Whirlpool 2011 Annual Report Download - page 49

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Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
The Stockholders and Board of Directors
Whirlpool Corporation
We have audited Whirlpool Corporation’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2011, based on criteria
established in Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway
Commission (the COSO criteria). Whirlpool Corporation’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal con-
trol over financial reporting, and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting included
in the accompanying Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an
opinion on the company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States).
Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal
control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit included obtaining an understanding of
internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design
and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk, and performing such other procedures as we
considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding
the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with
generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and
procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the trans-
actions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as
necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and
that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and
directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized
acquisition, use or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also,
projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate
because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
In our opinion, Whirlpool Corporation maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting
as of December 31, 2011, based on the COSO criteria.
We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States),
the consolidated balance sheets of Whirlpool Corporation as of December 31, 2011 and 2010, and the related consolidated
statements of income, changes in stockholders’ equity, and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended
December 31, 2011, and our report dated February 22, 2012 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.
Chicago, Illinois
February 22, 2012