JohnL

Bernanke Is Right: 'Transparency' Is Important

-- The root of the "problem" that the world financial system is facing right now, and the ultimate cause of this problem, is that neither US GAAP (nor indeed IFRS) can conceive of a valuation of an asset that has two or more radically different "values" at the same time, depending on the purpose of the valuation. --

My eyes always stop scanning when an author identifies the "root cause" of the current financial problem. My question: why has an accounting challenge become so important all of a sudden? Is it not because the severity of the boom elevated asset prices so high in relation to the bust-prices seen now? Accounting valuation differences merely reflect the severity of the boom-bust cycle that swept up so many bankers and investors.

Might we not say that almost any accounting method would be adequate if the cycle was greatly moderated? Thus, I would assign more attention to the credit cycle than to accounting rules. I blame the monetary elasticity of fiat money and fractional-reserve lending for the cycle, but that is a debate for another day.