2006

2006

   Year In, Year Out, There’s Always Greed (Slide show lists end of the year enforcement actions by the SEC), Forbes.com, December 29. 2006.  
   So Much for Six Sigmas (General Electric cancels identity-theft insurance for victimized workers) (Informer), Forbes, December 25, 2006, p. 36.
   Internet Billionaire (percywalker.com claims Greensboro, N.C. namesake is a billionaire) (Informer), Forbes, December 25, 2006, p. 36.
   What’s That Commandment Against Stealing? (Table lists cases of theft from houses of worship by insiders) (Informer), Forbes, December 25, 2006, p. 36.
   Charity Case (Over four decades “nonprofit entrepreneur” Roger Chapin of San Diego has launched upwards of 30 diverse charitable or advocacy endeavors, led by his Help Hospitalized Veterans, which has relatively low financial efficiency), Forbes, December 11, 2006, p. 198.
   A response, Forbes, December 25, 2006, p. 20.
   Rating Nonprofits (Table lists and examines financial efficiencies of nation’s 200 largest nonprofits), Forbes.com and Forbes, December 11, 2006, p. 202.
   Featured Here Again (Businessman A. Demetrius (Tony) Brown, whose resume cites previous Forbes coverage but omits damning details, now claims royal title and honorary Ph.D. while fighting $83 million claim by General Motors) (Informer, with co-author), Forbes, December 11, 2006, p. 44.
   The $ound of Music (Table lists total pay of top concertmasters), (Informer), Forbes, December 11, 2006, p. 44.
   Hollywood Fights Crime (Preliminary academic study by Gordon Dahl and Stefano DellaVigna says violent movies reduces crime because would-be perps are in the theaters) (Informer), Forbes, November 27, 2006, p. 38.
   Free Markets at Work (Sharp rise noted in number of financial planner designations issued by largely unregulated private entities) (Informer, with co-author), Forbes, November 27, 2006, p. 38.
   The Changing Nature of War (Military personnel get a full month of hazardous duty benefits for less than one day in a designated area) (Informer, with co-author), Forbes, November 27, 2006, p. 38.
   Details, Mere Details (Table lists recent SEC cases alleging sale of interests without proper registration or disclosure) (Informer), Forbes, November 27, 2006, p. 38.
   Benefits Package (Billly Graham Evangelistic Association spent $228,653 last year on extra health care for its 88-year-old namesake) (Informer), Forbes, November 13, 2006, p. 56.
   Happy New Years (Financial Analyst Journal article by Mark Haug and Mark Hirschey quantifies “January effect” for small-cap stocks from 1927 to 2004) (Informer), Forbes, November 13, 2006, p. 56.
   Judge Them by Their Deeds (Table lists criminal cases touching on land fraud) (Informer), Forbes, November 13, 2006, p. 56.
   A Slight Difference of Opinion (Anne Cox Chambers and Barbara Cox Anthony fight IRS claim they understated taxable income in 1993 and 1994 by $59 million) (Informer, with co-author), Forbes, October 30, 2006, p. 36.
   Imagination at Work (General Electric gives one year of free credit monitoring to workers whose personal data was stolen that disclaims any warranty for errors) (Informer), Forbes, October 30, 2006, p. 36.
   No Flogging of This Dead Horse (“Official ruling” of Del Mar race trick assesses $10 fine for parking violation against Emdeon and WebMD chairman Martin Wygod (Informer), Forbes, October 30, 2006, p.. 36.
   Win-Loss Record Doesn’t Matter (Table lists compensation of commissions of major college athletic conferences, topped James R. Delany, Big 10, at $884,516) (Informer), Forbes, October 30, 2006, p. 36.
   Pop Tart Precedent (In dismissing insider trading charges against Heartland Advisors president William J. Nasgovitz, federal judge Charles N.Clevert Jr. likens SEC lawyers intellectually to Britney Spears) (Informer), Forbes, October 16, 2006, p. 32
   A Few Dollars Short (Lamar Ellis, retired doctor in South Pasadena, Calif., seeks Forbes 400 status claiming $16 billion of tax credits but has little evidence and little income) (Informer), Forbes, October 16, 2006, p. 32.
   Another Kind of Scorecard (Table lists colleges whose bond ratings have changed) (Informer), Forbes, October 6, 2006, p. 32.
   A Different B.S. (David C. Swanson, CEO of R.H. Donnelley Corp., does not have the college degree long attributed to him in company literature but no longer blames others for error) (Informer), Forbes, October 2, 2006, p. 30. Also, What Degree?, Forbes.com, September 8, 2006. No Degree Problem, Forbes.com, September 11, 2006.
   Buy-and-Scold Strategy (Financial Analysts Journal study by Honghui Chen, Gregory Noronha and Vijay Singal says arbitrageurs benefit from changes in stocks comprising the S&P 500 and Russell 2000 indexes) (Informer), Forbes, October 2, 2006, p. 30.
   We Just Might Find It Difficult (Personal financial statement for Destin, Fla. Developer Jerry L. Wallace, author of Dealmaker: A Billionaire’s Blueprint for Success, puts net worth at just $250 million) (Informer), Forbes, October 2, 2006, p. 30.
   Creative Writing (Table lists prominent individuals accused of expense-account padding) (Informer), Forbes, October 2, 2006, p. 30.
   Elarton’s Arm Is Better (The New York Philharmonic Loren Maazel is the country’s highest-paid conductor) (Informer), Forbes, September 18, 2006, p. 46.
   Read the Second Item (Informer page beats billionaire Mark Cuban and his Sharesleuth.com to problems at Xethanol) (Informer, with co-author), Forbes, September 4, 2006, p. 38.
   That Could Take a While (Gift of $70 million by Sioux Falls, S.D. billionaire T. Denny Sanford comes on same day at Warren Buffett’s $30 billion gift) (Informer), Forbes, September 4, 2006, p. 38.
   The Mailroom Gets Blamed Again (BBB Wise Giving Alliance says the Simon Wiesenthal Center flunked a third of its charitable standards) (Informer), Forbes, September 4, 2006, p. 38.
   Reasons for Going Postal (During the week of October 10, 2005, the U.S. Postal Service received 59.450 complaints) (Informer), Forbes, September 4, 2006, p. 38.
   Fraud Alert (Report says elderly victims of investment fraud are more likely to be better educated and wealthier), Forbes.com, August 31, 2006.
   Great Vu, Smoky Vistas (Warfare puts just-announced condo project in Beirut, “La Residence by Ivana Trump,” on hold) (Informer, with co-author), Forbes, August 14, 2006, p. 38.
   Not Our Kind of Excitement (Table lists sorry performance of stocks flogged by Market Pulse of Atlanta, run by Bernard R. Schmitt) (Informer, with co-author), Forbes, August 14, 2006, p. 38.
   Crying Time (Set up in 1988 to help aging recording stars, the Rhythm & Blues Foundation hands out half the money it did years ago) (Informer), Forbes, July 24, 2006, p. 41.
   Land of Strife (Wars in Lebanon go way back to the Bible), Forbes.com, July 21, 2006.
   Enron Should Have Headquartered in Dublin (Table lists corporate-wrongdoing cases in Ireland with modest punishments) (Informer), Forbes, July 3, 2006, p. 42.
   Investing Billions (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is an active player in financial markets), Forbes.com, June 26, 2006.
   Pick Your Poison (Underwriters Laboratories refuses on principle to test equipment used to make cigarettes) (Informer), Forbes, June 19, 2006, p. 38.
   How New York City Is Different (When billing property owners, New York City Fire Department notice warns against paying bribes) (Informer), Forbes, June 19, 2006, p. 38.
   The Empire Strikes Back (Share prices of clients of Empire Relations Group tend to drop and stay low) (Informer, with co-author), Forbes, June 19, 2006, p. 38.
   Don’t Buy Its Stock (GAO report says SEC displays “material weaknesses” in accounting) (Informer), Forbes, June 5, 2006, p. 34.
   A Blowout (Deep Well Oil & Gas have risen 517% in a year even though it hasn’t sold product and loses money) (Informer, with co-author), Forbes, June 5, 2006, p.34.
   My Advice Is Not Legal (Jailed tax lawyer Owen Fiore has website and office ready for his release) (Informer, with co-author), Forbes, June 5, 2006, p. 34.
   Not All the Sticky Fingers Come From Maple Candy (Table lists accused public officials and workers in Maine) (Informer), Forbes, June 5, 2006, p. 34.
   Kudos for Prof. Aardvark (Financial Analysts Journal article by Liran Einav and Leeat Yariv says at the top ten economic departments faculty members whose last names start with letters low in the alphabet fare better) (Informer), Forbes, May 22, 2006, p. 38.
   Mutiny Over the Bounty (In 17 years the SEC bounty program for tips on insider-trading has only paid a total of $67,570, in four cases) (Informer), Forbes. May 22, 2006, p. 38; Forbes.com, April 20, 2006.
   All the Unnecessary Offense That’s Fit to Print (Table lists prominent publications that misspell New York Times controlling family Sulzberger as Sulzburger) (Informer), Forbes, May 22, 2006, p. 38.
   Waiting for Hoffa (1975 office pool by AP journalists in Philadelphia on the day of week Jimmy Hoffa’s remains are found remains unpaid, but times have changed), Forbes.com, May 19, 2006.
   High on the Hog (IRS says pig baron Wendell H. Murphy used a scam tax shelter to shield $97 million) (Informer, with co-author), Forbes, May 8, 2006, p. 44.
   Change for the Better? (Shares of Strata Oil & Gas have risen 1,415% in 10 months without obvious reason) (Informer, with co-author), Forbes, May 8, 2006, p. 44.
   Momentum Stocks: OK (Financial Analysts Journal article by Narasimhan Jagadeesh and Joshua Livnat says a positive earnings surprise can signal longer-term price gains when accompanied by upward revenue surprise) (Informer), Forbes, May 8, 2006, p. 44.
   Even Giving Away Money Carries a Cost (Table lists private foundations with high overhead as measured by grants given) (Informer), Forbes, May 8, 2006, p. 44.
   Policy Change (Epic battle brews in Washington over federal regulation of insurance), Forbes.com, April 24, 2006.
   Zen and the Price of a Share (Xethanol, f/k/a Zen Pottery Equipment, has a $110 million market cap despite just $2 million in sales and losses) (Informer, with co-author), Forbes, April 24, 2006, p. 32.
   Who Pays in Long Run? (Table lists Google keywords with the highest cost per click) (Informer, with co-author), Forbes, April 24, 2006, p. 32.
   He Still Was Well Paid (United Way of America says President Brian A. Gallagher earned less than what it reported on federal tax returns) (Informer), Forbes, April 17, 2006, p. 36.
   Unions: Watch What You Wish For (Billionaire Ronald W. Burkle, potential savior to Knight Ridder newspaper unions, had significant job losses at grocery companies he acquired) (Informer), Forbes, April 17, 2006, p. 36.
   The Spokane Hustle Continues (Table lists recent fraud cases around tiny Spokane, Wash. (Informer), Forbes, April 17, 2006, p. 36.
   Enron on the Hudson? (Lawsuit says that at now-defunct Impath, ex-KPMG auditors gamed an accounting system brought from KPMG) (Informer, with co-author), Forbes, April 10, 2006, p. 34.  
   When Trilogy Gets on Board, Watch Out! (Table lists companies, promoted by Trilogy Capital Partners of Los Angeles, whose shares eventually tend to rise sharply, then fall and stay down) (Informer, with co-author), Forbes, April 10, 2006, p. 34.
   Billionaire MIA (After Forbes inquiry, Pr.com removes press release stating Jacques Cowell is worth $4.3 billion) (Informer), Forbes, March 27, 2006, p. 40.
   Desperate Housewife? (Steve Pomeroy, head of Pomeroy IT Solutions, faces shareholder suit filed by wife) (Informer, with co-author), Forbes, March 27, 2006, p. 40.
   It’s All Academic (Table lists online universities that pay Google or Yahoo for ads suggesting easy degrees) (Informer), Forbes, March 27, 2006, p. 40.
   Oldies But Goodies (Article co-authored by Jeremy J. Siegel says original companies in S&P 500 outperform current crop) (Informer), Forbes, March 13, 2006, p. 32.
   How the West Was Yuan (China says 4,000 officials accused of economic crimes have fled with $50 billion) (Informer), Forbes, March 13, 2006, p. 32.
   New at Fed: Less is More (New edition of Ben Bernanke’s economics textbook pares material) (Informer), Forbes, March 13, 2006, p. 32.
   Makes FEMA Look Swift (SEC revokes registrations of 25 companies as much as 14 years behind in filings) (Informer), Forbes, March 13, 2006, p. 32.
   What They Didn’t Tell You (SEC enforcement actions focus on things not told investors), Forbes.com, March 1, 2006.
   Well-Fixed (Reuben Mark of Colgate-Palmolive tops aging big-company CEOs in present value of future pension) (Informer, with co-author), Forbes, February 27, 2006, p. 38.
   Short-Sellers Might be Waiting, Too (Axial Vector Engine predicts $140 million in yearly profits by 2008 although it has had no operating revenue since December 30, 2002) (Informer), Forbes, February 9, 2006, p. 38.
   Here’s One Way That Elite Higher Education Stays Elite (Table shows that no billion-dollar-endowment college with the highest annual percent change in endowment kept tuition increase to 3% inflation rate) (Informer), Forbes, February 27, 2006, p. 38.
   No Mention of His Tax Acumen (IRS says Kentucky developer William P. Butler used a sham shelter to duck taxes on $25 million of income) (Informer, with co-author), Forbes, February 13, 2006, p. 42.
   It’s All in the Marketing (Fee-only financial planners criticize decision by Smith Barney to call stockbrokers “financial advisors”) (Informer, with co-author), Forbes, February 13, 2006, p. 42.
   Blast-Furnace Investing (Silver coins minted through the mid-1960s are worth, as scrap, 550% above face value) (Informer), Forbes, February 13, 2006, p. 42.
   Ranking the Academic Elite by Deadbeats (Table lists elite colleges with highest student-loan default rates) (Informer), Forbes, February 13, 2006, p. 42.
   Crying Foul, not Fore (Oaktree Capital Management faces lawsuit charging “fraud and deceit” from members of Governor’s Golf Club in Tennessee) (Informer, with co-author), Forbes, January 30, 2006, p. 34.
   Live Two Centuries and You’ll Do Fine (Jeremy J. Siegel says equity-risk premium will be higher than 2%-3% prediction of others) (Informer), Forbes, January 30, 2006, p. 34.
   How About Just Pulling the Plug? (5% of Internet domain registrations contain “patently false” information) (Informer, with co-author), Forbes, January 30, 2006, p. 34.
   United Way’s New Way (Fundraising giant changes way of distributing largess), Forbes.com, January 16, 2006.
   That Outfit Looked Great on the Dummy (Study says only 8% of women have hourglass body shape but most clothes are designed on that model) (Informer, with co-author), Forbes, January 9, 2006, p. 32.
   The Great Salt Lake Isn’t the Only Bitter Taste (Table lists recent fraud cases in Utah) (Informer), Forbes, January 9, 2006, p. 32.