Abstract The paper discusses the many advantages of having one global set of accounting standards that would improve the quality of financial reports and investment decisions. The paper looks at the IAS or International Accounting Standards proposal that will determine one set of accounting standards. The paper concludes that if the United States were to impose a broad and ill-defined system of accounting standards, companies would challenge every standard, trying to define the system in their favor.
Outline:
Pros And Cons Of Having One Global Accounting Standard
Preparers, Users and Regulators of the International Accounting Standards
Types of Companies; Listed vs. Unlisted, Large v. Medium v. small, Domestic v. International, Public v. Private
Political Process of Standard Setting; Rules Based, Principal Based
Examples of Three Different Countries; Compare Their Accounting Practices
Conclusion
From the Paper "The new electronic interdependence recreates the world in the image of a global village." (McLuhan (1962 (1996, p. 31). There are many advantages of having one global set of accounting standards that will provide society with a crucial service not only in the United States, but in other countries as well. In recent years there has been shameful accounting methods used in which billions of dollars in retirement wealth and investments have had great financial losses. Because of these slanderous actions, the integrity and the ability to survive these accounting services have been questioned. Globalizing international trade by using a set of global accounting standards has had a tremendous effect in the way business is conducted. (Pagiavlas 1)"
This paper discuses the problems created by the International Accounting Standard (IAS) 38, which prescribes the accounting treatment for intangible assets such as products of the company's research.
Abstract This paper explains that the balance sheet provides next to no use in reporting the increasingly significant intangible assets of business entities. The author points out that intangible assets, such as a highly-talented workforce who generate more revenue, represent the major value-drivers of today's economy. The paper relates that attempts to modify the traditional accounting approach have not kept pace with the changes brought bought by these intangibles. The author believes that the new rules penalize the companies, which have experienced a loss of value in their intangible assets through write-offs that immediately reduce earnings. The paper states that the best solution is to recognize intangible assets in the financial statement including the ones developed in-house; however, entities must report the future performance of their intangible assets or their earning potential before they are tested for possible impairment.
Table of Contents:
IAS 38: Intangible Assets
Accounting Rules Fell Short in Valuing Intangibles
Goodwill & Intangibles
Consequences of New Rules
Summary
From the Paper "Most companies have avoided to report in a comprehensive way about their intangible assets as well as the total performance which includes any significant decrease in the value of the intangibles. These rights and the obligation to regularly valuate goodwill and intangible assets represent a major change in disclosure practice and will affect the behavior of both the managers and investors. When America Online and Time Warner merged, this merger quickly showed how goodwill accounting changes can affect shareholders' interest, and exposed the misjudgments of managers."
Abstract The paper is an example of a proposed personal financial plan of a couple. The paper opens up a review of the current situation of a certain Ryan and Sarah Reynolds which includes a balance sheet and income statement and a review of their net worth. The paper states that from the analysis, it appears as though they are in good financial shape, and with the proper planning, they should be able to accomplish all of their goals. The paper with, diagrams, graphs and tables, illustrates the elements taken into consideration when setting up a financial plan.
From the Paper "We highly recommend that both of you see a lawyer and prepare your wills immediately (see Appendix 20). We feel the key issues for you in estate planning will be taxation and beneficiary designation. Without wills, if one of you passes suddenly, half of the house belonging to the deceased spouse will pass in ownership to the children, if you own such properties as tenants in common. As they are quite young, this means that any decisions regarding the house will have to be dealt with through a trustee. We suggest registering legal ownership of assets such as the house as "joint tenants" so that the entire asset passes to the surviving spouse. In case of a common disaster, it is imperative that you appoint both a guardian and trustee for your children; it is extremely important to choose people whom you trust and not to assign both responsibilities to one person. The guardian should share the same values as you and the trustee should be adept at managing money. It should be stipulated in your wills that if you both die before the children reach a certain age (i.e. 25) all assets left to them be held in trust so they can become mature enough to handle such large sums of money."
Abstract This paper explains that a variety of terms are used to identify costs within the business environment. The author describes each of these terms, including fixed, variable, direct, indirect, sunk, total and overhead, which categorize specific data used to complete a financial analysis. This data can then be used to identify the success and failure of a company.
From the Paper "Within the business industry, a common example of sunk costs is found in the research and development department. Financial investments are made in this department with the intention of furthering the success of the company. However, if the investment is specifically intended for one particular element, the investment may be a sunk cost. In this situation, the costs cannot be recovered if the investment in the research and development of a specific product is not successful."
Tags: transactions fluctuate sunk research, total costs
Abstract This paper explains that the Sarbanes-Oxley Act enacted in 2002 has changed the way companies do business. Stringent internal controls are now woven into the fabric of daily operations of public companies. Rigorous auditing is performed to ensure compliance with the requirements of the legislation. The paper then notes that the average investor, however, is not a CPA working for a large auditing company and that, for the layman, there are several things to look for in a company before investing capital. This paper discusses this criterion.
Table of Contents:
Executive Summary
Introduction
Code of Conduct
The Control Environment
Remediation
Reporting Infractions
Motivation
Financial Reporting
Information & Communication
Risk Assessment
Monitoring
Conclusion
From the Paper "Organizational structure should include a risk officer, financial officer, and internal auditor. These positions should all exist within an organization if it is serious about minimizing risk. Organizational policies should not be so loose that it tempts managers into an unethical situation. These policies should not allow management to take unnecessary risk that go unchecked by others and should have required documentation before being allowed to proceed. "Lastly, the company must periodically review its risk assessments process and management should respond if any new risk were identified.""
Abstract This paper discusses the delicate balance between the sanctity of lawyer-client privilege and the need to protect society. The paper begins by defining money laundering and presenting examples of lawyers who have been involved in money laundering. The paper then explains why the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) views lawyers as potential "gatekeepers" of the money laundering process. Next, the paper discusses the sanctity of lawyer-client privileges. A discussion on law enforcement efforts to balance the rights of the individual vs. the protection of society then follows. The paper concludes that this ethical dilemma of the relationship between lawyers' right to defend individuals and organized crime involved in money laundering creates topical discussions with no clear answers.
Outline:
Introduction
Money Laundering Defined
Examples of Lawyers Involved in Money Laundering
FATF Describes Lawyers as "Gatekeepers"
Ethics and the Sanctity of Lawyer Client Privilege
Balancing the Rights of the Individual versus the Protection of Society
From the Paper "Balancing the protection of society versus defending individual rights is an ethical dilemma that criminal defense lawyers may experience. This is especially enhanced when lawyers represent the interests of organized crime. Money laundering endangers the social economic fabric of society and is linked to serious crimes of violence, drug trafficking and terrorism. Legislation is designed to assist law enforcement with investigating and prosecuting crimes such as money laundering. However, legalities have been overcome by professionals such as accountants, bank managers, insurance agents and lawyers. These professionals viewed as potential "gatekeepers" of the money laundering process can easily become embroiled into facilitating the needs of organized crime, either unwittingly or knowingly."
Abstract This paper examines Starbucks' liquidity, profitability and growth rations. The author explains that from these key financial ratios, it is clear that the company should be able to achieve its sales target based on its guiding principles. The paper warns that the current world financial crisis can have an effect on Starbucks' investments and on the purchasing power of its customers, both of which can have a negative consequence on the growth objectives of the mission statement.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Analysis
Starbucks' Mission Statement
The Six Principles
Meeting Stakeholders' Goals
Meeting the $23 Billion Goal
Liquidity Ratios
Table: Financial Condition of Starbucks
Profitability Ratios
Table: Profit Margins at Starbucks
Growth Ratios
Table: Growth Ratios
Conclusion
From the Paper "Starbucks is doing an exceptional job in this regard. According to a Business & Health article, Starbucks is one of very few companies who lavish their employees (80% of whom work part time). Besides free espressos and a free pound of coffee a week, Starbucks is being so generous by offering its employees, permanent or part time, paid annual and sick leaves, subsidized health benefits, stock options and retirement plans. In a business where it's not unheard of to have 100-400% employee turnover, Starbucks has kept it to unbelievably low 55 percent."
Abstract This essay examines the evidence of the effects of corporate mergers and takeovers in the UK. It considers M&A activity in the UK, its impact on society and evaluates the efficiency of control and regulation on firms interested or currently pursuing M&A activity.
Abstract A study of the financial market. The author examines the aspects of forecasting such as risk and return in financial marketing. Includes diagrams and explanations.
From the Paper " Forecasting financial markets plays an important role in business decision-making process. There are many business decisions that need inputs from forecasting results. This is mainly due to the uncertainty of the future events. The business decision-making process would become much easier if you are able to forecast about what would happen in the future. The information provided by the forecasting results such as interest rate, exchange rate, inflation, market index, would be one of the important input for making business decisions. Nevertheless a good business decision is a balanced combination between the basic knowledge of specific series and the forecasting result of particular of data. Therefore, It is not wise only to rely heavily on forecasting results and ignore all the available general knowledge and qualitative information. The forecasting results that are not supported by related basic knowledge could be misleading."
Tags: economics, finance, predcit, money, investment, gain, win, lose
Abstract This essay deals with two passages from Carlos Fuentes? novel, The Death of Artemio Cruz. This is a passage commentary on both. The passages were a recollection of a sexual event, from Artemio Cruz's past, dated December 4, 1913. The passages dealt with perception, Cruz's personal yearn for total control. The aspect of male dominance was also present in this passage.
From the Paper "The actual case of this passage was much more grotesque. It was a soldier raping a town's woman, and afterwards, she would get hanged. This was a beautiful lie that Artemio Cruz had created. It was his male egoistic fantasy: a woman who did as he wished, to sleep with if and when he wanted and to be followed, and to be cooked for. Cruz and Fuentes, with their description of the past event, were able to create a romantic moment out of a rape scene. This was akin to the details that Cruz had remembered so thoroughly, as he blended unpleasant images that had pleasant meanings and vice versa."
Abstract This paper takes a look at the financial structure of charity organizations and at what extent these are effective in supporting intended objectives. The author argues that often charities spend donations not in connection to their stated mission, and in many cases the money goes not where it is most needed.
From the Paper "Americans are a very generous people, reaching into their pockets again and again to provide their personal and corporate dollars to support what they believe to be worthy causes ? they may not have the time to personally volunteer, but most are willing, at least occasionally, to write a check to support those that do.The U.S. has 1.4 million tax-exempt organizations. It's probably a safe bet that most are well-intentioned and honest. But a lot of them are simply "inefficient" ? they spend donations meant to help people in need on staff salaries or direct-mail marketing. Some do not even put donations to use toward their stated mission (Forbes, 1999)."
Abstract This report analyzes ten different disaster relief project categories and identifies the major funding sources and agencies, the key elements within their respective project proposal formats and the major differing elements within the proposals, and thus the requirements for the different categories.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Identification of Major Funding Sources and Agencies
Key Elements of Project Proposals
Differences in Rquirements Contained in Project Proposals
Bibliography
From the Paper "Multilateral Aid Sources are those organisations that are a combination of government co-operation and financing, such as the United Nations, or the European Union. These organisations will then in turn identify the priority cases for funding in accordance with their set criteria. Multilateral sources gain their money from a multitude of bilateral sources, and also fund projects directly, on occasions"
Abstract This paper will assess and analyze how 'Applebee's International' develops, franchises and operates casual dining restaurants in 49 states and eight countries under the Applebee's Neighborhood Grill and Bar brand.The author will assess the earnings and success of this listed company according to the valuation of Applebees Stock , Peer Competitor Analysis, a comparison to Sector as a Whole and a Comparative Fundamental Analysis.
From the paper:
"I believe that Applebees management has passed the test as far as this is concerned and Applebees has a solid foundation. I would expect Applebees growth to continue in the current trend of just over 1%. I would conservatively predict a target price one year from now of $35.00. I would not be surprised if it hit $36.00 or $37.00. Applebees is not a get rich quick stock, but I would definitely add it to a balanced long-term growth portfolio".
This paper examines how a hypothetical business specializing in matrouchkas can use time series to help balance the business's budget and inventory and the added complexities of working in the import field.
750 words (approx. 3 pages), 3 sources, 2001, $ 26.95
Abstract This paper presents a hypothetical business venture and addresses several business management schemes which could help make it succeed. The writer first states the problem, presents research methodology, analyzes the methodology and finally presents results and recommendations.
From the paper:
"Many businesses use time series methods as a way of helping to balance budgetary and inventory needs. This paper examines how a hypothetical business specializing in matrouchkas (which are Russian stack dolls, which range in retail price from about 15 dollars for simply painted double or triple dolls for thousands of dollars for the most elaborately painted dolls that cost upwards of $10,000) business can use time series to help balance the business's budget and inventory and the added complexities of working in the import field (which is always complicated, but especially so in this field in which the changing politically situation has forced constant adjustments by American companies working with Russia firms)."
Tags: company, opportunities, costs, future, capital, tools, variable, definitions, information
Abstract This paper looks at the history of pooled monetary funds. It discusses the difficulties experienced throughout recent history to get this concept publicly accepted but how, now, this is a very popular institution. It examines one example of this concept - Hedge funds, and the difficulties faced in marketing this concept in Europe.
From the paper:
"The idea of pooling money together for the purpose of investing started in Europe in the mid-1800s. The first pooled fund in the United States was created in 1893 for the faculty and staff of Harvard University. On March 21, 1924, the first mutual fund was started in the United States. It was called the Massachusetts Investor's Trust. It grew from $50,000 in assets in 1924 to $392,000 one year later with approximately 200 shareholders. Today there are over 10000 in mutual funds in the US today totaling around $7 trillion dollars with approximately 83 million investors, according to Dustin Woodard at About.com."
