Writings
ONLINE ARTICLES
All articles were originally published in Accountancy Magazine unless stated otherwise.
Accounting & Auditing
I have always been prepared to talk straight whenever thorny technical questions become enmeshed in academic jargon and cover up shoddy auditing.
Bank Lending
I have charted the destructive economic impact over the years of banks' utterly irresponsible lending practices, and their catastrophic consequences.
Credit Crisis
Accounting standards have institutionalised a warped interpretation of the balance sheets of banks and other lenders, masking absurdly inflated asset values.
Economics
These focus on economic policies that cover growth, productivity, public spending, credit expansion and taxation.
Europe & the Euro
Unelected European technocrats push ahead on the Euro project despite the fact that its misbegotten origins and processes make that objective impossible.
Governance & Regulation
Governance and regulation have failed miserably as safeguards. Much of it is so misdirected as to be worse than useless.
Insurance
Professionals avoid risking the loss of personal assets by insuring against the consequences of their own mistakes, but mounting a sustainable defence is the problem.
Law
Much of the content of these articles concerns auditors' liability, all based on personal familiarity with Courtroom processes.
Litigation
Professionals face joint and several liability, although there have been moves to introduce proportional liability. These articles trace the process.
Mortgages
Mortgage lending was foisted on borrowers who couldn't afford to make repayments - the insane policies of easy lending that created no new wealth.
Negligence & Liability
In more than 25 years of providing litigation support I have encountered more than a fair share of cases involving accountants' negligence.
Professional Practice
Dealing with client fraud and accounts that comply with everything except giving a true and fair view.
Risk Management
Sound governance and fearless auditing are the most direct and effective elements of risk management.
Taxation & Tax reform
The basic truth is that low tax rates increase the tax yield. These articles highlight the pernicious nature of taxes on production and employment.