Financial Shenanigans, Fourth Edition: How to Detect Accounting Gimmicks & Fraud in Financial Reports: How to Detect Accounting Gimmicks and Fraud in Financial Reports

The bestselling classic from the “Sherlock Holmes of Accounting”―updated to reflect the key case studies and most important lessons from the past quarter century. This fourth edition of the classic guide shines a light on the most shocking frauds and financial reporting offenders of the last twenty-five years, and gives investors the tools they need to detect: • Corporate cultures that incentivize dishonest practices • The latest tricks companies use to exaggerate revenue and earnings • Techniques devised by management to manipulate cash flow as easily as earnings • Companies that use misleading metrics to fool investors about their financial performance • How companies use acquisitions to hide deterioration in their underlying business This new edition focuses on the key case studies and most important lessons from the past quarter century, and brings you up to date on accounting chicanery in the global markets. Howard Schilit and his team of renowned forensic accounting experts expose financial reporting miscreants and unveil the latest methods companies use to mislead investors. You’ll learn everything you need to know to unearth deceptive reporting and avoid costly mistakes. The bestselling classic from the “Sherlock Holmes of Accounting”—updated to reflect key case studies from the past quarter century and the dishonest tactics used to mislead investors. This fourth edition of the bestselling guide shines a light on the most shocking frauds and financial reporting offenders, and gives investors the tools they need to spot deceptive financial reporting in the global markets. This unparalleled guide provides the investigative tools you need to detect: * Corporate cultures that incentivize dishonest practices * The latest tricks companies use to exaggerate revenue and earnings * Techniques devised by management to manipulate cash flow as easily as earnings * Companies that use misleading metrics to fool investors about their financial performance * How companies use acquisitions to hide deterioration in their underlying business You’ll learn everything you need to know to unearth deceptive reporting and avoid costly mistakes. This new edition focuses on the key case studies from the past quarter century and brings you up to date on accounting chicanery in the global markets. Howard Schilit and his team of renowned forensic accounting experts reveal the most shocking frauds, expose financial reporting miscreants, and unveil the latest methods companies use to mislead investors. This fourth edition of the bestselling guide shines a light on the most shocking frauds and financial reporting offenders, and gives investors the tools they need to spot deceptive financial reporting in the global markets. This unparalleled guide provides the investigative tools you need to detect: * Corporate cultures that incentivize dishonest practices * The latest tricks companies use to exaggerate revenue and earnings * Techniques devised by management to manipulate cash flow as easily as earnings * Companies that use misleading metrics to fool investors about their financial performance * How companies use acquisitions to hide deterioration in their underlying business You'll learn everything you need to know to unearth deceptive reporting and avoid costly mistakes. This new edition focuses on the key case studies from the past quarter century and brings you up to date on accounting chicanery in the global markets. Howard Schilit and his team of renowned forensic accounting experts reveal the most shocking frauds, expose financial reporting miscreants, and unveil the latest methods companies use to mislead investors. -- Amazon.com. Techniques to uncover and avoid accounting frauds and scamsInflated profits . . . Suspicious write-offs . . . Shifted expenses . . . These and other dubious financial maneuvers have taken on a contemporary twist as companies pull out the stops in seeking to satisfy Wall Street. Financial Shenanigans pulls back the curtain on the current climate of accounting fraud. It presents tools that anyone who is potentially affected by misleading business valuations--from investors and lenders to managers and auditors--can use to research and read financial reports, and to identify early warning signs of a company's problems. A bestseller in its first edition, Financial Shenanigans has been thoroughly updated for today's marketplace. New chapters, data, and research reveal contemporary "shenanigans" that have been known to fool even veteran researchers. Shining a light on the most shocking frauds and financial reporting offenders, this unparalleled guide gives investors the tools they need to spot deceptive financial reporting in the global markets. -- Edited summary from book 50 powerful tools to uncovering accounting gimmicks based on case histories of corporations that brought in millions of investment dollars before being financially exposed Establishing the foundation Earnings manipulation shenanigans Cash flow shenanigans Key metric shenanigans Acquisition accounting shenanigans Putting it all together. Mention the word whopper to hamburger lovers and many of them will think of the fast-food giant Burger King.