Category: Articles

Securities and Exchange Whistleblower program

SEC Awards Internal Auditor with $300K Whistleblower Bounty

The Securities and Exchange Commission has awarded more than $300,000 to an internal auditor whistleblower. The SEC said the individual’s “high-quality information and continuing assistance” significantly contributed to a successful enforcement action, earning the whistleblower award. The agency did not reveal the identity of the whistleblower or the company that Read More

GE to Pay $200 Million for Disclosure Violations

General Electric Co. has struck a deal with the Securities and Exchange Commission to pay a $200 million penalty to settle charges for disclosure failures in its power and insurance businesses in financial reports filed in 2017 and 2018. According to the SEC’s order, GE misled investors by describing its Read More

Cheesecake Factory hit by SEC

SEC Bites Cheesecake Factory for Misleading COVID-19 Disclosures

The Securities and Exchange Commission has settled charges against The Cheesecake Factory for making misleading disclosures about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on its business operations and financial condition. The action is the SEC’s first charging a public company for misleading investors about the financial effects of the pandemic. Read More

Gatekeeper Misfires and Corporate Governance Failures

GUEST BLOG: Here is an obvious point—internal controls are intended to ensure compliance with relevant policies and procedures. Internal controls are not just for show, or not just limited to financial reporting. A compliance program is a subset of a company’s internal controls. So, all this is well and good. Read More

Red Flag of Fraud

Three Red Flags of Fraud to Look for During Internal Audits

Guest Blog With most office workers still toiling from the confines of their home offices and kitchen tables, and some unhappy with their current circumstances, many organizations are concerned about the potential for a rapid rise in fraud. The global economic contraction has hurt employee morale and has heightened vulnerability Read More

NJ Transit internal auditor blows whistle

NJ Transit Internal Auditor Turns Whistleblower

A former internal auditor at NJ Transit claims in an email sent to state and federal officials this week that the agency has slipshod controls that have allowed fraud to take place, lacks transparency for internal investigations, and has no established standards for bus maintenance. “As a NJT Internal Audit Read More

SEC Plans to Modernize, Simplify ‘MD&A’ and Other Disclosures

The Securities and Exchange Commission voted this week to adopt amendments that will modernize, simplify, and enhance certain financial disclosures, including the Management’s Discussion and Analysis requirement. The changes are intended to enhance the focus of financial disclosures on material information for the benefit of investors, while simplifying compliance efforts Read More

Survey: Unstable Risk Landscape, Remote Work to Continue in 2021

According to new survey findings, risks will continue to be largely unpredictable in 2021, and the shift to remote work wont be ending anytime soon. The survey results, released by software platform AuditBoard, find that the risk landscape will continue to greatly fluctuate next year rather than returning to more Read More