Why Being Accountable for Your Actions Is So Important Several years ago, I authored a book about happiness and meaning in life titled Beyond Happiness and Meaning: Transforming Your Life Through Ethical Behavior. I’ve heard from many people who read it, liked it, and said they would rethink how they... Read more →

Sustainability Disclosures Need to Be Enhanced It seems that everywhere we turn these days sustainability reporting is discussed. From individuals to corporations and nonprofits, almost everyone is jumping on board with the idea that we all need to live more sustainable lives including protecting the environment. Reporting on ESG Issues... Read more →

Noninterference in Other Cultures is a Message That Resonates Today I admit it. I am a Trekkie. Readers know I have committed my professional life to upholding traditional ethical values. This is one reason I love to watch various segments of Star Trek. We can't talk about the ethics of... Read more →

Audit Firm Professionals Have Cheated on Ethics and Internal Training Exams How can it be that three of the big four CPA firms were caught cheating on external and internal ethics and continuing professional education (CPE) courses given that their role as auditors is to protect the public interest and... Read more →

What’s Fair? Moral hazard refers to a situation that arises when an individual has the chance to take advantage of a financial arrangement or situation, knowing that all the risks and consequences will fall on another party. In a sense, it allows one party to take advantage of another. Moral... Read more →

There Are Limits When Incorporating Ethics into AI Decision-Making Perhaps you read the article “On An ‘ethical’ AI trained on human morals has turned racist.” It claims that while machine learning software Ask Delphi allows you to ponder any moral quandary, it may not give you an appropriate response. The... Read more →

Should You Buy With Your Heart, Not With Your Wallet? Perhaps you have heard about “Ethical Consumerism”. It has various elements to it but, generally, is the practice of spending money in a way that aligns with your values. That’s the angle I like to address because it makes making... Read more →

Unrealized Capital Gains are Not Part of Income Just imagine that you paid $1,000 to purchase a stock this year and on December 31, 2021, it is valued as $2,000 based on then current stock prices (i.e., fair market value). Under the present law, you would not be taxed on... Read more →

The Optics Are Not Good: Appearances Matter Hunter Biden has a right to have an art show and sell his paintings. He’s not working in the Biden administration, so the questions raised about Hunter’s private dealings are different than the dealings of Donald Trump’s kids when he was President because... Read more →

What Does it Mean in Today’s Society to “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you?” I’m a big believer in following The Golden Rule as a standard for ethical behavior. After all, how can anyone argue that the concept, “Do unto others as you would have... Read more →