Your friend who is taking his first accounting course says to you, "We live in the United States. I thought that companies in the United States would follow U.S. accounting rules for preparing their financial statements. I also thought that foreign companies would follow international accounting rules. Now I hear something about the "convergence" of U.S. accounting rules and international accounting rules. And, I hear that the SEC is thinking about requiring U.S. companies to use international accounting rules for financial statements filed with it. What is going on and how will it be resolved?" Address your friends questions. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using an international set of rules for accounting?