Consumers Union is a nonprofit organization that provides the testing of different brands of consumer products that are purchased on the open market and then the reporting of the results of the tests in Consumer Reports, a monthly publication.

Examples of the type of products it tests are middle-sized automobiles, residential dehumidifiers, flat-screen TVs and boys' jeans.

Required:

a. In what ways are the services provided by Consumers Union similar to assurance services provided by CPA firms?

b. Compare the concept of information risk introduced in this chapter with the information risk problem faced by a buyer of an automobile.

c. Compare the four causes of information risk faced by users of financial statements as discussed in this chapter with those faced by a buyer of an automobile.

d. Compare the three ways users of financial statements can reduce information risk with those available to a buyer of an automobile.