Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan tried to explain his version of the reasons for the global economic crisis to a congressional panel, while expressing shock and disbelief that the problems had spread so far.

Proxy research and advisory concern Glass Lewis & Co. said it would expand its partnership with IW Financial, a provider of environmental, social, and governance research, to include a broader range of research offerings, including global security risk/terrorism and custom research.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke has given new life to calls for an economic stimulus package, but exactly what it will be is anybody's guess.

Fifty-five percent of the 688 CFOs and senior controllers surveyed by Grant Thornton said U.S. companies should be permitted to use International Financial Reporting Standards instead of U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

The New York State Society of CPAs and its Foundation for Accounting Education plan to hold an auditing conference on Oct. 27.

Barry Melancon, president and chief executive of the American Institute of CPAs, opened his annual remarks regarding the state of the profession at the Fall Meeting of Council and Members by addressing the current economic crisis and the controversy around fair value accounting.

“As the financial crisis on Wall Street unfolds with intense media coverage, we are losing sight of another crisis: more than a million families across the United States will face foreclosure in the next six months as the last of the subprime mortgages contracted in 2006 and early 2007 reset. Accelerating job losses and low wages aggravate the lives of tens of millions of families. In the rush to focus on Wall Street, these are the families whose lives must not be forgotten.”

Nearly half of U.S. companies have made no preparation to adopt International Financial Reporting Standards, according to a new survey.

If there were any doubt about Americans' urgent need for basic financial enlightenment, the economic meltdown that has been taking its heavy toll on Wall Street and Main Street of late should lay it to rest.But today's rocky environment was probably far from the imagination of the legions of CPAs who responded to the American Institute of CPAs' call in 2003, asking if they'd be willing to participate in a sweeping effort to raise Americans' financial literacy quotient.

In what can be termed a shift in placement, the Governmental Accounting Standards Board and the American Institute of CPAs are proposing that certain guidance in the latter's literature belongs in the literature of the former.

One benefit of the academic life is flexibility to spend some time each summer catching up on our reading.

The Census Bureau estimates that there are nearly 78 million Baby Boomers, many of whom are facing retirement in the next few years with little or no savings.These 40-, 50- and even 60-year-old late-starters have been too busy educating children, caring for parents and making ends meet to properly save for their own retirement. By taking the time to understand their personal needs and goals, and staying on top of changes in relevant plans and laws, advisors can give clients one more reason to rely on them and their financial guidance.

AMERIPRISE TO ADD 900 BLOCKERS

Two recent reports suggest that the movement to register tax return preparers will continue.

Getting a handle on 2008 year-end tax planning is especially challenging this year because of several areas of uncertainty.

The Securities and Exchange Commission plans to hold the first of two roundtable discussions on mark-to-market accounting and current market conditions on Wed., Oct. 29, at 9 am ET.

“Every day, we receive phone calls or e-mails that begin, ‘I just inherited (or acquired) a coin collection. What do I do?’ Unfortunately, all of us in the rare coin business have heard horror stories over the years about widows who sold their late husband’s collections at a fraction of the true value because they didn't have enough information. We've set up this new service so heirs can quickly get accurate information and find reputable dealers,” says Ron Guth, President of Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS), one of the world’s largest, third-party rare coin authentication companies.

The Internal Revenue Service announced cost-of-living adjustments on the dollar limitations for pension plans and other items in tax year 2009, even as Social Security benefits are expected to rise next year.

The Financial Accounting Standards Board is considering delaying implementation of its controversial standard on accounting for uncertainty in income taxes for private entitiies.

The International Accounting Standards Board and its U.S. counterpart, the Financial Accounting Standards Board, plan to create a global advisory group to review financial reporting issues related to the credit crisis.