SEC Wants More Details About Reserve Accounts

WASHINGTON - Refining its crusade against so-called "earnings management," the Securities and Exchange Commission said it wants public companies, including banks, to disclose more information on reserve accounts.

The proposal - which the agency is expected to adopt within a few months - would require financial statements to include a "detailed narrative discussion" explaining how much a company has set aside in valuation and loss accrual accounts and why the amount of such reserves changes over time. The additional information would have to be disclosed annually, as well as any time the SEC requires an audited financial statement as part of other filings.