The current accounting standards require fair value reporting for trading securities and securities available for sale. Some accountants believe that the FASB was inconsistent when GAAP was issued requiring changes in the value of trading securities to be reported in the income statement and balance sheet, while changes in the value of securities available for sale are reported only in the balance sheet.
Required:
Evaluate the rationale for these two diverse reporting requirements for marketable securities. What arguments could be made to support each treatment?

Question

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The Answer of The current accounting standards require fair value reporting for trading securities and securities available for sale. Some accountants believe that the FASB was inconsistent when GAAP was issued requiring changes in the value of trading securities to be reported in the income statement and balance sheet, while changes in the value of securities available for sale are reported only in the balance sheet.
Required:
Evaluate the rationale for these two diverse reporting requirements for marketable securities. What arguments could be made to support each treatment?

The Current Accounting Standards Require Fair Value Reporting for Trading