Trust but verify: Evaluate financial restatements carefully

Description

Abstract: Misinterpretation of accounting standards or mistakes may cause businesses to reissue their financial statements. But financial restatements also can be a sign of incompetence or fraud. This article explains that lenders need to closely examine financial restatements to accurately evaluate their borrowers’ situations. The article looks at the most common reasons for financial restatements, pointing out that lenders need to dig deeper to determine whether restatements are simply correcting mistakes or potentially fraudulent.