PwC's accounting podcast

We continue our SEC-focused series with a discussion of management’s discussion and analysis (MD&A), a topic that remains a consistent focus in SEC staff comment letters. In this episode, we explore the latest trends, common themes, and areas of emphasis—including results of operations, liquidity, and critical accounting estimates—and share practical considerations as companies prepare year-end filings.In this episode, we discuss:1:31 – An overview of SEC comment letter trends related to MD&A6:43 – The results of operations25:16 – Liquidity and capital resources28:30 – Critical accounting estimates35:24 – Final reminders and best practices related to MD&AIn case you missed it, check out the previous episodes in this SEC-focused series:SEC now: Segments 2025 comment letter trendsSEC now: 2025 comment letter trends on transactionsSEC now: Non-GAAP 2025 comment letter trendsSEC now: Today’s landscape and recent developmentsFor more on the SEC, listen to our recent episodes:Key takeaways from the AICPA & CIMA ConferenceSEC to revisit quarterly reporting: Pros, cons, and what’s aheadBe sure to follow this podcast on your favorite podcast app and subscribe to our weekly newsletter to stay in the loop.About our guestsLindsay McCord is a PwC National Office partner specializing in matters related to the SEC and the capital markets. Prior to joining PwC, Lindsay spent over 15 years at the SEC, most recently as the Chief Accountant in the Division of Corporation Finance. In this role, Lindsay led an accounting team in providing technical accounting and reporting support to the Division, including SEC rulemaking, interpretation, and guidance.Ryan Spencer is a partner at PwC's National Office specializing in SEC reporting matters both for US domestic issuers and some of the world’s largest foreign SEC registrants. He has over 25 years of experience serving clients and is a frequent contributor to PwC’s publications.About our guest hostKyle Moffatt is PwC’s Professional Practice leader, leading a team responsible for working with standard setters and regulators as well as delivering brand-defining thought leadership and educational materials. He also consults with engagement teams and audit clients on SEC reporting matters. Before PwC, Kyle spent almost 20 years with the SEC, most recently as Chief Accountant and Disclosure Program Director in the Division of Corporation Finance.Transcripts available upon request for individuals who may need a disability-related accommodation. Please send requests to us_podcast@pwc.com Did you enjoy this episode? Text us your thoughts and be sure to include the episode name.

In this episode, we debrief the 2025 AICPA Conference in Washington, DC, highlighting key takeaways including perspectives from SEC Chairman Paul Atkins and other regulatory leaders. Topics include the SEC’s rulemaking priorities for 2026, trends in capital formation, and emerging issues such as AI and cryptocurrency. We also explore practical reminders for year-end reporting and insights into international standard setting collaboration.In this episode, we discuss:6:42 – SEC Chair keynote: “Making IPOs great again”12:51 – Emerging issues: AI, crypto, and international standard setting25:08 – SEC shutdown impacts and capital markets backlog32:06 – Rulemaking outlook and year-end reminders47:08 – PCAOB oversight, inspections, and audit standard-setting themesFor more, read our In depth, 2025 AICPA & CIMA Conference: Current SEC and PCAOB Developments.Be sure to follow this podcast on your favorite podcast app and subscribe to our weekly newsletter to stay in the loop.About our guestsKevin Vaughn is a PwC National Office partner specializing in SEC reporting matters. Kevin leverages his extensive experience to support PwC public company and pre-IPO clients on accounting and SEC reporting matters. Prior to joining PwC in 2023, Kevin spent over 18 years at the SEC, most recently serving on the leadership team in the SEC’s Office of the Chief Accountant where he focused on technical accounting consultations, SEC rulemakings, and standard setting matters.Scott Feely is a PwC National Office Deputy Chief Accountant. He has over 30 years of experience supporting clients as they address the SEC and financial reporting implications of their capital markets and merger and acquisition-related activities.About our guest hostKyle Moffatt is PwC’s Professional Practice leader, leading a team responsible for working with standard setters and regulators as well as delivering brand-defining thought leadership and educational materials. He also consults with engagement teams and audit clients on SEC reporting matters. Before PwC, Kyle spent almost 20 years with the SEC, most recently as Chief Accountant and Disclosure Program Director in the Division of Corporation Finance.Transcripts available upon request for individuals who may need a disability-related accommodation. Please send requests to us_podcast@pwc.comDid you enjoy this episode? Text us your thoughts and be sure to include the episode name.

We continue our SEC-focused series with a discussion of segment disclosures, reporting trends, and early comment letter themes emerging from the adoption of the new standard. In this episode, we explore common staff observations, including the role of the Chief Operating Decision Maker, or CODM; significant expense disclosures; and interplay with non-GAAP measures.In this episode, we discuss:1:46 – Why segment disclosures remain a top SEC focus8:04 – Early comment themes under the new standard15:14 – Multiple profit measures and non-GAAP considerations28:14 – How the SEC evaluates a company’s segment structure35:28 – Ongoing reassessment of impacts to segmentsIn case you missed it, check out the previous episodes in this SEC-focused series:SEC now: 2025 comment letter trends on transactionsSEC now: Non-GAAP 2025 comment letter trendsSEC now: Today’s landscape and recent developmentsBe sure to follow this podcast on your favorite podcast app and subscribe to our weekly newsletter to stay in the loop.About our guestsKevin Vaughn is a PwC National Office partner specializing in SEC reporting matters. Kevin leverages his extensive experience to support PwC public company and pre-IPO clients on accounting and SEC reporting matters. Prior to joining PwC in 2023, Kevin spent over 18 years at the SEC, most recently serving on the leadership team in the SEC’s Office of the Chief Accountant where he focused on technical accounting consultations, SEC rulemakings, and standard setting matters.Jay Seliber is a partner in PwC’s National Office. He leverages over 35 years of experience to help clients with their most complex accounting matters, particularly in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, segment reporting, revenue recognition, stock compensation, earnings per share, employee benefits, restructurings, impairments, and financing transactions.About our guest hostKyle Moffatt is PwC’s Professional Practice leader, leading a team responsible for working with standard setters and regulators as well as delivering brand-defining thought leadership and educational materials. He also consults with engagement teams and audit clients on SEC reporting matters. Before PwC, Kyle spent almost 20 years with the SEC, most recently as Chief Accountant and Disclosure Program Director in the Division of Corporation Finance.Transcripts available upon request for individuals who may need a disability-related accommodation. Please send requests to us_podcast@pwc.com Did you enjoy this episode? Text us your thoughts and be sure to include the episode name.

Colin Powell, a PwC Canada partner and Technical Net Zero Leader, dives into the GHG Protocol’s major proposed updates to Scope 2 Reporting. They discuss the critical balance between location-based and market-based reporting, highlighting new emission factor hierarchies and the intriguing shift towards hourly matching for energy consumption. Colin emphasizes the importance of accessible emission factors and the implications for renewable energy credits. He also shares how companies can engage in shaping these standards and prepares listeners for the upcoming changes.

We continue our SEC-focused series with a discussion on transaction-related matters, including IPOs, mergers and acquisitions, spinoffs, and divestitures. Our guests share insights into the SEC preclearance process and common SEC comment letter themes. Getting ahead of these issues can help avoid delays that may significantly impact deal timing and disclosures.In this episode, we discuss:3:56 – Overview of 2025 IPO and M&A market activity7:08 – SEC preclearance process and common issues19:59 – Typical transaction filing review comment letter themes32:49 – Final takeaways on anticipating and addressing SEC commentsFor more information:Going for a spin: Accounting and reporting for spinoffsFinancial statement presentation guideBusiness combinations guideIn case you missed it, check out the previous episodes in this SEC-focused series: SEC now: Today’s landscape and recent developmentsSEC now: Non-GAAP 2025 comment letter trendsFor more on the SEC, listen to our recent episode on frequency of reporting, SEC to revisit quarterly reporting: Pros, cons, and what’s ahead. Also, check out our SEC reporting series from earlier this year where we take a “back to basics” look at key reporting areas:Inside SEC reporting: Capital formationInside SEC reporting: Acquisitions and divestituresInside SEC reporting: Pro forma financial informationInside SEC reporting: Form 8-K (current report)Be sure to follow this podcast on your favorite podcast app and subscribe to our weekly newsletter to stay in the loop.About our guests, Katie Driessen, a partner in PwC’s National Office who assists companies with complex accounting and financial reporting issues related to capital markets transactions and Scott Feely, a PwC National Office Deputy Chief Accountant with 30 years of experience supporting clients.About our guest host, Kyle Moffatt, PwC’s Professional Practice leader who guides teams partnering with regulators and delivering influential thought leadership and educational materials.Transcripts available upon request for individuals who may need a disability-related accommodation. Please send requests to us_podcast@pwc.comDid you enjoy this episode? Text us your thoughts and be sure to include the episode name.

We continue our SEC-focused series with an episode on non-GAAP financial measures, commonly used by companies to supplement their financial statements and provide investors with a deeper understanding of their performance or financial condition. Given their importance, it’s been a top focus area for the SEC staff over the last several years, and we expect that trend to continue. We highlight common comment letter themes and share practical guidance for year-end reporting and comment letter responses.In this episode, we discuss:2:17 – Overview of non-GAAP measures 6:20 – SEC comment letter trends and recurring issues23:15– Possible shifts in focus under the new SEC administration27:35 – Year-end reminders and best practices for responding to SEC commentsIn case you missed it, check out our first episode in this SEC-focused series: SEC now: Today’s landscape and recent developments.For more on the SEC, listen to our recent episode on frequency of reporting, SEC to revisit quarterly reporting: Pros, cons, and what’s ahead. Also, check out our SEC reporting series from earlier this year where we take a “back to basics” look at key reporting areas:Inside SEC reporting: Capital formationInside SEC reporting: Acquisitions and divestituresInside SEC reporting: Pro forma financial informationInside SEC reporting: Form 8-K (current report)Be sure to follow this podcast on your favorite podcast app and subscribe to our weekly newsletter to stay in the loop.Our guests are Kevin Vaughn, a PwC National Office partner specializing in SEC reporting matters, and John Ly, a PwC National Office managing director within the SEC & Capital Markets group.Our host is Kyle Moffatt, PwC’s Professional Practice leader, leading a team responsible for working with standard setters and regulators as well as delivering brand-defining thought leadership and educational materials. Transcripts available upon request for individuals who may need a disability-related accommodation. Please send requests to us_podcast@pwc.comDid you enjoy this episode? Text us your thoughts and be sure to include the episode name.

Karl Hausker, a Senior Fellow at the World Resources Institute’s Polsky Center, dives deep into the nuanced world of electricity costs and decarbonization. He explains the often-misunderstood levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) and highlights its limitations when comparing different power sources. Hausker emphasizes the necessity of clean firm resources alongside renewables for reliable energy. He also discusses the role of companies in managing scope 2 emissions and critiques misleading public comparisons of LCOE, calling for better metrics to guide energy policy.

In this episode, we kick off a new SEC-focused series with an overview of current developments shaping SEC reporting. Our guests unpack recent leadership changes, the evolving rulemaking agenda, reporting themes, and key trends in SEC comment letters.In this episode, we discuss:1:54 – SEC leadership updates8:31 – Rulemaking agenda and expected priorities15:29 – Rulemaking challenges: staff capacity and shutdown constraints18:27 – Government shutdown effects on IPOs and the SEC review process24:09 – SEC comment letter themes and focus areasFor more, listen to our recent episode on frequency of reporting, SEC to revisit quarterly reporting: Pros, cons, and what’s ahead. Also, check out our SEC reporting series from earlier this year where we take a “back to basics” look at key reporting areas:Inside SEC reporting: Capital formationInside SEC reporting: Acquisitions and divestituresInside SEC reporting: Pro forma financial informationInside SEC reporting: Form 8-K (current report)Be sure to follow this podcast on your favorite podcast app and subscribe to our weekly newsletter to stay in the loop.About our guestsScott Feely is a PwC National Office Deputy Chief Accountant. He has over 30 years of experience supporting clients as they address the SEC and financial reporting implications of their capital markets and merger and acquisition-related activities.Lindsay McCord is a PwC National Office partner specializing in matters related to the SEC and the capital markets. Prior to joining PwC, Lindsay spent over 15 years at the SEC, most recently as the Chief Accountant in the Division of Corporation Finance. In this role, Lindsay led an accounting team in providing technical accounting and reporting support to the Division, including SEC rulemaking, interpretation, and guidance.About our guest hostKyle Moffatt is PwC’s Professional Practice leader, leading a team responsible for working with standard setters and regulators as well as delivering brand-defining thought leadership and educational materials. He also consults with engagement teams and audit clients on SEC reporting matters. Before PwC, Kyle spent almost 20 years with the SEC, most recently as Chief Accountant and Disclosure Program Director in the Division of Corporation Finance.Transcripts available upon request for individuals who may need a disability-related accommodation. Please send requests to us_podcast@pwc.comDid you enjoy this episode? Text us your thoughts and be sure to include the episode name.

A video of this podcast is available on YouTube, Spotify, or PwC’s website at viewpoint.pwc.comIn this episode, we take a closer look at the modernization of the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol and its implications for sustainability reporting with a member of the GHG Protocol’s Independent Standards Board, Paul Munter. Paul shares insights on the evolving governance structure, the newly released scope 2 guidance, and the growing importance of interoperability in global sustainability reporting.In this episode, we discuss:0:58 – What’s driving the modernization of GHG Protocol standards3:31 – The governance model, including the role of the Independent Standards Board9:06 – Highlights of the scope 2 public consultation and the importance of stakeholder feedback17:46 – Interoperability with other sustainability reporting frameworks21:36 – Updates under review for the Corporate Standard and the Scope 3 Standard26:40 – What companies can be doing now to prepare for upcoming changes32:27 – The role of boards and audit committees in overseeing emissions reportingFor more on the GHG Protocol’s recent exposure draft and the overall timeline for its revision process, check out our publication, GHG Protocol announces Scope 2 Public Consultation.To explore additional insights on GHG reporting, see: Sustainability now: GHG reporting trends and challengesSustainability now: Inside the GHG Protocol’s scope 3 updateCARB releases draft emissions reporting templateAbout our guestPaul Munter is currently a member of the Independent Standards Board of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol. He served as the Chief Accountant at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission from 2021 – 2025. During much of that time, he also served as Chair of the Monitoring Group and as Vice Chair and Chair of IOSCO’s Committee on Issuer Accounting, Audit and Disclosure. Prior to that, he served the SEC as Deputy Chief Accountant from 2019 - 2021, leading the Office of the Chief Accountant’s international work.About our guest hostDiana Stoltzfus is a sustainability partner in the Professional Practice Group within the National Office. Diana helps to shape our firm’s perspective on regulatory matters, responses to rulemakings, and policy development and implementation related to significant new rules and regulations. Diana was previously the Deputy Chief Accountant in the Office of the Chief Accountant (OCA) of the Professional Practice Group in the OCA at the SEC. She focused on providing guidance related to auditing, independence, and internal controls.Transcripts available upon request for individuals who may need a disability-related accommodation. Please send requests to us_podcast@pwc.comDid you enjoy this episode? Text us your thoughts and be sure to include the episode name.

Join Pat Durbin, a seasoned Deputy Chief Accountant at PwC, and Mike Coleman, a partner specializing in software accounting, as they unravel FASB's new guidance on internal-use software costs. They discuss the shifts from traditional licensing to cloud delivery and the resulting accounting implications. Key topics include the revised capitalization criteria, the complexities of 'significant development uncertainty,' and the evolving landscape of AI-related software development. Their insights will help you navigate this critical change with confidence!