Look Out for FASB Changes

NEW YORK CITY-Higher interest rates, reduced concessions and other negative impacts on balance sheets were just some of the grim predictions made during Wednesday afternoon’s “Latest Developments in Potential Lease Accounting Changes” panel at this year’s RealShare Net Lease conference, which drew more than 250 attendees. New rules proposed last year by the Financial Accounting Standards Board and the International Accounting Standards Board could bring billions of dollars in leases onto corporate balance sheets for the first time, which could create an enormous impact on financial statements. “These lease changes have been a long time coming,” said panel moderator Rich Murphy, managing director at Calkain Cos. “It is really a game changer in terms of how leases would be accounted for.”

(In an earlier panel that morning, Paul McDowell of CapLease was a bit more blunt. He called the changes “stupid.”)