Financial Director articles from November 2006

Financial Director archives from November 2006

emerging perils.(Company overview)
November 30, 2006... Byline: Malcolm Wheatley emerging perils Companies are rushing to source from low-cost countries without considering all the hidden risks words Malcolm Wheatley illustration David lyttleton Following reported losses...

If it ain't broke.(global economy and capital markets)
November 30, 2006... Byline: peter williams if it ain't broke Latest predictions of a major shake up in corporate reporting models should be taken with a pinch of salt There are many reasons why Global Capital Markets and the Global Economy: A vision...

Martini reporting.
November 30, 2006... Byline: peter williams Martini reporting Modern technology is making any time, any place, anywhere reporting more of a reality as investors and stakeholders reject the traditional model for more future-looking financial reports, writes...

Silver & Browne.
November 30, 2006... Byline: Robert Bruce silver & browne Corporate governance has changed business culture for good. It's time the rest of the world caught on If anybody ever suggests to you that change is something that is difficult to bring about...

Half empty.(personal debt affects economic growth)
November 30, 2006... Byline: Dennis Turner Half empty Opinions over economic growth may be divided, but no one can deny the negative effect of rising personal debt Both the optimists and the pessimists can claim that the latest batch of economic...

Securing your IT continuity.
November 30, 2006... Byline: Robert Jaques securing your it continuity Many organisations are dangerously unaware of the risks of not having an IT continuity plan in the event of disaster Many organisations are operating under the dangerous...

Bark worse than its bite.(United Kingdom. Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority)
November 30, 2006... Byline: Anthony Harrington bark worse than its bite The Pensions Regulator must bare its teeth to truly safeguard scheme members from pension buyouts The chairman and the CEO of The Pensions Regulator have earned a reputation for...

Benefits envy.
November 30, 2006... Byline: Alex Blyth Benefits envy Flexible benefits are seen as an effective way of motivating staff, but can also cause resentment if not managed properly "When we go to work, one of the things we expect from our employers is...

Work to live.(retirement schemes)
November 30, 2006... Byline: Anthony Harrington Work to live As life expectancy improves, prospects for a prosperous retirement decline. But do annuities have a future to play? Star Trek's emotionally challenged Mr Spock was fond of the line: "live...

Clear as mud.
November 30, 2006... Byline: Anthony Harrington clear as mud The government's new proposals to make it easier to save for retirement have left many of the issues unresolved The government left many stones unturned and much of the detail work...

Future Prospects.(pension management and financial reporting)
November 30, 2006... Byline: Richard Willsher future prospects Pensions reporting has highlighted the difficulty of managing assets. Predicting future liabilities may prove more onerous A positive outcome of the introduction of the FRS17 pensions...

Watchdog monitors PE market.(Financial Services Authority, private equity)
November 30, 2006... Byline: Neil Hodge watchdog monitors pe Market The growth in private equity buyouts has led to fears of conflicts of interest and potential for market abuse The rising number of private equity buyouts has prompted UK watchdogs to...

Ghost of pensions past.
November 30, 2006... Byline: Anthony Harrington ghost of pensions past Anthony Harrington takes a trip through time to investigate the highs and lows of pensions 11th to 14th centuries. Development of Trust Law by English Crusaders seeking to settle...

The heat is on.(carbon emissions to decrease economy of United Kingdom)
November 30, 2006... Byline: Peter Bartram THE HEAT IS ON The Stern report has raised fears that the financial burden of reducing carbon emissions will undermine the competitiveness of UK business. But some FDs are already seeing the benefits, writes Peter...

Throw a sickie.
November 30, 2006... Byline: Neil Hodge Throw a sickie Few companies are taking absenteeism due to illness seriously and many employees still can't see the benefit of healthcare Absenteeism is a major headache for UK employers. According to figures by...

Bond yields fall after US mid-term elections.
November 30, 2006... Byline: David Kern Bond yields fall after US mid-term elections US mid-term election results have little impact on US and global prospects. But falling bond yields and more pronounced inversions of yield curves reinforce perceptions...

Pensions intro.
November 30, 2006... Byline: Neil Hodge Our third look this year at pensions and employee benefits takes us into familiar territory, but with new insights and opinions to some intractable problems. There's only room on this page for a couple of highlights: ...

Predicting the future.
November 30, 2006... Byline: Anthony Harrington predicting the future With life expectancy soaring, companies have their biggest pension challenges to come 2009 With a General Election, the scale of the 'grey vote' forces both parties to make...

UK manufacturing sector extends its global operations.(Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales Enterprise Survey Report)(Brief article)
November 30, 2006... Byline: David Rae UK manufacturing sector extends its global operations Research by the ICAEW has revealed the extent to which globalisation has impacted on UK companies. Of those companies surveyed, 77% were involved in markets or...

Governance sidelines board's role.
November 30, 2006... Byline: David Rae Governancesidelines board's role The huge increase in corporate governance has resulted in a 15% decrease in the number of board meetings at the UK's largest companies. Research by Cass Business School found that...

India seeks international expansion.(Brief article)
November 30, 2006... Byline: David Rae India seeks international expansion A survey of India's top entrepreneurs has found a growing interest from Indian companies in European and US expansion. The survey, conducted by IndusView, claims that 80% of those...

Companies Act to regulate Directors' behaviour.
November 30, 2006... Byline: Neil Hodge Companies act to regulate directors' behaviour Neil Hodge outlines the implications of the biggest shake-up in company law in half a century With more than 1,300 clauses, the Companies Act 2006, which...

IT pays its way.(business expenditure on information technology)
November 30, 2006... Byline: Andrew Sawers IT pays its way In a climate of cost cutting, IT spend has proved a notoriously difficult expense to justify. But, as our expert panel explains, IT is core to your business and could give your organisation a...

Innovation: The big idea.(Company overview)
November 30, 2006... Byline: David Rae For most finance directors, the mere thought of embarking on a project with the knowledge that it's likely to result in costly failure is enough to bring on a bout of the cold sweats, but, despite this, it's likely to...

nothing ventured.
November 30, 2006... Byline: Andrew Sawers nothing ventured BVCA chief executive Peter Linthwaite explains the shift from venture capital to private equity and the benefits, as well as the risks, of a booming buyout market words Andrew sawers...

What's next?(Finance Directors' Forum discusses best practices)
November 30, 2006... Byline: Andrew Sawers what's next? The ninth Richmond Events Finance Directors' Forum set sail on 1-4 November with more than 230 FDs on board. They discussed topics from corporate governance to personal development The...

Go IT alone.(information technology)
November 30, 2006... Byline: David Rae go it alone Releasing staff from the shackles of technology and giving them back control will improve productivity The strategy of handing a task to someone else to complete when it proves too difficult is...

The Russian revolution (cont'd).
November 30, 2006... Byline: Andrew Sawers The russian revolution (cont'd) Lenin must be rolling over in his grave. The great man's tomb in Red Square looks directly at the world-famous GUM department store that used to be a by-word for shortages,...

Nasdaq's 'final offer' undervalues LSE.
November 30, 2006... Byline: David Rae nasdaq's 'final offer' undervalues lse Christmas hampered Questions were being asked about the demise of Farepak, the Christmas hamper company, which focused on a series of loans made by the company to its...

Nasdaq's 'final offer undervalues LSE.
November 30, 2006... Byline: David Rae Nasdaq tendered a [pounds sterling]2.7bn "final offer" for the London Stock Exchange although the LSE rejected the offer out of hand because it so seriously undervalued the company. The US technology exchange increased...

Defending the status quo.(auditors)(Brief article)
November 30, 2006... Byline: Peter Williams Defending the status quo The large firms may have set out their radical vision of the future of corporate reporting, but they also gave a conservative and robust defence of their current role in the operation of...

Six vital elements for capital market stability, efficiency and growth.
November 30, 2006... Byline: Peter Williams Six vital elements for capital market stability, efficiency and growth n Investors' need for information are well-defined and met n The roles of market stakeholders -- preparers, regulators, investors,...