Accounting Policy and Practice Report Index-Summary

EARNINGS INFLATION

EARNINGS PER SHARE

ECONOMIC CRISIS

ECONOMIC STIMULUS

– Public-Private Investment Program (PPIP)

– – Asset valuation process remains unclear, 343
– – Treasury plan rolled out, investors and asset managers still have questions on details, 293 et seq.

– Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP)

– – Accounting fraud while seeking funds among crimes by banks, TARP IG warns of wide range of potential wrongdoing, 595
– – Administration announces rules, pay czar for TARP firms, say-on-pay proposal for all public firms, 519
– – Executive compensation, financial institutions receiving TARP money, interim final rule published includes added reporting and recordkeeping requirements, 79
– – FBI focus on TARP and ARRA as possible “next wave” of financial crimes, 548
– – Fraud investigations by FBI likely to increase, 495
– – Geithner calls for regulatory reform at Senate hearings, retroactive requirements may be limited, 116
– – Reform coming, Geithner says at Senate hearing on nomination as Treasury Secretary amid tax error apologies, 79
– – Say-on-pay guidance for firms receiving TARP money issued by SEC, more guidance needed, 203; proxy rules to be amended, 622; proposed rule issued by SEC, 665; comments under review by SEC staff, 861

– Valuation uncertainties, troubled assets still threaten financial system, Congressional Oversight Panel (COP) report, 777

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

– College and university endowment funds, comptrollers struggle to gauge fair value under FAS 157, 87

EMBEDDED DERIVATIVES

See DERIVATIVES

EMERGING ISSUES TASK FORCE (EITF)

– Codification of standards

See GENERALLY ACCEPTED ACCOUNTING PRINCIPLES (GAAP)

– Convertible debt treatment

See CONVERTIBLE DEBT INSTRUMENTS

– Earnings per share

See SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION

– Summary of official actions, June, 598; July, 693; Sept., 863

EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES

– Emissions trading

See ENVIRONMENT

– Oil and gas reserves reporting, SEC staff recommendations approved, 19; FASB proposes amendments to ASC 932 to align with SEC guidance, 718; FASB seeks comments on proposed amendment to accounting and disclosure requirements to align with SEC rule, 843; FASB issued ASU updates, 892

EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS

See PENSIONS

EMPLOYEE STOCK OPTION PLANS

See SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION

ENDOWMENT FUNDS

– Alternative investments, FASB to issue draft fair value guidance soon, 439; net asset per share valuation guidance proposed by FASB, 527; final guidance expected soon, 717; new guidance issued, 891
– College and university endowment funds, comptrollers struggle to gauge fair value under FAS 157, 87

ENERGY

– AstroPower Inc., solar electric power products firm, ex-execs settle revenue recognition scheme charges, agree to civil penalties (D.D.C.), 282
– Canadian energy firms behind on implementation timetable, PwC survey shows, 282
– Environmental issues

See ENVIRONMENT

– Geotec Inc., synthetic fuel producer and officials face civil charges over false filings and accounting irregularities (S.D. Fla.), 642
– Oil and gas

See OIL AND GAS

– PowerCold Corp., and execs settle charges involving improper revenue recognition practices, agree to sanctions (W.D. Tex.), 281

ENVIRONMENT

– American Clean Energy and Security Act

See LEGISLATION, FEDERAL, HR 2454

– Chemicals, regulatory compliance costs, IFRIC staff to develop further proposals, 267; IFRIC rejects move to devise guidance on EU's REACH scheme compliance costs, 442
– Climate change

– – Reports say public firms routinely fail to disclose risks in SEC filings, 517
– – Shareholder resolutions increase, 817

– Emissions trading

– – FASB discussions stall on emissions trading measurement issues, 351
– – IASB agrees to fair value offsets, stymied on subsequent accounting models, 317

– Risk disclosure requirements, SEC working to clarify, 711

EQUITY

– Financial instruments projects

See FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

ETHICS

– Auditor coverage by client benefit plans, AICPA ethics groups proposes tighter rules, 855
– International standards code clarified by IESBA to enhance auditor independence and clarify accountant requirements, 677

EUROPEAN FINANCIAL REPORTING ADVISORY GROUP (EFRAG)

– Direct funding proposed by EC, 118
– EU agrees to direct funding, 433; EU funding discussed, 849

EUROPEAN UNION (EU)

– Audit firm competition, European Comm'n panel says overwhelming majority of respondents support measures to boost, 680
– Auditing standards, European Comm'n study points out benefits of EU adoption of ISA, 590
– Auditor oversight

See AUDITOR OVERSIGHT

– Convergence efforts

See CONVERGENCE

– Direct funding for IASCF and other panels proposed by EC, revisions to financial regulation adopted, 118; surplus expected this year, questions about long-term funding of IASB discussed, 358; EU agrees to direct funding of IASCF, EFRAG and Public Intl. oversight board, 433; EU funding discussed, 849
– Fair value, EC-IASB relations uneasy as EU considers response to IASB rejection of demands for changes in fair value accounting, 92
– Finance ministers want IASB to adopt recent FASB mark-to-market rule changes, 360; showdown expected over use of IFRS, 477
– IASCF monitoring board, EU commissioner reveals plan to consult European Parliament on trustee selection, 313; changes made in response to EU concerns outlined, 987
– IFRS use in Europe inconsistent, GAAP not necessarily subpar, study says, 633
– Nonpublic company IFRS, IASB nears completion, EU considers reporting exemption for micro companies, 217; IASB declines to re-expose standard for small and medium-sized entities, seeks name change, 318; IASB releases new standard, 625; small private U.S. firms consider option of adopting, 709; Deloitte survey highlights advantages for SMEs, 710

EVIDENCE

– External audit evidence, ASB guidance on obtaining proposed, 541

EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

– Administration proposal detailed in white paper, 570 et seq.; analysis of plan, 609; regulation proposals submitted to Congress, 683
– Bank of America shareholder pre-merger disclosures about bonuses to Merrill Lynch executives under investigation by SEC and N.Y., 367; settlement reached with SEC, N.Y. investigation continues (S.D.N.Y.), 737; pending settlement signals growing investor influence on executive compensation, attorneys say, 785; settlement rejected for second time citing lack of charges against individuals (S.D.N.Y.), 818; court rejects proposed settlement, 857; analysis of court rejection, 886; BoA agrees to waive attorney-client privilege, disclose proxy information to N.Y. attorney-general and regulators, 954; SEC's amended complaint repeats allegations, adds one claim (S.D.N.Y.), 1000
– Compensation committees, administration bill would use SEC to enforce independence, 683
– CSX Auto Corp., SEC seeks clawback of bonuses under SOX §304 from innocent CEO (D. Ariz.), 734; effect of case on calculus of restatements discussed, 833
– Disclosure issues become “lightning rod” in downturning economy, 201
– Financial institutions receiving TARP money, interim final rule published includes added reporting and recordkeeping requirements, 79
– Proxy rules to be amended by SEC to require firms to disclose executive compensation information, 622; proposed rule issued by SEC, 665; comments under review by SEC staff, 861
– Say-on-pay

– – Corporate and Financial Institution Compensation Fairness Act

See LEGISLATION, FEDERAL, HR 3269

– – Guidance for firms receiving TARP money issued by SEC, more guidance needed, 203
– – Proxy rules to be amended by SEC for TARP recipients, 622; proposed rule issued by SEC, 665; comments under review by SEC staff, 861

– Stock options

See SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION; STOCK OPTION BACKDATING

eXTENSIBLE BUSINESS REPORTING LANGUAGE (XBRL) PROJECT

See REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

EXTRACTIVE INDUSTRY

See generally OIL AND GAS