Accounting
SPV Ruling: Counting the cost
The recent crop of high-profile accountancy scandals has forced the US accounting regulator to clamp down on the 'creative' use of special purpose vehicles to shift liabilities off balance sheet. Saskia Scholtes investigates the ramifications for firms…
Corporate governance hots up on the continent
Continental European countries are increasing their focus on corporate governance issues.
Structured finance caught off-balance
Efforts by energy and finance professionals to stress the difference between legitimate off-balance-sheet entities and Enron’s opaque devices have had little impact, as US regulators rush to clean up structured finance. Maria Kielmas reports
A mark-to-market u-turn
A reversion to the old, non-mark-to-market regime for accounting for energy trading contracts is changing the energy supply business, reports Catherine Lacoursière
Enron-related regulatory issues hit derivatives industry
Enron's collapse has sparked calls for more derivatives regulation and stricter accounting standards in the US. What proposals should the derivatives industry be concerned about?