Identity obesity-the excessive and inappropriate collection, retention, and sharing of personal information-tends to escalate over time, as people share and mismanage more details about themselves in various places. Like overeating, it can be extremely hard to reverse the effects. This behavior forms the root cause of an identity theft epidemic. Despite the dangers, consumers and companies handle personal information carelessly, without understanding the risks. Consider these startling statistics: In 2009, more than eleven million people were affected by identity theft, which was a 10 percent increase from 2008. The majority of victims don't detect identity theft until three months after fraud occurs. It takes some people years to discover that something went wrong. Stolen wallets and documents account for 43 percent of all identity theft cases, which shows that theft doesn't always involve technology. In more than 50 percent of all identity theft cases, the victim knows or has done business with the criminal. Businesses will lose millions of dollars a year because of identity theft, and fraud will destroy families and individuals. But you can trim your identity fat with a proven program that allows you to understand risks, identify bad habits, and implement best practices with an "Identity Diet."

To perform audits and study auditors and the audit function demands a detailed understanding of audit components and their characteristics. The authors of this unique book--a blend of research findings, data analysis, and proprietary data base--provide just that: a comprehensive inventory of audit tasks and essential decision aids, all developed by highly experienced auditors. Describing how some parts of the audit are more structured than other parts this work demonstrates that more experience is generally required to perform less structured tasks. In addition, most audit tasks are not perceived as being suitable for decision aids.

Of special value is the authors' comprehensive inventory of audit tasks, constructed on a coding of approximately 2,000 variables identified from their examination of 433 audit tasks. Among them are such variables as judgments of task structure, years of experience, supervised instances of practice, professional rank, and applicable decision aids. The authors' detailed description provides a collection of useful tables, giving simple descriptive statistics about task structure, knowledge base, and decision aids. The authors borrow their framework of analysis from the management science literature, creating an important study for professionals and academics in management, accounting and specialists in psychology and behavior sciences.

Now going into its 9th edition, the successful textbook Book-keeping and Accounts is a vital guide for students undertaking studies of book-keeping and accounting for the first time. Through its gradual introduction of topics, explanation of technical terminology in a clear, easy to understand way, this text provides an accessible and reliable guide for any student in their undergraduate career. New to this edition: * Fully compliant with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), with current IFRS terminology. * Questions and exercises to test your understanding and help with revision. * Selected chapters amended and re-structured. * Full explanation of HMRC changes in VAT relating to cash discounts. * Illustrations and diagrams to help explain key concepts. * Updated 'learning objectives' and 'chapter summaries', to reflect developments in the financial environment * Easy to understand to double entry book-keeping using the 'IN' and 'OUT' approach. With its highly regarded authorship this text is used by lecturers for teaching students undertaking the following qualifications and examinations; Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT), International Association of Book-keepers (IAB), A Level Accounting, Oxford Cambridge and Royal Society of Arts (OCR), and as a general foundation text for personnel employed in the accountancy profession. Accompanying the text is a collection of resources to support both lecturers and students which can be found at www.pearsoned.co.uk/wood - For instructors : Solution's manual, and Powerpoint slides - For students : Opportunities to practise and additional support with our companion website

A global banking risk management guide geared toward the practitioner Financial Risk Management presents an in-depth look at banking risk on a global scale, including comprehensive examination of the U.S. Comprehensive Capital Analysis and Review, and the European Banking Authority stress tests. Written by the leaders of global banking risk products and management at SAS, this book provides the most up-to-date information and expert insight into real risk management. The discussion begins with an overview of methods for computing and managing a variety of risk, then moves into a review of the economic foundation of modern risk management and the growing importance of model risk management. Market risk, portfolio credit risk, counterparty credit risk, liquidity risk, profitability analysis, stress testing, and others are dissected and examined, arming you with the strategies you need to construct a robust risk management system. The book takes readers through a journey from basic market risk analysis to major recent advances in all financial risk disciplines seen in the banking industry. The quantitative methodologies are developed with ample business case discussions and examples illustrating how they are used in practice. Chapters devoted to firmwide risk and stress testing cross reference the different methodologies developed for the specific risk areas and explain how they work together at firmwide level. Since risk regulations have driven a lot of the recent practices, the book also relates to the current global regulations in the financial risk areas. Risk management is one of the fastest growing segments of the banking industry, fueled by banks' fundamental intermediary role in the global economy and the industry's profit-driven increase in risk-seeking behavior. This book is the product of the authors' experience in developing and implementing risk analytics in banks around the globe, giving you a comprehensive, quantitative-oriented risk management guide specifically for the practitioner. * Compute and manage market, credit, asset, and liability risk * Perform macroeconomic stress testing and act on the results * Get up to date on regulatory practices and model risk management * Examine the structure and construction of financial risk systems * Delve into funds transfer pricing, profitability analysis, and more Quantitative capability is increasing with lightning speed, both methodologically and technologically. Risk professionals must keep pace with the changes, and exploit every tool at their disposal. Financial Risk Management is the practitioner's guide to anticipating, mitigating, and preventing risk in the modern banking industry.

The functioning of the global economy depends very much on the quality and quantity of information provided by multinational corporations, not only to investors and taxing agencies but also to governmental policymakers. Underlying this is the concept of disclosure adequacy. It refers to ways in which the quality of information that MNC's divulge about their economic transactions can be measured, and such information and its adequacy can vary widely from country to country. How this happens and why it should be so-what the nature of disclosure adequacy and its determinants are-is the subject of Riahi-Belkaoui's latest Quorum book. Academics in finance and accounting will recognize quickly the beginnings of a contingency theory of disclosure adequacy internationally, one that identifies various relativisms and presents empirical evidence for their validity. Financial analysts and other investment professionals will gain useful ways to work with (and make sense of) foreign firms' annual reports, while public policy people will find insights to aid in the harmonization of accounting principles.

Riahi-Belkaoui's contingency approach to disclosure adequacy identifies determinants based on cultural, linguistic, political, civil, economic and demographic relativisms, on legal and tax relativisms and even on religious relativism. He presents evidence that accounting for information adequacy does in fact have a positive impact on economic growth. It is also an ideal mechanism by which firms can control conflicts created by favorable or unfavorable information regarding the general investment climate of a particular country. He examines international differences in disclosure adequacy, then proves there is a positive relationship between the functionings of global stock exchanges and economic and human development. From there he discusses the relationship between disclosure adequacy and political, economic, and civil factors. Finally, he examines four cultural dimensions-individualism, power distance, uncertainty avoidance, masculinity-and their impact not only on disclosure adequacy but on the way the entire accounting enterprise is practiced internationally.

This is a well-written treatment of the subject that will help increase the auditor's understanding of the beneficial use of a wide range of analytical procedures.

"Journal of Accountancy"

This handbook is intended to help auditors at all experience levels in financial, operational, and compliance audits. It presents and discusses 16 analytical auditing procedures in detail. The author comprehensively discusses evidence theory that will enable auditors to appropriately combine evidence form analytical auditing with evidence from more traditional audit procedures.

"Business Information ALERT"

Analytical auditing--or the generation of audit evidence from an analysis of the relationships among financial and nonfinancial data--is now a widely used technique in audit practice. This volume is intended to help auditors at all experience levels by providing a better understanding of the range of available analytical auditing techniques, the underlying theory supporting these techniques, and the solutions to practical problems in applying these techniques. Sixteen different practical analytical auditing procedures are discussed and illustrated in detail, including the graphical, average change, and weighted average methods of simple time series analysis; simple reasonableness tests; various structural modeling; and ratio analysis techniques.

In addition to thorough coverage of key analytical auditing techniques, McKee also presents a comprehensive discussion of evidence theory that will enable auditors to appropriately combine evidence from analytical auditing with evidence from more traditional audit procedures. He reviews the relevant professional auditing standards for all types of auditors, including international auditing standards, those of the American Institute of CPAs, internal auditing standards, and governmental auditing standards. Especially valuable is an extended discussion and illustrations of computer applications of analytical auditing techniques. Throughout the book, tables and figures facilitate the reader's understanding of the techniques and concepts presented. An indispensable handbook for use in financial, operational, and compliance audits, this volume belongs on the bookshelf of every CPA, internal auditor, and governmental auditor.

An entertaining, fast-paced, and enjoyable read, "Manager Mechanics" serves as both mentor and guide for newly minted managers. Blooms uses his more than twenty-five years experience to give first-timers the practical knowledge and political insights needed to perform successfully in their new management role.

Just been made a manager? Great Now what? Have kids? If so, you have all the management experience you need. Congratulations, now you get to manage your friends. Now that I'm a manager, what's my next step? Discover how work is not a democracy; it's a dictatorship Learn about the 7 kinds of troubled employees; Sleazy, Grumpy, Lazy, Brainy, Tardy, Dummy and Troubled. How does the hiring process really work? Uncover the truth about the Good, the Bad and the Other. Bloom explains how new and seasoned managers alike will gain techniques and proven approaches for leading their teams, hiring top talent, navigating company politics, avoiding career-limiting mistakes and producing high-quality, well-planned results.

"Manager Mechanics" is your first step toward cultivating a strong career in management. Improve your communication skills, employee morale, and work environment with this indispensable guide

"I'm always on the lookout for great new training materials, and this book is right on target. It gives great advice, is well-written and has just enough humor in it to make it fun. Eric Bloom really understands new manager needs."

-Susan J. Goldberg
President and CEO of Northeast Training Group, Inc.

"This book is a must read for anyone in a managerial role. It's easy to read, contains practical examples, and as a result, is easy to remember."

-Jeffrey Burd, Esq.
Director of Placement, Kelly Law Registry

"Street-wise advice on handling the important everyday issues nobody tells you about."

-Frank Capecci
Executive Leadership Consultant