Audit

Nearly two-thirds of individual investors have at least some confidence in the U.S. capital markets, according to a new survey by the Center for Audit Quality.

The Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission has released an exposure draft of its Internal Control over External Financial Reporting: Compendium of Approaches and Examples.

At the very tail end of August, I went to scenic Rosemont, Ill., to catch the annual Midwest Accounting Jamboree, one of the biggest trade shows on the calendar, and I thought I’d share a few observations.

Legal and regulatory information provider Bloomberg BNA has launched its new Financial Accounting Resource Center to help accounting professionals keep up with changes in accounting standards.

The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board is heading to Houston to host its third public meeting on auditor independence and audit firm rotation.

Accounting Today and Best Companies Group have announced their list of the 2012 Best Accounting Firms to Work For, highlighting the top workplaces in the accounting profession.

The submission period for our Accountant of the Month contest for October ends first thing on Monday, Sept. 17 -- which means you still have time to enter!

The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales plans to develop guidance for auditors on providing assurance on interest rate benchmarks in the wake of the outcry over manipulation of the LIBOR, or London Inter-Bank Offered Rate, which cost the jobs of top executives at the British bank Barclays.

CCH has released a guide and toolset for auditors using the American Institute of CPAs’ newly clarified auditing standards.

Recent network memberships, awards, new Web sites and more

Approximately one year after joining the company as president and chief operating officer, Laurie Schultz was officially appointed chief executive of audit and risk management software developer ACL, effectively replacing Harald Will.

The Private Company Council that the Financial Accounting Foundation is setting up is intended to serve as the voice of millions of privately held companies during the standard-setting process.

A penny shaved is a trust spurned

A penny shaved is a trust spurned

Half a dozen accounting firms have been selected to help oversee compliance by the five banks that agreed to a mammoth national mortgage settlement.

As we acknowledge the 10th anniversary of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, we are once again in a period of re-examination of the role, relevance and reliability of financial audits in protecting investors and the public interest. This seems to be, in part, a reaction to the financial crisis of the past few years.

Highlights of the previous month in audit and attest

First round of Dodd-Frank-mandated inspections suggests deficiences may be widespread

Recent news from accounting firms across the country

The Financial Accounting Standards Board has made available its proposed 2013 U.S. GAAP Financial Reporting Taxonomy in XBRL format for public review and comment.