The overall uncertainty inherent in financial statements has increased in recent decades, but the related reports and required level of audit assurance have changed very little. In our study, “Extreme Estimation Uncertainty in Fair Value Estimates: Implications for Audit Assurance” (Christensen et al. 2012a), we examine estimates reported by public companies and find that estimates based on management's subjective models and inputs contain estimation uncertainty that is many times greater than typical audit materiality. We do not question the value that audits provide to the marketplace or the ability of auditors to deploy up-to-date auditing techniques. Rather, we suggest that the convergence of relatively recent events is placing an increasingly difficult and perhaps, in some cases, unrealistic burden on auditors. We discuss potential changes to financial reporting and auditing standards that may improve the information provided to users, and also address the concerns raised in our study.