Tag Archives: reporting

Form 10-K – Master the Requirements and Improve Disclosures

 

Form 10-K requirements and disclosures are undoubtedly challenging. Attend live program, Form 10-K In-Depth Workshop being held November 30-December 1 in San Francisco and December 11-12 in New York. Interactive discussions and exercises will enhance your understanding of each item, with particular focus given to the Management’s Discussion & Analysis (MD&A) section. The workshop leader will Review in detail each Form 10-K item and examine current FASB and SEC disclosure initiatives.

https://www.pli.edu/Content/Form_10_K_In_Depth_Workshop_2017/_/N-1z10od7Z4k?ID=290550

Form 10-K – Master the Requirements and Improve Disclosures

Form 10-K requirements and disclosures are undoubtedly challenging. Attend live program, Form 10-K In-Depth Workshop being held November 9-10 in Las Vegas, November 30-December 1 in San Francisco and December 11-12 in New York. Interactive discussions and exercises will enhance your understanding of each item, with particular focus given to the Management’s Discussion & Analysis (MD&A) section. The workshop leader will Review in detail each Form 10-K item; examine current FASB and SEC disclosure initiatives.

https://www.pli.edu/Content/Form_10_K_In_Depth_Workshop_2017/_/N-1z10od7Z4k?ID=290550

Master SEC Forms, Statements, Reporting Rules and “Hot Button” Issues

Attention Financial Reporting Professionals!

Sharpen Your Skills. Master how to accurately complete SEC Reporting Forms and how to comply with the Annual Proxy requirements. Build an understanding of the structure and use of the SEC’s guidance and knowledge of the key disclosure issues in the SEC’s periodic and current reports. Earn Up to 16 CPE Credits.

 

Register and Attend “SEC Reporting Skills Workshop”

  Upcoming October Live Meetings!

October 12-13 New York City

October 23-24 Chicago

http://www.pli.edu/Content/SEC_Reporting_Skills_Workshop_2017/_/N-1z10oe8Z4k?ID=290540&t=ZLC7

 

Additonal programs, locations and dates are listed on the SECI site:

http://www.pli.edu/Content/Static/SEC_Institute/_/N-1z12cux?Npp=25

 

 

Learn the nuts and bolts of SEC reporting

SEC Reporting Skills Workshop 2017

Build the foundational knowledge and practical experience necessary to prepare and review the SEC’s periodic and current reporting forms. Participants will learn the structure and details of Forms 10-K, 10-Q, and 8-K, with a particular emphasis on challenging and complex disclosures and how to effectively use the SEC’s guidance. Annual proxy requirements and SEC insider trading rules will also be discussed. Frequent SEC comment areas will be reviewed along with example comments. This definitive SEC course is perfect for beginners or as a refresher for experienced SEC reporting professionals. Learn How To:

  • Prepare and review Forms 10-K, 10-Q, and 8-K, and the proxy statement
  • Use all the important sources of SEC reporting rules and guidance
  • Write an effective MD&A
  • Deal with the SEC staff and understand their “hot buttons,” including frequent comment areas such as non-GAAP measures, revenue recognition, the statement of cash flows, segments, and contingencies
Dates and Locations:  

CorpFin Updates Their Financial Reporting Manual

By: George M.Wilson & Carol A. Stacey

 

On August 25, 2017, the staff in CorpFin updated their Financial Reporting Manual. The updates include:

 

A new section at the very beginning of the FRM that describes communications with the Office of the Chief Accountant in CorpFin (CF-OCA). It also includes a concise summary of some of the roles and functions of CF-OCA.

 

Section 2065 and the related index sections have been updated to clarify that questions about applying the guidance on abbreviated financial statements to a predecessor entity should be directed to CF-OCA.

 

Sections 10220.1 and 10220.5 have been updated to clarify the guidance on the omission of financial information from draft and filed registration statements when such information “relates to a historical period that the issuer reasonably believes will not be required to be included…at the time of the contemplated offering.” Included in the update are cross references to C&DI’s 101.04 and 101.05.

 

An interesting aspect of the revisions is how they adjust the FRM for the changes CorpFin Chief Accountant Mark Kronforst has made to organize the CF-OCA staff based on technical SEC reporting areas.

 

As always, your thoughts and comments are welcome!

 

Alternative Financing Solutions for Emerging and Growing Companies

Auditors and Financial Officers of companies who raise capital with complex financial instruments often find themselves drowning in convoluted accounting issues and restatements. Avoid the confusion by attending the live workshop, Debt vs. Equity Accounting for Complex Financial Instruments being held September 13th in Las Vegas. Through a detailed review of the accounting literature and numerous examples and case studies this Workshop will help you build the knowledge and experience to appropriately recognize, initially record and subsequently account for these complex financing tools

http://www.pli.edu/Content/Debt_vs_Equity_Accounting_for_Complex_Financial/_/N-1z10odmZ4k?ID=290522

Master SEC Reporting and Prepare to Tackle New Challenges – August & September Dates Announced

The complicated world of SEC reporting has now gotten even more complicated! Be sure you are prepared to comply with the recently enacted changes and have a plan in place to deal with the SEC staff “hot buttons”. Attend SECI’s live workshop SEC Reporting Skills Workshop 2017 being held August 17-18 in New York City, August 21-22 in Grapevine and September 25-26 in San Francisco with additional dates and locations listed on the SECI website.

 

http://www.pli.edu/Content/SEC_Reporting_Skills_Workshop_2017/_/N-1z10oe8Z4k?ID=290537

 

SEC Reporting Skills Workshop 2017

In this workshop designed primarily for financial reporting professionals, our experienced faculty use interactive lectures and examples to give participants the foundational knowledge and practical experience necessary to prepare and review the SEC’s periodic and current reporting forms, including the 10-K Annual Report, the 10-Q Quarterly Report and the 8-K Current Report. Participants will also gain an understanding of how to comply with the annual proxy requirements and how insider trading rules work. Build an understanding of the structure and use of the SEC’s guidance and knowledge of the key disclosure issues in the SEC’s periodic and current reports

Up to 16 CPE credits Available!

 

August 17-18 – New York City                                August 21-22 – Dallas

September 25-26 – San Francisco                       October 12-13 – New York City

October 23-24 – Chicago                                         November 9-10 – San Diego

November 30-December 1 – Atlanta                 December 4-5 – Orlando

December 13-14 – San Francisco                       December 18-19 – New York City

http://www.pli.edu/Content/SEC_Reporting_Skills_Workshop_2017/_/N-1z10oe8Z4k?ID=290540&t=ZLC7

 

 

The MD&A Know Trend Test – Staying Out of Trouble!

By: George M. Wilson & Carol A. Stacey

 

In our last post we reviewed a recent MD&A enforcement case focused on failure to disclose bad news. This forward looking “known-trend” disclosure requirement arises when management is aware of some “trend, demand, commitment, event or uncertainty” that could cause a material problem and fails to disclose this information to shareholders.   The S-K Item 303(a)(3)(ii) language creating this requirement is:

 

Describe any known trends or uncertainties that have had or that the registrant reasonably expects will have a material favorable or unfavorable impact on net sales or revenues or income from continuing operations.

 

One of the challenging parts of this requirement is the “reasonably expects” probability threshold. What exactly does this mean? The Staff addressed this requirement in FR 36 with this language:

 

Where a trend, demand, commitment, event or uncertainty is known, management must make two assessments:

 

(1) Is the known trend, demand, commitment, event or uncertainty likely to come to fruition? If management determines that it is not reasonably likely to occur, no disclosure is required.

 

(2) If management cannot make that determination, it must evaluate objectively the consequences of the known trend, demand, commitment, event or uncertainty, on the assumption that it will come to fruition. Disclosure is then required unless management determines that a material effect on the registrant’s financial condition or results of operations is not reasonably likely to occur.

Each final determination resulting from the assessments made by management must be objectively reasonable, viewed as of the time the determination is made.

 

The language that makes this test challenging is the first part of paragraph (2). In essence, if management cannot make the assumption that a known trend is “not reasonably likely to come to fruition” in step one it must assume that it will come to fruition.

 

What would this mean if there were a 50/50 chance of something bad happening? As an example, suppose that your goodwill is not impaired this year-end, but the numbers in step one of the impairment test have been deteriorating with this trend:

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         2014              2015              2016

Fair value of reporting unit                $3,000             $2,500             $1,900

Carrying value of reporting unit         $1,800             $1,800             $1,800

Excess of FV over CV                                 $1,200             $   700             $   100

 

 

There is clearly a trend here, and while management is likely doing all they can to make the business work, what if their assessment is that there is a 50/50 chance that the goodwill may be impaired next year? While there is no accounting recognition, the MD&A known trend disclosure requirement would say that this potential impairment, if it is material, should be disclosed.

 

This is not an easy determination, but the enforcement case in the last post makes it clear that it is crucial to get this disclosure right!

 

As always, your thoughts and comments are welcome!

Master SEC Reporting and Prepare to Tackle New Challenges

The complicated world of SEC reporting has now gotten even more complicated! Be sure you are prepared to comply with the recently enacted changes and have a plan in place to deal with the SEC staff “hot buttons”. Attend SECI’s live workshop SEC Reporting Skills Workshop 2017 being held July 20-21 in Las Vegas, August 17-18 in New York City and August 21-22 in Grapevine with additional dates and locations listed on the SECI website.

http://www.pli.edu/Content/SEC_Reporting_Skills_Workshop_2017/_/N-1z10oe8Z4k?ID=290534