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Ethics in Finance

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Ethics in Finance

To help demonstrate why ethics in finance is need the falling of WorldCom is used. In the matter of three years WorldCom went from one of the most successful and promising companies to a bankrupted and absorbed company because of upper management lacking ethics. In early 2001 WorldCom expected and thus projected the use of internet to increase and so they made a significant amount of leases to internet and telecom service providers. However, the internet usage did not increase but crashed causing many of WorldCom’s leases to default. To help save their appearance WorldCom used reserve account to cover operating expenses, making it look as if they made money despite the many defaults. WorldCom did this knowing it would violate transfer rules and the proper use of Reserve Accounts. By the end of the 1st Quarter, 2002, WorldCom had fraudulently transferred 3,062 million dollars. Due to the amount the three internal accountants, who helped with the transfers, grew deeply upset and choose to meet with the SEC, FBI, and U.S. Attorney’s Office on June 24, 2002 to bring forth WorldCom’s fraud. The news of WorldCom’s fraud caused their stocks to plummet leading them to bankruptcy by July of 2002. WorldCom changed its name, MCI Communication, in attempts to come back from the fraud scandal. They were unable to do so and were acquired by Verizon in 2005. The WorldCom case shows how unethical behaviors escalate in a small amount of time. There are five arguments as to why people should care about ethics: sustainability, sets higher standards, develops a positive reputation and it builds: trust, teams, and leadership. By combining all five arguments and applying those in a company the public build a positive impression of that company which allows them to do well in the economy even if the markets are going doing poorly themselves. While adhering to

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