Companies are unable to set bad debt reserves high enough to cover a default by one of the major players in these industries.
Scott Pales
bad debt
In very high concentration situations, where one buyer might represent 30 percent, 40 percent of sales or even more, it just doesn't make accounting sense to set reserves at the level otherwise called for based on the size of the receivables. So some financial officers are simply avoiding the issue, accepting these potentially company-killing credit risks as unavoidable, somehow taking solace in the fact that if the 800-pound gorilla goes down, it will be catastrophic not just for their company, but their competitors as well.
sense risks concentration company fact sales credit solace
Sarbanes-Oxley requires that public companies report these exposures on their 10Qs, so the reserves shortfall is right out there in the open. Helping reduce the possibility of a shareholders' lawsuit over leaving your largest risk uninsured could be called a bonus that comes with the policy, no extra charge.
leaving risk helping possibility public open
You must log in to post a comment.
There are no comments yet.