Audit & Accounting

The National Notary Association has published a much-anticipated revision of its Model Notary Act with fraud deterrence, identity theft, and electronic document protection rules, to improve the standards of care for notaries.

Fraudulent acts by employees and outsiders have risen since the beginning of the recession, and internal auditors predict the trend will continue through the rest of the year, according to a new poll of nearly 300 chief audit executives by the Institute of Internal Auditors.

The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board has launched a redesigned and expanded Web site.

The International Public Sector Accounting Standards Board has published a new standard that covers the accounting for and disclosure of intangible assets: IPSAS 31, “Intangible Assets.”

Ernst & Young has released a new report focusing on carbon emissions management, encouraging companies to address climate change issues in their business strategies.

The Securities and Exchange Commission voted to issue interpretive guidance on how public companies should disclose any business and legal developments related to climate change.

In his State of the Union address, President Barack Obama proposed using money repaid by financial institutions to the Troubled Asset Relief Program to help small businesses.

The International Public Sector Accounting Standards Board has published three new standards that cover all aspects of the accounting for and disclosure of financial instruments in the public sector.

Internal auditors will soon be playing a larger role in ensuring the security of credit card information.

The Financial Accounting Standards Board and the International Accounting Standards Board tentatively decided to define fair value as an exit price during a three-day joint meeting this week.