This week’s Congressional hearings on regulatory reform in response to the nation’s economic tsunami included a hard look at the losses sustained by retirement accounts, the estimated total of which is a whopping $2 trillion over the past 15 months, according to expert testimony at one of the hearings.

Third-quarter earnings have, not surprisingly, been dismal so far and the outlook for Q4 is similarly bleak. The economy's recent turn for the worse leaves companies in virtually every industry scrambling for means to weather the storm.

Next month the Supreme Court will hear Wyeth v. Levine, a case that could shape product safety laws affecting everything from automobile makers to pharmaceutical companies.

Employees who participate in defined contribution plans are getting statement shock as the economic crisis shatters 401(k) balances.

The Treasury is pulling out all the stops to provide relief to companies facing high interest rates for short-term credit; and thanks to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) large multinationals have an additional weapon in the battle for short-term cash.

The $700 billion bailout package approved by Congress carries executive compensation limits for executives of the companies that benefit from the Treasury's program, and that is sparking debate among compensation experts.

Battle lines are forming over the fate of FAS 157, the "fair value" or mark-to-market accounting rule.

The Treasury Department's long awaited recommendations for changes in the audit industry address audit firm structure and finances, the competitive landscape for the firms, and human capital considerations.