According to the article (clink to link to it), a Tesla car that was self-driving crashed. In your opinion, should this have triggered an SEC disclosure? What is the threshold for disclosure? What is the name of the form firms use for such disclosures?
The SEC can bring a case against a registered firm and use its own “in-house” judges to try the case. Do you think the proposed changes to this will be fairer?
$2.4 trillion (TRILLION) of “indefinitely reinvested” profits of U.S. multinationals are overseas. Why? Is this a problem? If so, for whom? If so, what solutions would you propose? What is the effect on the effective tax rate of indefinitely reinvested profits?
How would you balance inventory between retail stores and distribution centers? Do you foresee more and more shopping online, even for toothpaste? Who wins? Who loses?
If so many firms are using pro forma (adjusted) accounting measures, can you make a case that GAAP should be discontinued?
Can you write down in simple equation form how goodwill impairments are currently measured and how they are proposed as being measured (step 2 of the impairment test)? Can you articulate how the proposed test will make it much easier for firms?
Do you think it is reasonable to require such “crystal-ball” foresight re: loan losses? Why was there such a push to require early recognition? Will it help? Whom? How?
What are some of the negative implications of the concentration of audit services in so few audit firms? Should anything be done about it? Why or why not?
Which credentials will you need (CPA, CMA, CFA, CIA, CGMA, etc.)? Is credentialing more important than your degree? Why or why not?
What are some of the reasons so many firms have increased dividends and share repurchases? What are some long term implications of this?
If you were a C-suite exec, would you want your bonus calculated on GAAP results or pro forma results?
Tiffany’s sales were down for the quarter, and management warned that earnings for the current quarter would be worse than previously predicted. Are managers required to give such warnings? What are the consequences of not providing them?
Certain firms have large amounts of cash virtually trapped overseas? Why “can’t” they bring it home (to the U.S.)? How much debt can they reasonably issue in lieu of bringing the cash home? What are some of the consequences of issuing so much debt?
The SEC is (again) planning to crackdown on non-GAAP disclosures. How will they do that? Will firms simply stop using them? Will the SEC give an approved list of non-GAAP disclosures? Is GAAP the “problem”?
If you are interested in a career as a CFO, do you think you can add these dimensions to your resume?
Do you think the proposed goodwill impairment test will result in major changes in the magnitude of goodwill impairment charges? Will it matter to the capital markets if this proposal is passed?
Do you believe the author that capitalism is in crisis? Do you have counter arguments to the “evidence” (such as money spent on share repurchases)? That is, is it reasonable to assert that share buybacks indicate the system is in crisis?
Do you think the proliferation of non-GAAP measures is due to the accounting standards requiring firms to provide meaningless data to investors? In other words, are the accounting standard setters themselves responsible?
