Permanent link to this article: https://betweenthenumbers.net/2014/12/should-the-elderly-be-paying-more-for-movie-tickets/
Nov 22
With the national average for ’87 octane descending below $3 a gallon, American drivers are paying less at the pump than they have since the beginning of the Great Recession (in terms of seasonality price, the current average is the lowest since 2009, in terms of absolute pricing, an average gallon of gas hasn’t been …
Permanent link to this article: https://betweenthenumbers.net/2014/11/the-multi-faceted-explanation-behind-the-current-drop-in-gasoline-prices-across-the-us/
Oct 13
The Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) has announced that it will award over $30 million in its latest high profile payout to a whistleblower who provided key original information that led to a successful SEC enforcement action. The award is getting a lot of attention for a number of reasons. This $30 million amount is …
Permanent link to this article: https://betweenthenumbers.net/2014/10/whistleblower-program-to-pays-big-on-late-report-from-overseas/
Sep 09
A settlement agreement has been reached In the Matter of Lynn R. Blodgett, Adm. Proc. File No. 3-16045 (August 28, 2014), but without consensus on the part of the Securities Exchange Committee (“SEC”) as to the appropriate penalty. The underlying circumstances involve a financial fraud action against two executives at Affiliated Computer Services, Inc. (“ACS”), Lynn Blodget, …
Permanent link to this article: https://betweenthenumbers.net/2014/09/fraudulent-revenue-recognition-causes-rift-at-the-sec/
Sep 02
A recent Appeals Court decision addressed what level of evidence is required to demonstrate business value in a divorce proceeding. In Hugh v. Hugh, 2014, the wife in a divorce proceeding filed a cross-appeal on a number of issues, including the trial court’s failure to value her husband’s business (“E-Tech”). The Appeals Court agreed that while …
Permanent link to this article: https://betweenthenumbers.net/2014/09/performing-a-valuation-with-limited-information/
Aug 29
Jones v. ConAgra Foods, Inc. is a recent case that demonstrates the damages-based hurdles to obtaining class certification. Despite Plaintiff’s presentation of three different damages models (“full refund,” “price premium,” and “regression”), Judge Charles R. Breyer concluded each failed to demonstrate class-wide damages. Because of this failure, Judge Breyer denied class certification. The case involved …
Permanent link to this article: https://betweenthenumbers.net/2014/08/three-strikes-damages-out-in-recent-ca-class-certification/
Aug 27
The Northern District of California recently denied class certification related to claims of improper marketing and advertising of Fresh Step cat litter (In Re Clorox Consumer Litigation, Case No. 12-00280-SC (N.D. Cal. July 28, 2014) (ECF No. 129)). One of the reasons was a failure to establish a class that was sufficiently ascertainable, as plaintiffs …
Permanent link to this article: https://betweenthenumbers.net/2014/08/lack-of-receipts-sinks-class-action-certification/
Jul 18
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (“GAO”) testified before Congress to describe the breakdown of over $100 billion of improper federal payments in 2013. Such errors included tax credits for those not entitled to them, unnecessary Medicare payments, and unemployment benefits for “under the table” workers, among others. Shockingly, these types of monumental errors are generally repetitive and …
Permanent link to this article: https://betweenthenumbers.net/2014/07/over-100-billion-in-improper-federal-payments-occur-each-year/
Jul 14
Ernst & Young (E&Y) audits of Ventas, a real estate investment trust (REIT) in the healthcare sector, will have to be redone for the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2013, along with a review for the quarter ended March 31, 2014. This unfortunate and costly required effort results from E&Y’s determination that the work …
Permanent link to this article: https://betweenthenumbers.net/2014/07/audit-re-do-required-because-of-inappropriate-relationship/
Jul 11
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (“GAO”) recently issued “Management Report: Improvements Are Needed to Enhance the Internal Revenue Service’s Internal Controls”, describing how the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) continues to have internal control deficiencies, both new and old. The purpose of the report is to present internal control deficiencies identified during the GAO’s audit of …
Permanent link to this article: https://betweenthenumbers.net/2014/07/internal-control-failings-at-the-irs/
Dec 02
Should The Elderly Be Paying More for Movie Tickets?
December 2, 2014
A recent article in Bloomberg BusinessWeek discussed how in contrast to past generations, American seniors currently make up one of the wealthiest segments of the US population. According to Bloomberg, a combination of strong saving habits (honed from having lived through the Great Depression) and advantageous timing (having come of working age just after WWII …
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