.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... * CREATIVE SOLUTIONS ADDS XBRL: Software developer Creative Solutions Inc. has added XBRL reporting capability to its Write-up Solution and Trial Balance Solution products. CSI said that the enhancement will provide "faster and more...

Clifton Gunderson adds tech firm in Denver.(Telesis Consulting)(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... * CLIFTON GUNDERSON ADDS TECH FIRM IN DENVER: National CPA firm Clifton Gunderson has merged a seven-person technology consulting firm into its Colorado practice, growing its presence in that state to 130 people. The new addition, Telesis...

Crowe Chizek joins Microsoft/Great Plains channel.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... * CROWE CHIZEK JOINS MICROSOFT/GREAT PLAINS CHANNEL: The technology consulting practice of Crowe, Chizek and Co., which ranks among the industry's 20 largest firms with $150.3 million in 2000 revenue, has become a certified reseller for...

Doc management vendor adds new automation.(Altec adds Doc-route document management solution)(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... * DOC MANAGEMENT VENDOR ADDS NEW AUTOMATION: Altec, the developer of document management software that is available integrated with middle-market accounting applications from Epicor, Best and Microsoft/Great Plains, has developed a new...

SMBs may be forced to try e-solutions this year.(small to midsized business)(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... * SMBs MAY BE FORCED TO TRY E-SOLUTIONS THIS YEAR: Resellers with small to midsized business customers, who refuse to consider electronic business solutions, should not give up hope on selling to them in 2002. The new year will feature a...

NASA exchange relies on CPA firm for e-commerce help. (Technology: news and trends in information systems and electronic commerce).(Johns, Buckalew and Johns)
February 11, 2002... COCOA, FLA. -- When one of the top vendors to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Kennedy Space Center in central Florida needed help in using the Internet to conduct business, it didn't ask NASA, one of the world's leading...

Determining your niches will help leverage firms' core competencies. (Consultant Concerns).(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... There are many niche practice opportunities available to public accounting and information technology consulting firms. We can choose specific service, industry or geographic niches and CPAs have the added choice of specialty service areas,...

Business planning tools help gauge clients' needs.(Software Review)(Evaluation)
February 11, 2002... As they face tightening resources, rising costs and a perception that clients value services differently, accountants are making some hard decisions. So now, it's time that firms do for themselves what they do for their clients: examine their...

Processes in firms provide better value to clients. (Boomer's Blueprint).
February 11, 2002... When you discuss process, many may think, "I don't want to work in an assembly or production line." Before we give up, let me define process as an organized group of related activities that, together, create value to clients. No single...

Software: Office XP Professional.(advertisement)
February 11, 2002... Reader Service No. 33 Microsoft Office XP Professional integrates productivity innovations throughout its programs to transform the traditional Office suite into a smarter, overall work experience. By simplifying productivity, enabling...

Software: Quicken 2002 Home & Business.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... Reader Service No. 34 Intuit Quicken 2002 Home & Business is a set of financial tools that help prepare you for money management in the new millennium. It features all the traditional Quicken features, with a new set of abilities. Download...

Software: Turbo Tax 2001.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... Reader Service No. 35 With Intuit Turbo Tax 2001 you can maximize your tax and savings under the new tax codes -- with a minimum time to prepare them. Turbo Tax 2001 provides you with the tools you need to get the most out of this year's...

Software: My Business W-2 & 1099 Tax Filter.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... Reader Service No. 36 Elibrium's My Business W-2 & 1099 Tax Filter is the easy solution to preparing your W-2 and 1099 as fast as possible. Tax Filter is a quick and easy way to handle that chore known as taxes! Simple point-and-click...

Hardware: Desktop copier.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... Reader Service No. 37 At last the small office/home office market has a full-performance copier that includes an automatic document feeder (a feature usually found on larger copiers priced over $1000). The Canon PC980 Personal Desktop...

Hardware: Display monitor.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... Reader Service No. 38 Ideal for corporate, educational, production, information or entertainment applications, the Flat Panel Monitor features on-screen displays in six different languages. Its depth of six inches and weight of less than...

Hardware: SmartPad2.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... Reader Service No. 39 The Seiko Instruments SmartPad2 is the first product that lets you instantly capture everything you write or draw using the SmartPad pen on ordinary paper. The SmartPad2 adjustable infrared transceiver sends your...

Hardware: iMac.(advertisement)
February 11, 2002... Reader Service No. 40 The new iMac is designed around a 15-inch LCD flat screen that is brighter, sharper and easier on the eyes than old-fashioned CRT displays. Instead of requiring your neck, shoulders and back to do the adjusting, the...

Et cetera: digital audio player.(advertisement)
February 11, 2002... Reader Service No. 41 The RioVolt SP250 is the premier portable CD player. The RioVolt SP250 plays CDs with MP3 and WMA files, as well as standard audio CDs. This high-powered CD player delivers eight minutes of shock protection and...

Et cetera: credibility marketing.(advertisement)
February 11, 2002... Reader Service No. 42 High-profile experts attract customers and clients like magnets. Executives, consultants, business owners, accountants, attorneys, sales professionals and anyone responsible for building a client base can ramp up...

Et cetera: C-Pen 800C.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... Reader Service No. 43 The C-Pen handheld scanner captures, stores and transmits information anywhere, anytime. It's reliable, accurate and easy to use. Slide the pen over the words and the miniature digital camera in C-Pen's tip does the...

Web Site Guide: the tax and accounting community's internet directory.
February 11, 2002... Basic listings in the Web Site Guide include the company name, a 25-word description of the site, and the URL. Screen shots can also be added to the listing. AccountantsWorld.com www.accountantsworld.com Search 15 million pages of...

Simione & Macca. (Connecticut).(Jullianne J. Gillespie)(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... Simione & Macca, Newington/Hamden, has introduced Jullianne J. Gillespie as partner. Throughout her 15-plus-year career, Gillespie has provided accounting, auditing, consulting and tax services to companies within several industries including...

Madsen, Sapp, Mena, Rodriguez & Co. (Florida). (manager Timothy J. Iszler reappointed to Manufacturing and Distribution Task Force of Polaris International North America Network in 2002).(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... Timothy J. Iszler, senior manager with Madsen, Sapp, Mena, Rodriguez & Co., Fort Lauderdale, has been reappointed to the Manufacturing and Distribution Task Force of the Polaris International North America Network for 2002. Polaris is an...

Brady, Ware & Schoenfeld Inc. (Indiana). (personnel promotions, appointments).(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... Brady, Ware & Schoenfeld Inc., Richmond, announced the following. Eric Martin has been promoted to senior accountant. Martin works on a variety of engagements for BW&S including providing compilation, review and audit services, preparing...

Ernst & Young. (Iowa). (partner David M. Christens transferred to Des Moines, IA office).(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... Ernst & Young, Des Moines, announced that Financial Services partner David M. Christens has transferred to the Des Moines office. Christens will focus on providing assurance and advisory business services to Ernst & Young clients within the...

Bond Beebe. (Maryland). (personnel promotions).(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... Bond Beebe, Bethesda, announced the promotion of Thomas V. Luhn and Susan P. Weaver to principal status. Luhn has over 20 years' experience with various areas of taxation and employee benefits consulting for nonprofit, corporate and individual...

Alexander, Aronson, Finning & Co. (Massachusetts). (elects Matthew R. Hutt an AAF shareholder).(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... Alexander, Aronson, Finning & Co., Westborough, announced that Matthew R. Hutt was unanimously elected to be an AAF shareholder because of his strong work ethnic, community involvement and professional expertise. As a valued member of the AFF...

Follmer Rudzewicz Advisors Inc. (Michigan). (personnel promotions).(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... Follmer Rudzewicz Advisors Inc., Southfield, announced the following promotions. Steven McCarty has been promoted to principal from account executive. McCarty has spent the last 11 years with the firm. He has experience from William Beaumont...

Rubin, Brown, Gornstein & Co. (Missouri). (joined by Richard C. Petrofsky as partner).(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... Rubin, Brown, Gornstein & Co., St. Louis, announced that Richard C. Petrofsky has joined the firm as partner. Petrofsky, who has more than 15 years of experience in estate planning and wealth management, corporate law, business succession...

Eisner. (New York). (joined by David Ringer as partner).(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... David Ringer has joined Eisner, New York, as partner-in-charge of its Bankruptcy and Insolvency practice. Most recently, Ringer served as a senior manager in the litigation consulting and support group at a major financial services firm. In...

Berdon. (New York). (personnel promotions).(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... Berdon New York, announced that Paul Fritz, Maury Golbert, Seth Molod and Marco Svagna have advanced to partners. Fritz is an audit specialist who advises clients in retail, real estate and distribution. Golbert advises family/owner-managed...

David Sieger & Co. (New York). (personnel appointments).(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... David Sieger & Co., Great Neck, announced that Kristine E. McCarthy and Mark L. Davis have become partners of the firm....

KPMG. (New York). (personnel appointments).(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... KPMG announced the following appointments. Jamie Cote has been appointed a senior manager and Marcella Junco, Pasquale P. Marotta and Michael M. Ozimek III have been appointed managers in the firm's Albany office. Cote provides assurance...

Spector & Saulino. (Ohio). (appoints Jeffery A. Walters managing partner).(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... Spector & Saulino, Akron, has named Jeffery A. Walters as its managing partner. Walters will also serve as business unit leader for CBIZ Solutions of Northeast Ohio Inc., a subsidiary of Century Business Services Inc. The move will allow the...

Whalen & Co. (Ohio).(three join firm)(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... Whalen & Co., Columbus, announced that two partners of the firm, Laura Wojciechowski and Richard Crabtree, have graduated from the Ohio Society of CPAs' program, The Center for Leadership. The course is a leadership training program designed...

Brady, Ware & Schoenfeld Inc. (Ohio).(joined by Jim Payne in Retirement Plan division)(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... Brady Ware & Schoenfeld Inc., Dayton, announced that Jim Payne has joined the team as manager of the Retirement Plan division. Payne brings nine years of pension administration experience to the firm. His main responsibility at BW&S is to...

Parente Randolph Business Reorganization. (Pennysylvania).(Wayne R. Walker appointed to Panel of Trustees for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania)(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... The United States Trustee's office appointed Wayne R. Walker, a member of the Parente Randolph Business Reorganization team in Philadelphia, to the Panel of Trustees for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The United States Trustee is charged...

Smart & Associates. (Pennsylvania).(Christopher J. Barbier joins firm)(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... Smart and Associates, Devon, announced that Christopher J. Barbier has joined the firm as manager, Business and IT Consulting Services. Barbier was formerly a manager, Information Technology, with the real estate advisory firm of Urdang &...

Moore Kirkland & Beauston. (South Carolina).(Vicki Merritt is Oracle Small Business Certified Consultant)(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... Moore Kirkland & Beauston, West Columbia, announced that Vicki Merritt, the firm's Information Technology manager, has become an Oracle Small Business Certified Consultant. (Oracle Small Business was formerly NetLedger.) Merritt is the first...

The Texas Society of CPAs. (Texas).(honors for with 2001 Outstanding Accounting Educator Awards)(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... The Texas Society of CPAs, Dallas, recently honored four of its members and top Texas accounting professors with the organization's 2001 Outstanding Accounting Educator Awards. Winners included Barbara Cassidy, Saturnino Gonzalez, Jan Morris...

Not so simple! (Letters).
February 11, 2002... In the article, "Simple or SEP?" that appeared on page 9 of the Jan. 7-27 issue of Accounting Today, George Jones and Mark Luscombe state that the 3 percent employer match is based on "3 percent of compensation (up to $170,000 of compensation...

Please check IRS Reg. Sec 1163-8T. (Letters).
February 11, 2002... I always enjoy reading Bob Rywick's column and his recent column on "Tax effects of refinancing mortgages," in the Jan. 7-27, 2002 issue was no exception. However, I believe that there is an error in his article. In Example (2), which...

Chamber of Commerce releases report card on state liability systems.(Brief Article)(Polling Data)
February 11, 2002... WASHINGTON -- The United States Chamber of Commerce has released a poll, conducted by Harris Interactive, assessing the liability systems of all 50 states and ranking them on the perceived fairness or reasonableness of their litigation...

SEC names Thomsen deputy director; Unger resigns.(Security and Exchange Commission, Linda Chatman Thomsen)(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... WASHINGTON -- The Securities and Exchange Commission has named Linda Chatman Thomsen to the post of deputy director of the Division of Enforcement. Thomsen, 47, succeeds Stephen M. Cutler, who was appointed director of the division in October....

After Enron, change sweeps profession; PwC, Deloitte to cut loose consulting practices.
February 25, 2002... As the effects of the Enron meltdown engulf the profession like flowing lava, the Big Five firms, anticipating major reforms from regulators, are scrambling to adopt changes in hopes of restoring public confidence in the audit and financial...

Enron's black cloud offers silver lining for some CPA firms.
February 25, 2002... NEW YORK -- The downfall of Enron Corp. may mean a windfall for some non-Big Five accounting firms. With pressure increasing to restrict the non-attest services that auditors can offer audit clients, there's a growing sense that the...

Changes inevitable for audit-consulting relationships.
February 25, 2002... While Congress and the Securities and Exchange Commission forge ahead with plans to forever change the dynamic between auditors and their clients following the Andersen/Enron scandal, accounting industry leaders have been analyzing how the...

Action idea.(Brief Article)
February 25, 2002... How to ace the CPA exam Only 10 percent of those who sit for the CPA exam pass all four parts at one time. Here are some tips for increasing your chances of success: 1. Stay organized and on schedule. Effectively balance your time...

No 11th hour reversal for POB.(Public Oversight Board to disband)(Brief Article)
February 25, 2002... STAMFORD, CONN. -- Despite a plea by Securities and Exchange Commission chairman Harvey Pitt to reconsider its previously announced decision to disband, the Public Oversight Board will cease operations by March 31. POB chairman Charles...

Block tax services prexy to retire. (Thomas L. Zimmerman).(Brief Article)
February 25, 2002... KANSAS CITY, MO. -- Thomas L. Zimmerman, president of H&R Block Tax Services Inc., will retire after the close of the company's current fiscal year to spend more time with his family, the firm announced. Zimmerman, a 30-year veteran of the...