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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Sunday, January 25, 2009

Execs predict an increase in fraud

By John MacIntyre

Percentage of executives from the banking and securities, financial services and technology industries who expect accounting fraud to increase in the next two years, according to the results of a poll conducted by Deloitte LLP: 63.3

To prepare for the risks that a downward economy poses, percentage of respondents who indicated that their organizations have established protocols for conducting investigations: 45.7

MAXING OUT ON DEBT

In terms of the dollar value of balances carried by credit card users in the U.S., percentage who have between $5,000 and $20,000 in credit card debt, according to a Standard and Poor's survey: 22

Percentage who have more than $40,000 in credit card debt: 3

When looking at their debt as a percentage of their available credit, percentage of respondents who are at or near the maximum limit of their primary card: 25

FREE ECONOMIES

Ranks of Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand and the United States on the list of the world's freest economies, according to the 2009 Index of Economic Freedom, jointly published by The Heritage Foundation and The Wall Street Journal: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Number of consecutive years that Hong Kong has led the list: 15

LOST LAPTOPS, DATA

Percentage of IT security practitioners who report that someone in their organization has had a laptop lost or stolen, according to a study conducted by Absolute Software Corp. and the Ponemon Institute: 92

Percentage who report that it resulted in a data breach: 71

JOB INSECURITY

Percentage of American workers whose No. 1 work-life concern is keeping their job, according to an Adecco USA survey: 69

Percentage who are saving more money than they used to for potential unemployment: 24

U.S. INFRASTRUCTURE

Percentage of Americans who are concerned about the nation's infrastructure, according to a poll conducted by Luntz, Maslansky Strategic Research: 94

Percentage who are prepared to pay 1 percent more in taxes to rebuild America's infrastructure: 81

Percentage who most want to see exactly where the money is being spent: 24

Ranks of energy facilities, roads and highways, and clean air on the list of the priorities and concerns of Americans: 1, 2, 3

FAST, EASY SHOPPING

Ranks of the ability to shop 24 hours a day, time-saving, avoiding crowds and saving gas as the chief reason consumers shop online, according to a Nielsen Online survey: 1, 2, 3, 4

IDLE THOUGHT

"One should count each day a separate life."

Lucius Annaeus Seneca

Readers can contact John MacIntyre at johnmacintyre@bwr.eastlink.ca.