Assignment 1: Financial Analysis

Upon reviewing your post, the insights I gain are the importance of companies following the rules and regulations enforced by The Securities and Exchange commission (SEC). In addition to the (SEC) financial accounting are also monitor by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) regulate the financial statements issued to shareholders. Zimmerman, J. L. (2014). I also realized the importance of companies making certain that the financial information posted, is accurate. By doing so, they help others such as stockholders and investors to make decisions that will be most beneficial to them.

“We certify that the attached work is entirely our own, except where material quoted or paraphrased is acknowledged in the text. We also declare that it has not been submitted for assessment in another unit or course.”

Since the financial crisis investors have become less confident in the companies within the market. In order to restore confidence within the market and the audits of their financial statements Senator Sarbanes and Representative Oxley created the legislation known as the Sarbanes Oxley Act which came into effect in 2002. The legislation created major regulations on company financial reporting and the regulation of it. Forcing management to be accountable for the financial reporting and internal controls within their company and requiring the audit committees to report on their opinion of the company’s internal processes. (Soxlaw.com)

However, the application of SOX has brought on regulations that public companies must put in place and follow to prohibit these unethical occurrences. One major advantage for associated with SOX is that more thorough audits are being conducted by auditing firms. Audits being conducted more thoroughly will provide accuracy and an increased reliability of financial data. This will affect taxes in a positive way and provide firms with an advantage. Causholli, Chambers, and Payne (2014) suggest that prior to the implementation of SOX in 2002, “an auditor’s opportunity to sell additional non-audit services in the subsequent year, coupled with the client’s willingness to buy services, intensified the economic bond between auditor and client, in turn reducing auditor independence and the quality of financial reporting” (p.681). The regulation of auditor provided non-audit tax services has increased the reliability of tax and financial reporting within companies. Seetharaman, Sun, and Wang (2011) explain that “in a post-Sarbanes-Oxley environment, the benefits of auditor-provided non-audit tax services (NATS) seem to manifest themselves in higher quality tax-related financial statement management assertions” (p. 677).

Describe at least two (2) career options someone with an accounting education can pursue. Be sure to reference sources such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Classifying how the income statement needs to be coded for Lads & Lassies is a two step processes. I will be using the data provided in the case along with information from FASB's Accounting Standards Codification. FASB's coding system is being used to help prepare the layout and ensure proper reporting of the items listed in the case analysis. Some minor changes need to be done to the income statement format to make it presentable which will be noted in the analysis. Please reference Appendix A throughout the analysis to see how the income statement is ultimately being

Financial Analysis Task 5 Part B-Report to CEO B1. Custom Snowboards sales history has been steadily increasing per the table below. CSI has had small growth in sales with an equal increase in COGS. The COGS is relative to the increase in the net sales, however, CSI should look further into ways they can decrease their COGS line item in order to see more profit growth from year to year. We can see on the Horizontal Analysis below that net sales, COGS and Profit all had the same increases from years 12 to 13 and from years 13 to 14. This is indicative of CSI needing to do more cost based analysis to see where they can make production cost cuts and boost sales. Per the data, operating costs also increased alongside the net sales. Items such

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 – its official name being “Public Company Accounting Reform and Investor Protection Act of 2002” – is

In a(n) __________, countries and peoples are increasingly interconnected with respect to labor markets and business dealings.

Sarbanes Oxley Act known as the SOX Act offer guidelines companies and organizations should conduct their financial reporting. Not reporting balance sheets or financial statements the way SOX

On July 30, 2002, The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX) was signed into law by President Bush. "The Act mandated some reforms to enhance corporate responsibility, enhance financial disclosures and combat corporate and accounting fraud" (SEC.Gov. 2013 P. 1). The SOX Act also created the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) in response to numerous failures of the profession to fulfill its trusted role; to oversee the activities of the auditing profession (SEC.Gov, 2013. The auditing of financial statements is required for the protection of public investors; however the question that arises is whether or not all PCAOB members should be taken from the investments communities that use audited financial statements. The remaining of this

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act, is an act passed by U.S. Congress on July 30, 2002. The primary reason was to protect investors from the possibility of fraudulent accounting activities by corporations. The act is commonly known as SOX Act. The act is named after its cosponsors, U.S. Senator Paul Sarbanes and U.S. Representative Michael G. Oxley. It mandates strict reforms to improve financial disclosures from corporations and prevent accounting fraud. The Sarbanes Oxley Act is arranged into eleven titles. They are Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB), Auditor Independence, Corporate Responsibility, Enhanced Financial Disclosures, Analyst Conflicts of Interest, Commission Resources and Authority, White Collar Crime Penalty Enhancement, Corporate Tax Returns, and Corporate Fraud Accountability. These titles provide the description of specific requirements and mandates for the financial reporting. The SOX Act monitors compliance through various sections. However, the most significant sections are 302 (Disclosure controls), 401 (Disclosures in periodic reports), 404 (Assessment of internal control), 802 (Criminal penalties for influencing US Agency investigation/proper administration). As a result of SOX Act, the top management must individually certify the accuracy of financial information. The Act increased the oversight role of board of directors and the independence of the outside

Under Section 302 signing officer should be familiar with the report and are responsible for internal controls and have evaluated these internal controls within the previous ninety days and have reported on their findings. Also, report should not contain any material untrue statements or material omission or be considered misleading. Section 401 states that financial statements are published by issuers are required to be accurate and presented in a manner that does not contain incorrect statements or admit to state material information. Under section 404 issuers are required to publish information in their annual reports concerning the scope and adequacy of the internal control structure and procedures for financial reporting. Section 409 shapes that issuers are required to disclose to the public, on an urgent basis, information on material changes in their financial condition or operations. Finally Section 802 of SOX act imposes penalties of fines and/or up to 20 years imprisonment for altering, destroying, mutilating, concealing, falsifying records, documents or tangible objects with the intent to obstruct, impede or influence a legal investigation.

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) was enacted in July 30, 2002, by Congress to protect shareholders and the general public from fraudulent corporate practices and accounting errors and to maintain auditor independence.   In protecting the shareholders and the general public the SOX Act is intended to improve the transparency of the financial reporting.   Financial reports are to be certified by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) creating increased responsibility and independence with auditing by independent audit firms. In discussing the SOX Act, we will focus on how this act affects the CEOs; CFOs; outside independent audit firms; the advantages and a

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX) was enacted into law in 2002 in the wake of corporation financial reporting scandals involving large publicly held companies. SOX instituted new strict financial regulations with the intent of improving accounting practices and protecting investors from corporate misconduct. SOX requires corporate executives to vouch for the accuracy of financial statements, and to institute and monitor effective internal controls over financial reporting. The cost of implementing an effective internal control structure are onerous, and SOX inflicts opportunity costs upon an enterprise as executives have