The Securities and Exchange Commission announced that Morgan Stanley Smith Barney has agreed to pay $5 million to settle charges that it provided misleading information to clients in its retail wrap fee programs regarding trade execution services and transaction costs. The penalty for charging hidden fees will be distributed to Read More
A new report explores the long-term impact of the Coronavirus Crisis on internal audit functions around the globe. The report, “COVID-19 and Internal Audit: Preparing for the New Normal in 2020 and Beyond,” released by the Internal Audit Foundation, the Institute of Internal Auditors, and AuditBoard, provides practical direction as Read More
The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) will begin providing online testing early next month for all three parts of its Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) exam and for its exam to earn a Certification in Risk Management Assurance (CRMA). The professional association said it will begin offering the tests online, “to Read More
The Institute of Internal Auditors has released a new report to help auditors address the challenges of conducting audits while working from home. The report, “Remote Auditing for COVID-19 and Beyond,” examines the challenges of remote auditing and offers strategies for overcoming them in each part of the audit engagement Read More
A new survey of financial executives indicates that corporate America is gearing up for more layoff and belt-tightening. Companies are also putting investments and other spending on hold. The third release of PwC’s COVID-19 CFO Pulse Survey reveals 26 percent of U.S. chief financial officers anticipate layoffs, a marked increase Read More
Securities and Exchange Commission officials issued a unprecedented statement this week urging companies to be forthright and open in their earnings reports, calls with investors, and other disclosures during this time of economic upheaval. The statement underscores the unusual times companies are facing and the disruption the Coronavirus Crisis has Read More
Due to the coronavirus stay at home orders, conducting actual inventory counts that might be required by an internal audit can be very difficult. In many areas right now, we are likely unable to go out to a client location and physically observe inventory like we’ve done in the past. Read More
The Institute of Internal Auditors has released a new report to assist internal auditors in assessing their current level of preparedness regarding privacy and data protection issues. The first guide in a three-part series, “Privacy and Data Protection — Internal Audit’s Role in Establishing a Resilient Framework,” provides guidance on Read More
The Securities and Exchange Commission awarded a whistleblower “with compliance-related responsibilities” $450,000 for providing information that helped in a successful enforcement action. While the SEC didn’t name the whistleblower, the company involved, or provide his or her title—in keeping with its confidentiality protections—it did say in a statement that it Read More
As the global COVID-19 pandemic worsens, security firms and law enforcement, including the FBI, are warning of increasing phishing and other cybercriminal scams targeting a largely at-home workforce. Meanwhile, researchers also are finding that cyber-criminals are continuing to spoof organizations that are providing COVID-19 updates to the public. For example, Read More
