SEC Announces Financial Disclosure and Auditor Oversight Roundtables

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
2002-28

Washington, DC, February 22, 2002 — The Securities and Exchange Commission will convene two days of roundtable discussions next month in New York City and Washington, D.C., to examine proposals for better protecting investors by reforming financial disclosure and auditor oversight.

Roundtable panelists will include experts from corporate America, securities regulation, financial services, academia and other fields. The SEC will announce a list of roundtable panelists and moderators next week.

The morning session (10:00 a.m. to noon) of each roundtable will focus on financial disclosure. Key questions for discussion include:

• What information do investors need to make informed investment decisions?
   
• How can financial disclosures be made more intelligible?
   
• What information needs to be communicated more quickly, and how can that be accomplished?

The afternoon sessions (2:00 to 4:00 p.m.) will be devoted to auditor oversight, including discussions of:

• What structure — governmental body, private organization or other — can best oversee accounting regulation?
   
• What should be the membership of such an organization, and how should it be funded?
   
• How can independent decision-making be assured?

The public is invited to attend the roundtables on a first-come, first-served basis, but seating is limited. The SEC will also offer live Web casts of the events on the SEC Web site free of charge.

http://www.sec.gov/news/headlines/marchroundtables.htm