On March 4, 2002, The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will host a roundtable discussion in New York City to examine proposals for improvements in financial disclosure and auditor oversight. A similar roundtable will be held in Washington DC on March 6, 2002.

The morning session (10:00 a.m. to noon) of each roundtable will focus on financial disclosure. Key questions for discussion include:

• What information do investors need to make informed investment decisions?
• How can financial disclosures be made more intelligible?
• What information needs to be communicated more quickly, and how can that be accomplished?

The afternoon sessions (2:00 to 4:00 p.m.) will be devoted to auditor oversight, including discussions of:

• What structure—governmental body, private organization or other—can best oversee accounting regulation?
• What should be the membership of such an organization, and how should it be funded?
• How can independent decision-making be assured?

The SEC plans to announce a list of the panelists and moderators before the roundtables.

The roundtables are open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis, but seating is limited. Live Web casts of the events will be available on the SEC's Web site free of charge. Obtain exact locations of roundtables.

-Rosemary Schlank