S&P Forum to Examine Accounting Influence on Credit Markets Trends

NEW YORK Nov. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- With year-end reporting rapidly approaching, a host of financial reporting constituents, including analysts, standard-setters, auditors, regulators, and issuers are wrestling with a number of accounting challenges. Along with issues related to finalizing and analyzing current fiscal year reports, further questions remain about several and quite significant looming changes to accounting and financial reporting standards. Standard & Poor's hot topics conference "Accounting Influence on Current and Future Credit Markets" to be held on December 10th in New York will strive to deliver insights into how capital market participants are tackling these issues. In particular, the conference will emphasize the potential impact of these changes from a credit ratings perspective.

The interactive dialogue will consider what recent accounting and financial reporting developments may mean for, and how they are affected by, the economy, the continued challenging market and the changed landscape. Additional front-of-mind industry topics to be addressed include fair value accounting, off-balance-sheet and securitization activities, pension funding and reporting, financial statements presentation and international financial reporting standards.

Industry experts speaking at this complimentary forum will include:

• Peter M. Carlson, Executive Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer, MetLife Inc.
• Julie Erhardt, Deputy Chief Accountant, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
• Patrick Finnegan, Board Member, International Accounting Standards Board
• Susan L. Freshour, Partner, Financial Services Industry, Deloitte & Touche
• James J. Leisenring, Board Member, International Accounting Standards Board
• Arthur Lindo, Associate Director and Chief Accountant, Federal Reserve System
• Matthew Schroeder, Managing Director, Head of Accounting Policy, Goldman Sachs, EITF member
• Susan Stalnecker, Treasurer, DuPont
  

Standard & Poor's participants will be:

• Neri Bukspan, Managing Director, Chief Quality Officer & Chief Accountant
• Joyce Joseph-Bell, Senior Director & North America Accounting Specialist Lead
• Jonathan Nus, Director, Corporate & Government Ratings
• Scott Sprinzen, Managing Director, Financial Institutions Ratings
• David Wyss, Managing Director, Chief Economist
  

Event Details: Registration is complementary, but space is limited.

Date: Thursday, December 10, 2009
Time: 8:00 am - 12:15 pm (Breakfast will be served)
Location: The McGraw-Hill Auditorium, 1221 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY

A full conference agenda is available at: http://www2.standardandpoors.com/spf/pdf/events/Accounting1209Agenda.pdf

Registration information can be found at: http://profile.standardandpoors.com/content/accounting1209

Standard & Poor's, a subsidiary of The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP), is the world's foremost provider of independent credit ratings, indices, risk evaluation, investment research and data. With offices in 23 countries and markets, Standard & Poor's is an essential part of the world's financial infrastructure and has played a leading role for nearly 150 years in providing investors with the independent benchmarks they need to feel more confident about their investment and financial decisions. For more information, visit www.standardandpoors.com.