Archive for October, 2009

Zombies Among Us: The Mainstream Media and Financial Journalism

By Francine • Oct 31st, 2009

Whatever I do now, it’s in service to my desire to write. If I work for pay, whether as a consultant or a paid speaker, the objective is to earn enough to be able to write. For someone who wants to be a freelance writer, potentially paid by the media organizations who I’m accusing of not stepping up to cover the audit firms in a critical manner, I’ve sure slammed those same publications often enough.

It’s a long list.

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@Going Concern “Prevent Bailout Alzheimer’s: Some GMAC Fun Facts”

By Francine • Oct 28th, 2009

My new post is up @Going_Concern
On the eve of what will probably be — despite loud protestations and numerous solid reasons why not — the third round of bailout money thrown at GMAC, I thought it might be fun to give you some Fun Facts About GMAC.
Sometimes the whirl and swirl of an ongoing financial crisis makes you [...]

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Only You Can Prevent White-Collar Crime: A Guest Post

By Francine • Oct 26th, 2009

A guest post from Troy Costlow.
Troy Costlow is an MBA student studying Accounting & Finance at DePaul’s Kellstadt Graduate School of Business.
 
I’m frightened in a way I haven’t felt since I was little.
Dr. Kelly Pope is my professor at DePaul/Kellstadt and a regular contributor to this blog.
It’s her fault.
Maybe I shouldn’t admit this publicly, but [...]

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@Going Concern “KPMG: That’s Just The Way We Roll”

By Francine • Oct 21st, 2009

My latest post is up @Going Concern.

Sex.  Drugs.  They didn’t mention rock and roll but I’m sure those stories will come out too eventually.  Bernie and Elton John.  Bernie and Mick Jagger. Bernie and Pink. 
Never mind. 

Scratch Elton John.
 If it weren’t bad enough to have so many subprime lawsuits hanging over their head, the Big [...]

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From re: The Auditors’ Mailbag: A Selected Sample

By Francine • Oct 18th, 2009

I’m getting more mail now than ever before. It seems word has gotten out that I will answer personally via email, on the phone, or in person if you like. In the last three years – this blog’s third year anniversary was October 12th – the more things have changed, the more they’ve stayed the same. I’ve been writing about cuts and reductions in force at the firms the whole time. I’ve been writing about litigation the whole time. I’ve been surprised and pleased at the amount of content the firms inadvertently provide every day given their stunts, scandals, silly statements and solipsistic attitude about anyone and anything outside their glass and stainless steel structures.

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So Much Auditor Litigation Makes For Strange Bedfellows

By Francine • Oct 12th, 2009

There’s a heightened probability Deloitte – and the rest of the Big 4 -can end up on both sides of lawsuits with their former and current audit clients.

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Auditing Standard 5: How Now, Brown Cow?

By Francine • Oct 3rd, 2009

On September 24, 2009 the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board issued a report on the first year of implementation of Auditing Standard No. 5. There’s something negative to say about each of the components reviewed.

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