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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, DC 20549
FORM 8-K/A
Amendment No. 1
Current Report
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): November 15, 2005
Ameritrade Holding Corporation
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
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Delaware
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0-49992
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82-0543156 |
(State or other jurisdiction of
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(Commission File Number)
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(I.R.S. Employer |
incorporation)
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Identification Number) |
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4211 South 102nd Street |
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Omaha, Nebraska
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68127 |
(Address of principal executive offices)
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(Zip Code) |
Registrants telephone number, including area code: (402) 331-7856
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the
filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
o Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
ý Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR
240.14d-2(b))
o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR
240.13e-4(c))
Item 4.01. Changes in Registrants Certifying Accountant.
On November 15, 2005, the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of Ameritrade Holding
Corporation (the Company) entered into an agreement with Ernst & Young LLP (E&Y) to retain E&Y
as the Companys principal independent registered public accounting firm, to audit the Companys
financial statements for the fiscal year ending September 29, 2006, to provide an attestation
report on managements assessment of internal control over financial reporting, and to review the
Companys unaudited interim financial information with respect to its Form 10-Q reports in fiscal
2006. The Company has not consulted with E&Y regarding any of the matters or events set forth in
Item 304(a)(2) of Regulation S-K during the Companys two most recent fiscal years and subsequent
interim period.
On November 15, 2005, Deloitte & Touche LLP (D&T), the Companys current independent registered
public accounting firm, informed the Company that D&T declined to stand for reelection for the
fiscal year ending on September 29, 2006 due to independence issues that would preclude D&T from
continuing to serve as the Companys independent registered public accounting firm after the
closing of the Companys proposed acquisition of TD Waterhouse Group, Inc. D&T will cease its
service as the Companys independent registered public accounting firm effective upon the
completion of the audit of the Companys financial statements for the fiscal year ended September
30, 2005.
As disclosed in Item 4.02(a) of the Companys Form 8-K filed November 18, 2005, the Company decided
to file an amended Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 24, 2004 to restate the Companys
Consolidated Balance Sheets as of September 24, 2004 and September 26, 2003, and the related
Consolidated Statements of Operations, Consolidated Statements of Stockholders Equity and
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the fiscal years then ended to account for the embedded
collars within the forward contracts on the Companys investment in Knight Capital Group, Inc. as
non-hedging derivatives. The audit reports of D&T as previously included in the Companys Form
10-K for the fiscal year ended September 24, 2004, filed on December 9, 2004, contained no adverse
opinion or disclaimer of opinion and were not qualified or modified as to uncertainty, audit scope
or accounting principles. As a result of the restatement, reliance should not be placed on D&Ts
reports of independent registered public accounting firm included in the Form 10-K filed on
December 9, 2004. The audit reports of D&T included in the Companys Form 10-K/A for the fiscal
year ended September 24, 2004, filed on November 18, 2005, contained no adverse opinion or
disclaimer of opinion and were not qualified or modified as to uncertainty, audit scope or
accounting principles. D&Ts audit report with respect to the Companys consolidated financial
statements was modified to include an explanatory paragraph regarding the restatement of the fiscal
2004 and fiscal 2003 consolidated financial statements. D&T has not yet rendered its audit reports
on the Companys financial statements or attestation report on managements assessment of internal
control over financial reporting for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2005.
During the Companys fiscal years ended September 30, 2005 and September 24, 2004, and during the
interim period from October 1, 2005 through November 15, 2005, there have been no disagreements
with D&T on any matter of accounting principles or practices, financial statement disclosure, or
auditing scope or procedures, which disagreements if not resolved to the satisfaction of D&T, would
have caused it to make reference to the subject matter of the disagreement in connection with its
report. During the Companys fiscal years ended September 30, 2005 and September 24, 2004 and the
interim period from October 1, 2005 through November 15, 2005, there were the following reportable
events as described in Item 304(a)(1)(v) of Regulation S-K:
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The matter described under Item 4.02(a) of the Companys Form 8-K filed November 18,
2005. The Audit Committee of the Board of Directors has discussed the matter described
under Item 4.02 of such Form 8-K with D&T and has authorized D&T to respond fully to
inquiries of E&Y concerning such matter. |
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A matter reported in the Companys Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 24,
2004 related to a Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insured deposit sweep
program available to Ameritrade, Inc.s clients wherein funds were deposited, through an
intermediary agent, into FDIC-insured deposit accounts at banks. D&T concluded that the
controls in place relating to the program were not properly designed to provide reasonable
assurance that the funds were properly recorded and disclosed in the financial statements
and assets were appropriately considered in regulatory net capital computations. In D&Ts
judgment, this was a material weakness in internal control over financial reporting. The
Audit Committee of the Board of Directors has discussed this matter with D&T and has
authorized D&T to respond fully to inquiries of E&Y concerning such matter. |
The Company provided D&T with a copy of the foregoing disclosures and requested D&T to furnish it
with a letter addressed to the Securities and Exchange Commission stating whether D&T agrees with
the foregoing statements made by the Company and, if not, stating the respects in which it does not
agree. A copy of the letter, dated November 22, 2005, furnished by D&T is filed as Exhibit 16 to
this current report on Form 8-K/A.
Item 8.01 Other Events.
Please see Item 4.01 above.
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.
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Exhibit No. |
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Description |
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Letter from Deloitte & Touche LLP Re Change in Certifying Accountant |
Additional Information and Where to Find It
In connection with the proposed acquisition of TD Waterhouse Group, Inc., Ameritrade filed a
revised preliminary proxy statement concerning the transaction with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (SEC) with a filing date of November 23, 2005. Ameritrade will also file a definitive
proxy statement and relevant documents with the SEC in connection with the proposed transaction.
SECURITY HOLDERS OF AMERITRADE ARE URGED TO READ THE DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT AND ANY OTHER
RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN
IMPORTANT INFORMATION. Investors and security holders can obtain free copies of the definitive
proxy statement and other documents when they become available by contacting Investor Relations at
www.amtd.com, or by mail at Ameritrade Investor Relations, 4211 S. 102 Street, Omaha, NE
68127, or by Telephone: 800-237-8692. In addition, documents filed with the SEC by Ameritrade are
available free of charge at the SECs web site at www.sec.gov.
Ameritrade Holding Corporation, The Toronto-Dominion Bank, and their respective directors and
executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the
stockholders of Ameritrade in connection with the proposed transaction. Information regarding the
special interests of these directors and executive officers in the proposed transaction is included
in the preliminary proxy statement of Ameritrade described above. This document is available free
of charge at the SECs web site at www.sec.gov and from Investor Relations at Ameritrade as
described above. Information regarding The Toronto-Dominion Banks directors and executive officers
is available in its Annual Report on Form 40-F for the year ended October 31, 2004, which was filed
with the SEC on December 13, 2004, and in its notice of annual meeting and proxy circular for its
2005 annual meeting, which was filed with the SEC on February 17, 2005. These documents are
available free of charge at the SECs web site at www.sec.gov.
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SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has
duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
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AMERITRADE HOLDING CORPORATION
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Date: November 23, 2005 |
By: |
/S/ JOHN R. MACDONALD
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Name: |
John R. MacDonald |
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Title: |
Executive Vice President, Chief
Financial Officer and Chief
Administrative Officer |
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