The SEC is expected to pass a ruling on Wednesday that will allow companies to direct shareholders to the online version of their annual report and mail printed copies only upon request. The rules change obviously reduces the cost of printing and mailing the reports.
80% of shareholders prefer a printed version, presumably because it is easier to read and and more portable.
I've got no issue with directing investors to an easy to read, well designed PDF version with clear, legible graphs and financial statements. However, I suspect many companies will take the shortcut of directing shareholders to the raw, unformatted 10-K. That's not acceptable and hardly user friendly. But then again, perhaps they don't want anyone to actually read the footnotes and explanations behind the numbers.
Read more at CFO.com:
Paper Tigers
Sarah Johnson
CFO Magazine
December 11, 2006
During her time at Glenbrook, Erin focused on client engagements in business payments, cross-border transactions, bill payment, and the intersection of corporate finance, banking, and ERP/accounting. She has nearly twenty years of experience leading increasingly complex payment initiatives for corporate clients and advising financial institutions and payment technologists on the development of their payment capabilities.
Erin is also the founder of Forte Financial, a consulting firm focused on corporate finance efficiency, technology, and process improvement. She is a past president of the Financial Women’s Association of San Francisco and also a two-term past president of the San Francisco Treasury Management Association. Erin is no longer with Glenbrook, but contributed greatly during her time at the firm.