Big Four audit firm KPMG LLP will pay $50 million to settle Securities and Exchange Commission charges in the KPMG cheating scandal. The SEC had alleged that the firm altered past audit work after receiving stolen information about inspections of the firm that would be conducted by the Public Company Read More
An internal audit at Canadian health provider Sagkeeng Health Centre identified as much as $1.4 million in improper payments to employees and managers. The audit found unwarranted travel allowances, pay for questionable extra duties and for speeding tickets among the items covered by funding for the healthcare organization on Sagkeeng Read More
The Society of Insurance Broking (SIB), a U.K.-based professional association, has issued a new guide for internal auditors to reinforce the hallmarks of a well-structured internal audit function in the industry. While the practice guide is aimed at insurance brokerage firms, it highlights some best practices that are valid for Read More
Like companies in many industries, banks are having a difficult time finding and retaining qualified compliance staffers. In fact, recruiting good compliance professionals has gotten so hard that the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of Currency (OCC) says that it has become a top risk for financial firms, especially regional Read More
The Center for Audit Quality has published a new report on top technology risks and highlights auditor considerations regarding those risks. The resource “Emerging Technologies, Risk, and the Auditor’s Focus,” is intended to help auditors, audit committees, and management get a better handle on the risks and challenges that come Read More
The city of Glendale, Ariz. has eliminated its internal auditor position, in a move that some say will reduce accountability of city business, but city leaders insist will strengthen it. The Glendale City Council voted 5-2 on Tuesday to eliminate the auditor position and instead use only outside contractors to perform audits. A Read More
The Securities and Exchange Commission has proposed changes that would limit the need to adhere to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) requirements to obtain audits of their financial controls over financial reporting (SOX 404) to larger public companies. The SEC voted yesterday to propose amendments to the accelerated filer and large Read More
This month, give an internal auditor a hug or a high five. And if you are an internal auditor yourself, help spread the word about the great work that internal auditors do at their companies. Internal auditors around the world are joining together to build awareness about the importance of Read More
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) in the United Kingdom is recommending some sweeping changes to the U.K. audit industry. After issuing its final report from a large-scale investigation into audit practices in Britain, it says some drastic changes are needed to address serious competition problems in the industry. “Legislation Read More
Blowing the whistle can be a thankless job. More than one-third of respondents who reported wrongdoing and were identified as the source were either threatened with or received a reprisal as a result, according to a 2010 survey by the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board, an independent “quasi-judicial” agency that Read More
