Thursday, December 18, 2008

A Guide to Forensic Accounting Investigation or Quantitative Management of Bond Portfolios

A Guide to Forensic Accounting Investigation

Author: Mona M Clayton

Today's demanding marketplace expects auditors to take responsibility for fraud detection, and this expectation is buoyed by such legislation as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the Auditing Standard (SAS99), which requires increased performance on the part of the auditor to find material financial statement fraud.

Written by three of the best forensic accountants and auditors, Thomas W. Golden, Steven L. Skalak, and Mona M. Clayton, The Auditor's Guide to Forensic Accounting Investigation explores exactly what assurances auditors should provide and suggests alternatives to giving the capital markets more of what they are requiring-greater assurances that the financial statements they rely upon for investment decisions are free of material error, including fraud. It reveals the surprising complexity of fraud deterrence, detection, and investigation, and offers a step-by-step approach to understanding that complexity.

From basic techniques to intricate tests and technologies, The Auditor's Guide to Forensic Accounting Investigation is a rich, multifaceted, and fascinating answer to the need for wiser, savvier, better-trained financial statement and internal auditors who are thoroughly familiar with fraud detection techniques and the intricate, demanding work of forensic accounting specialists.



Table of Contents:
Preface.

Acknowledgments.

1 Fraud: An Introduction.

2 The Roles of the Auditor and the Forensic Accounting Investigator.

3 Psychology of the Fraudster.

4 Financial Reporting Fraud and the Capital Markets.

5 Auditor Responsibilities and the Law.

6 Independence, Objectivity, Skepticism.

7 Forensic Investigations and Financial Audits: Compare and Contrast.

8 Potential Red Flags and Fraud Detection Techniques.

9 Internal Audit: The Second Line of Defense.

10 Financial Statement Fraud: Revenue and Receivables.

11 Financial Statement Fraud: Other Schemes and Misappropriations.

12 When and Why to Call In Forensic Accounting Investigators.

13 Teaming with Forensic Accounting Investigators.

14 Potential Missteps: Considerations When Fraud Is Suspected.

15 Investigative Techniques.

16 Anonymous Communications.

17 Background Investigations.

18 The Art of the Interview.

19 Analyzing Financial Statements.

20 Data Mining: Computer-Aided Forensic Accounting Investigation Techniques.

21 Building a Case: Gathering and Documenting Evidence.

22 Supporting a Criminal Prosecution.

23 Report of Investigation.

24 Working with Attorneys.

25 Conducting Global Investigations.

26 Money Laundering.

27 Other Dimensions of Forensic Accounting.

28 Looking Forward: The Future of Forensic Accounting Investigation.

Index.

Go to: Going Solo in the Kitchen or Bobby Flays From My Kitchen to Your Table

Quantitative Management of Bond Portfolios

Author: Lev Dynkin

The practice of institutional bond portfolio management has changed markedly since the late 1980s in response to new financial instruments, investment methodologies, and improved analytics. Investors are looking for a more disciplined, quantitative approach to asset management. Here, five top authorities from a leading Wall Street firm provide practical solutions and feasible methodologies based on investor inquiries. While taking a quantitative approach, they avoid complex mathematical derivations, making the book accessible to a wide audience, including portfolio managers, plan sponsors, research analysts, risk managers, academics, students, and anyone interested in bond portfolio management.

The book covers a range of subjects of concern to fixed-income portfolio managers--investment style, benchmark replication and customization, managing credit and mortgage portfolios, managing central bank reserves, risk optimization, and performance attribution. The first part contains empirical studies of security selection versus asset allocation, index replication with derivatives and bonds, optimal portfolio diversification, and long-horizon performance of assets. The second part covers portfolio management tools for risk budgeting, bottom-up risk modeling, performance attribution, innovative measures of risk sensitivities, and hedging risk exposures.

A first-of-its-kind publication from a team of practitioners at the front lines of financial thinking, this book presents a winning combination of mathematical models, intuitive examples, and clear language.



No comments: