Overview[]
Established in 1973, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) is the regulatory body responsible for establishing rules for financial accounting and the reporting of public, private, and not-for-profit companies. Those standards "govern the preparation of financial reports and are officially recognized as authoritative by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants [regulators]." These standards are necessary for investors, creditors, and others to rely on the accuracy, transparency, timeliness, and comparability of financial statements.