PwC hit with RSM Tenon probe August 13, 2012 Professional services firm PwC faces an investigation from the accounting regulator over its handling of RSM Tenon Group’s 2010 and 2011 audits, the Financial Reporting Council announced yesterday. The Accountancy and Actuarial Discipline Board will probe the conduct of PwC and other members of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) over their [...]
Women in the City are more than just voices for caution August 12, 2012 IT WAS once famously said that “whatever women do, they must do twice as well as men to be thought half as good.” While I tend not to subscribe to clichés, when I started in the City in the late 1990s, the dearth of senior women suggested something was awry. Just 15 years later, we [...]
Ex CBI president quits carpet firm board after pay bust-up August 9, 2012 SIR Bryan Nicholson, former president of the CBI, resigned his directorship at carpet maker Victoria yesterday after he and two other non-executive directors lost the trust of the board by demanding a share of the proceeds of any sale of the firm. Victoria — which made the red carpet for last year’s Royal Wedding — [...]
ECB: BAZOOKA IS STILL NOT READY August 2, 2012 MARKETS plunged yesterday after the European Central Bank (ECB) said it is not yet ready to help relieve the financial pressure on the troubled Spanish and Italian governments. Last week ECB boss Mario Draghi vowed to do “whatever it takes” to keep the euro together, sending markets soaring. But yesterday he failed to deliver on [...]
House prices stall in June but annual picture remains solid July 12, 2012 AFTER six months of growth, house prices inched down in June, according to a report released today by LSL Property Services. The average UK house price crept down to £224,102, a 0.1 per cent fall on the month, said LSL. On an annualised basis, however house prices were up three per cent. “Despite the recession [...]
VOTES ON TOP PAY June 20, 2012 ■ Shareholders in publicly listed UK firms will get a binding vote on directors’ pay policy every three years. ■ They will vote on the whole package, covering salaries, bonuses and exactly what determines the level of pay. ■ That includes severance packages, in an effort to end “rewards for failure” when unsuccessful bosses leave [...]
Audit quality threatened by fee pressure June 14, 2012 PRESSURE to reduce fees poses a threat to the quality of British auditing, a leading member of the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) said yesterday, as the body issued its annual reports on the performance of the country’s four largest accountancy firms. Paul George, the organisation’s executive director of conduct, told City A.M.: “Commercial pressures run the [...]
Shareholder activism is set to grow further June 12, 2012 INSTITUTIONAL investors are taking an increasingly active role in the firms in which they invest, according to new research that shows the changes in attitude that paved the way for the shareholder spring. Investors are more likely than ever to demand firms provide clarity on long-term strategy and redraft executive pay deals to incentivise good [...]
Rio summit is a game changer for accountants’ role in businesses June 12, 2012 FOR some time now, the accountancy profession has been actively engaged in the debates on sustainable development and climate change, at least in respect of those areas that impact on accounting and business. Despite best efforts, two commonly asked questions about environmental and sustainability issues continue to be asked. The first, asked by accountants, is: [...]
Charities need to be innovative to beat tough times May 29, 2012 PUBLIC services are being opened up to a variety of providers. If you go swimming, social enterprise Greenwich Leisure Limited, not the council, may well be running the pool. Your rubbish is more likely to be collected by a private company. And if you have a relative in need of social care, then it’s likely [...]