Going Concern

Three Pet Peeves to Avoid at Work

Daniel Braddock
August 3, 2010

Happy MOANday, people. Back from the weekend and cranky to be here, today’s post is not supposed to come off as salty.

But it might. My (somewhat sincere) apologies.

Good intentions aside, our coworkers and their habits get to us; this should come as no surprise. It is inevitable – being surrounded by the same individuals for long periods of time – that we will not like everything about our coworkers. Listed below are few popular pet peeves that should be avoided:

Music – This is a catch-all for all aspects of music at work: listening to music without headphones; listening to music with both headphones; humming to your playlist; using red pencils as drum sticks and binders as snare drums. There are other people around. Grow up, Tommy Lee. Keep the air drumming restricted to your Rock Band parties.

Everything about food – Food in the fridge labeled “do not throw out”. Fish for lunch. There’s nothing wrong with bringing a hot lunch to work; but have some respect for the surrounding cubicles. Eat your tofu and bean curd in the same area you heated it up – your floor’s kitchenette.

Personal calls in public spaces – Early in my career my cubicle was adjacent to Lover Boy. Every day like clockwork Lover Boy would speak to his lady friend at 9am, 12:30pm, 3pm, and whenever he closed out for the day. Conversations were always predictable (“I’m eating the salami and Munster cheese sandwich you made me”) and oftentimes cases of TMI. The issue of over sharing on the phone is rooted in the fact that people are comfortable at work; more time during the week is spent in the office than at home. Because of that, people forget that there are strangers within earshot (we all know the person I’m referring to – feet up on the desk, recounting the cake at Aunt Thelma’s 60th birthday bash). Taking the time to find a quiet room or unused conference space to argue about unwarranted cell phone charges shows respect for your colleagues. A good rule of thumb is avoid having a conversation at your desk that you wouldn’t take while sitting next to your grandmother. If your grandmother wouldn’t want to hear it, neither do I.

Expand on these or share your own pet peeves below.

Quote of the Day

Maxine Waters Takes Exception with the Ethics Violations

Caleb Newquist
August 3, 2010

“I have not violated any House rules. Therefore, I simply will not be forced to admit to something I did not do.”

~ The California Congresswoman, in a statement, won’t be going quietly.

News

FASB to Make Heads or Tails of Repurchase Accounting Soon Enough

Caleb Newquist
August 3, 2010

Back in April when he was testifying before the House Financial Services Committee, FASB Chairman Bob Herz couldn’t really say one way or another what he thought about the repurchase accounting that Lehman Brothers was using.

At the time, Herz just said that FASB would work diligently with the SEC (no porn allowed), that Lehman skirted the disclosure rules and that they were going to get to the bottom of this, come hell or Barney Frank’s shrewd disposition.

In a recent meeting with his fellow double-entry wizards in Norwalk, Herz said that he was opening up ‘a very targeted scope project’ that will get to the bottom of this pile:

“Once we’re made aware that people are trying to structure around specific provisions in the accounting literature, it makes you think about whether those provisions need to be looked at,” he told the board. “We’ve asked the staff to take a look at that and come back with some recommendations in the pretty near term,” he said.

FASB Plans New Rules Around Repurchase Agreements [Compliance Week]

Alabama Strives for the #1 Ranking in Obesity with Consideration of Tax on Gym Memberships

Caleb Newquist
August 2, 2010

Yes, it’s true! Bama was number #2, according to the latest Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Trust for America’s Health ranking but with a little bit asinine tax policy, the Yellowhammer state could ascend to #1 spot.

Kiplinger has a slideshow that goes over some of the stranger (and desperate) measures some states are going to in order to close their budget gaps. Twenty-six states already tax bowling for crissakes! And now Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina and New Mexico are thinking about it too!

The ultimate, for us anyway, is the Alabama’s show of complete disdain for anyone considering to exert themselves in any manner, shape or form:

Later this year, Alabama will debate taxing gym memberships, a plan that could raise several million dollars a year in state revenue. A monthly membership would include the Yellowhammer State’s 4% sales tax.

You hear that? Several million dollars. Easily eaten by the costs associated with the 31% obesity rate. Sounds like a great plan.

10 Surprising Ways Your State May Tax You Next [Kiplinger via Bucks]

Rather Than Admit that She Was Getting Tax Advice from Reggie Bush, Khloe Kardashian Blames Her Accountant

Caleb Newquist
August 2, 2010

Because there doesn’t appear to be anything else going on today, we’ll be forced to tell you that Khloe Kardashian should now be at the top of your shit list for reasons none other than she is blaming her accountant for not paying her taxes.

TMZ reported yesterday that K-squared III owed California around $18.5k for ’07. Now the word is that she did pay but the accountant failed to remit the amount owed. Everything is cool though because, by the grace of God, Khloe has found a new accountant and everything should be cleared up shortly.

The only question that remains is, if she paid this twice, what the hell happened to the original $18k? Did the accountant just blow out of town with some Kardash cash? Did it somehow wind up in Reggie Bush’s pockets? Is there a spectacular Ponzi Scheme behind the whole thing that will result in the Kardashians being wiped out of popular culture altogether? God, we can only hope.

Khloe Kardashian — My Accountant Ate My Tax Lien [TMZ]

Job of the Day

Job of the Day: AFEX Needs an Internal Auditor

GoingConcern
August 2, 2010

Associated Foreign Exchange is looking for an experienced auditor to join its Los Angeles office.

Qualifications include five years of experience and a strong knowledge of audit practices. Some travel is required.

Company: Associated Foreign Exchange

Title: Internal Auditor

Location: Los Angeles, CA

Description: This position is responsible to ensure that policies and procedures are being followed consistently throughout the Company to improve internal, operational and management control systems, verify the accuracy and reliability of Accounting Data and promote adherence to the recommended changes.

This position reports to the Internal Audit and Risk Management Officer. The nature of this position requires contact with AFEX Employees and may include communications with Vendors and other business-related representatives as well.

Responsibilities: Familiarize with the Company’s Policies and Procedures for each area; Develop a comprehensive internal audit program for the Company; Review transactions, documents, records, reports and methods for accuracy and effectiveness; Prepare working papers that summarize the result of each audit assignment; Hold preliminary discussions on apparent weaknesses with appropriate staff to verify and obtain explanations and document the responses; Submit the written audit findings, inclusive of the recommendations, to the IA/RMO; Monitor that recommended changes are being implemented

Qualifications/Skills: Bachelors Degree in Accounting; At least 5 years experience in Internal Audit for Financial Institutions; strong knowledge of the standard audit practices and ability to apply them; Strong knowledge of Microsoft Office; Excellent analytical skills and attention to details; Ability to work with little or no supervision; Excellent interpersonal skills; Excellent written and verbal communication skills; Will be required to travel to the different offices.

See the entire description over at the GC Career Center and visit the main page for all your job search needs.

EY
Salaries

(UPDATE) Comp Watch ’10: Ernst & Young Numbers Coming Out This Week?

Caleb Newquist
August 2, 2010

Last time we checked in on E&Y in the comp department, convos on promotions and ratings were to have gone down by last Friday. That appears to have happened right on cue and now we’re told that starting this week, the numbers will be coming down from 5 Times Square:

Latest regarding compensation (exact $ amount) in both FSO/New York and Northeast/New York regions is discussions should start today and run for 2 weeks. Big push right now in all business units to try and appear to care about people; people advisory board members have been reaching out for ways the firm can improve.

Feel free to speculate as to why the “caring” and “reaching out” is happening at this particular time of year (and if the Facebook downloading is at all related). Also, if you’ve had the talk and have great/disappointing news to report, do share or get in touch with us.

UPDATE: Word is that meetings are still being had this week and the numbers are still good. One source (Manager) in the assurance practice reported a 5 rating and a 21% bump. Not too shabby.

Fulltime Offer Watch ’10: Big 4 Class of 2011

Caleb Newquist
August 2, 2010

Now that it’s officially August, that means a few things:

1) Everyone around starts bitching how summer is almost over

2) The tax compliance folks take a field trip to the nearest Radio Shack to stock up on their batteries for the two and a half month stretch and

3) This year’s interns starting getting their offers for fulltime employment.

This of course means that your coffee jockeys and Xerox operators will start stressing over everything that they’ve ever done this summer and whether it’s good enough to be blessed with the honor and privilege to attain fulltime Big 4 employment.

So if you veterans out there have been doing your job, you’ve shaped some fine, young, booze-drenched minds into someone that is going to your new associate next fall. If you feel like giving them some credit below. And interns, if you’ve gotten some good news (official or otherwise) jump for joy below and share your experiences – the good, the bad, the truly mortifying (extra bonus points here).

UPDATE: Straight out of the rumor mill, we’ve heard that some E&Y interns have already found out that they won’t be partying with Mickey & the Gang:

There was a round of interns who were let go on Friday. They were told to come in to the office and terminated, offers not given. Saves the expense of sending them down to Disney (the interns that remain leave this Wednesday). There were at least 3 let go in NY.

A Few People Noticed That New Century Execs Settled with SEC

Caleb Newquist
August 2, 2010

There were just a few reports late on Friday about New Century Execs settling with the SEC over the failure to make certain risk disclosures. However, it’s worth mentioning that this is still more coverage than the settlement that KPMG reached with New Century that we reported on in late June – still no press release – but that’s neither here nor there.

SEC statement:

On July 29, 2010, the Commission accepted settlement offers from three former officers of New Century Financial Corporation. Brad A. Morrice, the former CEO and co-founder; Patti M. Dodge, the former CFO; and David N. Kenneally, the former controller, consented to the relief described below without admitting or denying the allegations in the Commission’s Complaint. The settlement offers, which have been submitted to the Court for approval, are contingent upon the Court’s approval of a global settlement in In re New Century, Case No. 07-931-DDP (C.D. Cal.).

The Commission’s complaint alleges, among other things, that New Century’s second and third quarter 2006 Forms 10-Q and two late 2006 private stock offerings contained false and misleading statements regarding its subprime mortgage business. The complaint further alleges that Morrice and Dodge knew about certain negative trends in New Century’s loan portfolio from reports they received and that they participated in the disclosure process, but they did not take adequate steps to ensure that the negative trends were properly disclosed. The Commission’s complaint also alleges that in the second and third quarters of 2006, Kenneally, contrary to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, implemented changes to New Century’s method for estimating its loan repurchase obligation and failed to ensure that New Century’s backlog of pending loan repurchase requests were properly accounted for, resulting in an understatement of New Century’s repurchase reserve and a material overstatement of New Century’s financial results.

That “material overstatement” consisted of a $90 million profit in Q3 of ’06 that was actually a $18 loss.

Morrice, Dodge and Kenneally all agreed to cough up some of their ill gotten gains and were subjected to fines but they didn’t come close to Michael Dell sized proportions.

SEC Settles with Former Officers of Subprime Lender New Century [SEC]
Ex-New Century Managers to Pay $1.5 Million Over Subprime Lender’s Failure [Bloomberg]

Accounting News Roundup: 1099 Reporting Is the Latest Political Football; Financial Reporting Overhaul in the Works?; Zynga’s CFO Hire Spurs IPO Talk | 08.02.10

Caleb Newquist
August 2, 2010

Parties Play Politics With Unpopular Tax Measure [WSJ]
The new 1099 reporting requia bit of belly aching to point of many groups asking for a repeal. Too bad the members of Congress are the ones with the power to actually make something happen:

“The House rejected a bill Friday that would have repealed the provision. The two parties disagreed on how to make up the lost revenue.

‘This foolish policy hammers our business community when we should be supporting their job growth,’ Sen. Mike Johanns of Nebraska said in the Republicans’ weekly radio and Internet address Saturday. ‘It’s only one example of how the administration’s promise to support small businesses really rings hollow.’

Democrats blamed Republicans for Friday’s failure.

‘Despite all of their rhetoric about the need to eliminate this reporting requirement, Republicans walked away from small businesses when it mattered most,’ said Rep. Sander Levin (D-Mich.), chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.”

FASB Alumnus Trashes GAAP (and IFRS) [The Accounting Onion]
“I suspect that the folks being paid the big bucks to make the tough calls on accounting standards don’t pay a lot of attention to to the likes of Tom Whatshisname, even were I to announce that the sky is falling. But, I don’t take it personally. Over the past 40 years, any PhD not drawing a salary from the Big Four has been viewed with more suspicion than respect by the standard setting establishment.

I mention all of this now, because there is a new voice, whose credibility and qualifications cannot be so easily dismissed. That voice belongs to FASB alumnus David Mosso, who has written an 80-page monograph entitled Early Warning and Quick Response: Accounting in the Twenty-First Century). If you don’t want to believe me, take it from him: GAAP is broken.”

Group formed to overhaul financial reporting [Accountancy Age]
Meanwhile: “A project to overhaul company reporting has been launched by a high level group of accountants, businesses, regulators and market participants.

The International Integrated Reporting Committee will look at the wider concerns about financial reporting, in terms of addressing risk, and presenting a clearer and broader picture of companies’ performance, including governance and environmental issues.”

Goldman Details Its Valuations With AIG [WSJ]
“How did Goldman come up with the mortgage-securities prices it used to extract cash from AIG?”

Before There Can Be An IPO, First Comes A New CFO For Zynga [Tech Crunch]
Dave Wehner comes in from Allen & Co. taking the spot of Mark Vranesh who is becoming Chief Accounting Officer. What does all this mean? First, it gives most MSM outlets a day or two worth of stories about when Zynga will go public but mostly it means the business of Farmville, no matter how you hate it, is serious business.

Facebook Would-Be Owner Says He Owes His Claim to Arrest [Bloomberg]
“Paul Ceglia, who claims in a lawsuit that he owns 84 percent of Facebook Inc., said his case wouldn’t have been possible if state troopers hadn’t come to his house in October to arrest him for fraud.”

Forced Employee Engagement and the Overworked Employee [The Exuberant Accountant]
“In my many interactions with business owners, I have heard some speak of employees as being ‘lucky to still have a job.’ While that may be true, thinking (and acting) in such a manner is very short sighted.”

Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn? [AccMan]
Got business model?

Quote of the Day

Tony Hayward Is a Lover, Not a Spiller

Caleb Newquist
July 31, 2010

“I didn’t want to leave BP, because I love the company. Because I love the company, I must leave BP.”

~ Tony Hayward may, as some have suggested, have a future as a poet.

Grant Thornton

Grant Thornton Is Nearly Done ‘Transitioning’ Offices

Caleb Newquist
July 31, 2010

Earlier this week, Grant Thornton CEO Stephen Chipman sent an email out to the troops, letting everyone know what’s been going at GT has been over the last 6 months or so. Turns out, quite a bit has been going on! Never mind the blogging for a second, we’re talking about the offices that have been closed or sold around the country. Namely Albuquerque, Honolulu, Madison and Greensboro.

SC gets to all those and he does mention the sale of the “Manufacturing Transaction Services practice, based in Detroit” which, we’re pretty sure, is the Supply Chain Advisory practice they sold to KPMG. The email doesn’t really tell you anything that we haven’t already but it is in some nice Chipman prose, if that’s your fancy.

But for good measure, we also learn that the firm has “transitioned out of our regional community hospital practice in Wichita,” which is news to us.

BKD picked up GT’s community hospital practice and everything should be finito by August 31st. But that’s the last of ’em! The only other news is that August, apparently, is going to be an exciting month for Grant Thornton because that’s when SC & Co. are going to communicate the “full details of [the firm’s] new strategy.” We have no idea what means but it’s sure to make August considerably more exciting than normal.

As many of you know, Grant Thornton’s Senior Leadership Team has been deeply engaged in the process of refining the strategic direction of our firm. Our strategy unleashes our potential as a global provider of distinctive client service and includes focusing on our “chosen” markets—those markets that offer the greatest opportunities for the growth of our business and the development of our people.

During experienceAugust, when we come together as one firm, I will be communicating to you the full details of this new strategy. Today, I want to personally share with you the news that, as part of implementing the strategy and better positioning us for growth in our chosen markets, the firm’s senior leaders have made the difficult decision to transition from a few locations and practices.

The firm will be closing and transitioning offices located in Albuquerque, Greensboro, Honolulu and Madison. Additionally, we have transitioned out of our regional community hospital practice in Wichita and our Manufacturing Transaction Services practice, based in Detroit. We expect all six of these transitions to be completed by August 31, 2010.

Beyond these, I want to assure you that the firm has no additional planned office or practice transitions. Below, I share with you details about each of these changes. Additionally, I will be providing you with more information during the August 10 all-employee video conference.

Transition plans for affected offices
In Albuquerque, Grant Thornton has signed a letter of intent for Moss Adams LLP to acquire our practice. Moss Adams LLP is the eleventh-largest accounting and consulting firm in the U.S., and its Albuquerque office is the largest accounting practice in the state of New Mexico.

Our Greensboro office will consolidate into our firm’s Raleigh and Charlotte offices, where we will continue to serve our Carolinas-based clients.

In Honolulu, two former Grant Thornton partners—Patrick Oki and Lawrence Chew—have purchased the office. Patrick and Lawrence will be the partners in their newly-formed firm, PKF Pacific Hawaii LLP. PKF Pacific Hawaii will assume Grant Thornton’s office space, transition existing employees in Honolulu and continue to provide audit, tax, and advisory services in Hawaii.

Our Madison office will merge with our Milwaukee office, where—in conjunction with our Appleton office—we will continue to serve the greater Wisconsin marketplace.

Transition plans for affected practices
In Detroit, we completed a transaction for KPMG to acquire our Manufacturing Transaction Services practice, a provider of a highly specialized niche service offering to the automotive sector. We continue to have a growing and successful Detroit office and we remain fully committed to providing audit, tax, and advisory services to the automotive industry.

In Wichita, we completed a transaction for BKD to acquire our regional community hospital practice.. We are fully committed to our practice in Wichita and are excited about the opportunities for growth under our new managing partner, Lori Davis.

Honoring our colleagues
The decision to transition these locations and practices was not an easy one. We determined our course only after lengthy deliberation, and with the greatest consideration for the best interests of our business, clients and our people. To those of you who sit in the affected offices, and who are leaving the firm as a result of these transitions, it has been a privilege and honor to work with you. On behalf of the entire firm, I want to express to you my heartfelt gratitude for your service and wish you the greatest success going forward. Your contributions to Grant Thornton have been enormous, and your offices and practices will stand as proud parts of the firm’s history.

Investing for growth
As we look ahead to executing on our strategy, this realignment of our resources and geographies will better position us for growth and will help us to build greater market share in our chosen markets. It enhances our ability to focus on the development of our people and providing our clients with an exceptional and distinctive client experience. I look forward to sharing more details—and my excitement— about the new growth strategy next month, when unleashing our potential will launch in tandem with our new fiscal year.

In closing, I want to thank you for all that you do to make a difference at Grant Thornton. I am confident that August is the start of one of the most exciting times at our firm to date, and I look forward to beginning this new chapter together.

Stephen

Careers

Big 4

News

Technology

Practice Management

Site Search

Twitter Feed

Get the Accounting News Roundup

Quick Reads

Sponsored Content

Get the Accounting News Roundup

Remote Accounting & Tax Director

Senior Accountant / Client Account Manager (CAS & Tax)

Remote Tax Senior

Remote Accounting & Tax Director

Senior Accountant / Client Account Manager (CAS & Tax)

Remote Tax Senior