Audit & Accounting

KPMG has signed a three-year agreement with champion golfer Phil Mickelson under which he will wear the KPMG logo on his headgear at all of his golf-related appearances.

A significant number of initial public offerings were in the U.S. markets' pipeline in the fourth quarter of 2007, according to a quarterly report issued by Ernst & Young.

Larry Rodda, a former principal and managing director of KPMG Consulting, has agreed to pay an $80,000 penalty to the Securities and Exchange Commission to settle charges that he deceived investigators over accounting fraud at Peregrine Systems.

The Financial Accounting Standards Board has decided to issue final guidance that would defer for a year the effective date on which private and public entities would have to account for fair value measurements.

An advisory committee to the Securities and Exchange Commission intends to make its decision on Feb. 11 on whether to issue an eagerly anticipated report on improvements to financial reporting.

The American Institute of CPAs and Fiduciary360 have published the U.S. edition of a handbook for investment advisors.

The IASC Foundation has set four principles for a funding system in 2008 for its activities, which include its work overseeing the International Accounting Standards Board.

Deloitte Financial Advisory Services has introduced a service that issues fairness opinions on the consideration offered to companies on financial deals such as mergers, acquisitions, going-private transactions and divestitures.

The American Institute of CPAs has written to the Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service about proposed regulations for automatic contributions to 401(k) plans, as well as cafeteria plans.

Every once and a while you come across a firm that knocks your socks off. Dezan Shira & Associates (dezshira.com) is just such a firm.