Accounting Observer > Public Blog - Suspending Mark-To-Market Accounting: Two Cows

The AAO Weblog covers accounting issues and current events as they relate the practice of investment analysis.

Suspending Mark-To-Market Accounting: Two Cows

Feb 27

Written by: Jack Ciesielski
2/27/2009 2:27 PM

It's been a while since I blogged anything - many projects for the day job keep me away from it. Before February slides into the past however, I'd like to share with you a "Tale of Two Cows." It's a fable about suspending mark-to-market accounting... from "Clusterstock," a site I'd never heard of before someone sent me the link.

I will not touch the name of that site.

But I will reproduce the fable here, full attribution to John Carney. Prepare to laugh. Or cry.

Talking about accounting rules is famously obscure, my-eyes-glaze over stuff. But much of what happens inside of investment banks--including all those writedowns you've heard so much about--turns on accounting rules.

Now there are reports that the SEC is planning to give banks "flexibility" on mark-to-market accounting rules. It may even suspend mark to market rules. What on earth could that mean?

Let's go to the cows.

You have two cows.

You write down on a piece of paper that the cows are worth $100 each.

You notice the cows are on fire.

Your paper still says $100.

Fortunately, mark to market has been suspended so you don't have to pay attention to the fire.

Your cows are dead from fire.

Your paper still says $100.

Fortunately, mark to market has been suspended so you don't have to pay attention to the dead cows.

You notice that you aren't getting as much milk as expected, so you adjust the model and mark the cows down to $98.

You are confident, however, that the dislocated stream of milk revenue will quickly revert to expectations.

You need to borrow some money so you ask investors for a loan against the cows. The investors tell you the cows are
dead, and you already owe them $200 dollars you borrowed to buy them in the first place. You show them the paper that says the cows are worth $98 each.

They light your paper on fire.

You ask the government to buy the dead cows at $98 each.

The government holds meetings all weekend and finally comes up with a plan to inject $45 dollars into your cattle ranch. In exchange, the government gets a right to milk generated from the cows at some point in the future. It expects you'll buy a new cow with the $45.

You have two dead cows, $45 and $200 in debt to your investors. You have no plans to buy new cows.

Trackback Print

Location: Blogs

AAO Weblog (Public)

Tags:

Pension & Other Benefit Plans: A Look Ahead

Investors in firms with defined benefit pension plans always face the risk of suddenly being pushed farther back in line when it comes to being served their returns. Variability in plan assets and variability in benefit plan obligations are the reason: poor asset returns coupled with sinking interest rates always spell tough times for defined benefit plan funding. In that regard, this year’s asset returns combined with the Fed’s “Operation Twist” add up to “Operation Agony” for defined benefit pension plans. If trends continue along their current path, firms that may have anticipated moving to more realistic pension accounting - like Honeywell, AT&T and Verizon already have done - might forego that decision. It could be just too painful.

Pensions aren’t the only kind of benefit plan affected by Operation Twist. Other postemployment benefit (OPEB) plans share much the same accounting model as pensions, including the calculation of a projected benefit obligation that similarly incorporates a discount rate - one that will also be affected by Operation Twist. The net OPEB obligations were slightly less than pension obligations at the end of 2010, but also promise to grow in 2011. Investors perceive them as less threatening than pension obligations because they don’t require funding. Strangely, there are a number of firms that are recognizing income from these benefit plans - without ever creating a dime of cash for investors.

A recent edition of The Analyst’s Accounting Observer dissects these issues, and is available only to paid subscribers. A condensed version is available for free upon request. To receive it, send an e-mail to Brenda Rappold at brappold@accountingobserver.com, with “PENSIONS” in the subject line.

For information about subscribing to The Analyst’s Accounting Observer, click here.