Economists Express Concerns About Global Growth The majority of economists polled by Reuters say that global economic growth is slowing in both developed and developing markets.  Their main concern is trouble in China.  Rahul Karunakar examines the results and how still, most economists said there is an "insignificant" chance of a global recession this year. To read the full article in Reuters, click: Momen ...

When clients die, tax practitioners can take a number of steps on their clients' individual income tax returns for their final year that can help the family save on taxes.  Karen Cohen, CPA, explains what they are. To read the full article in The Tax Adviser, click: Taking Control of the Final Form 1040. ...

Risk management requires constant collection and assessment of internal and external information.  Mike Skorupski, head of finance governance, discusses how risk intelligence is collected and managed at Siemens Wind Power in Denmark. To read the full article in CGMA Magazine, click: How to Gather Risk Intelligence. ...

If lenders could look into the future, what would they see?  Jeff K. Davis, managing director of Mercer Capital’s Financial Institutions Group, discusses what could be in store for the energy sector this coming year. To read the full article in Mercer Capital's Financial Reporting Blog, click: Dimon Was Spot on Last Week. This article is republished from Mercer Capital's Financial Reporting Blog.  It is rep ...

Benchmarking Your Reports and Examining What Hypothetical Conditions and/or Extraordinary Assumptions You Have Made! However, thanks to WikiLeaks, “The Interview”, and Sony Pictures, a rather sizeable repository of sample reports exist free of charge. These reports, as you might expect, are from the transaction arms of Big Four firms as well as leading national shops. Anyone who has been doing this for a wh ...

Income Recognition, Deferrals, and Methods Valuation professionals that provide either consulting or tax reporting services will encounter taxpayers with unique questions regarding what income to report. This article provides CPAs and consulting professionals with an overview of what to report and why. ...

IP Valuation—Beyond the Income and Cost Approach Valuation analysts (“analysts”) are often asked to value debtor company intellectual property (IP) within a business bankruptcy context. Some of the bankruptcy reasons to value IP include the assessment of the following: the debtor’s solvency, a secured creditor’s collateral and protection, the fairness of a Section 363 IP asset sale or license, the debtor’s ...

Where to go to get Case Law Research can be daunting in and of itself. However, researching case law can be overwhelming, especially if you do not have the fanciest databases or are not aware of what is offered on a more economic level. Thankfully, there are tools and resources available to help you find what you are looking for. ...

Reviewing a purchase price allocation report can be a daunting task if you don’t do it for a living.  Lucas M. Parris, senior member of Mercer Capital’s Financial Reporting Valuation Group, presents this guide which focuses on providing an overview of the structure and content of a properly prepared purchase price allocation report. To read the full article in Mercer Capital's Financial Reporting Blog, clic ...

Why You Might Feel Less Assertive After Using a Smartphone Hunching over to use a smartphone or other device can make people less confident and more likely to recall negative memories, research has suggested.  People should be aware of their posture and hold their phones at eye level.  Vivian Giang examines new research that shows the more you hunch over your smartphone, the less likely you are to stand up ...

Earnings Season Likely to Confirm U.S. Profit Recession Major U.S. companies stand a good chance of reporting fourth-quarter results that show earnings have fallen two quarters in a row, marking a recession.  Forecasts call for a 4.2% decline in earnings and a 3.2% decrease in revenue for companies in the Standard & Poor's 500 index.  Bernard Condon, AP business writer, discusses the issues and what to ...

The Ongoing Research and Analysis Relating to the S Corporation Valuation Puzzle What premium, if any, should S Corporations command? How reliable are the current models? How reliable is the evidence that supports the position of the leading U.S. Tax Court cases? What should valuation analysts and consultants consider as they advise newly formed corporations considering making the S election and S corporati ...

In Appraising Outpatient Enterprises Healthcare related outpatient enterprises are those that provide services that do not require hospital admission and may be performed outside the premises of a hospital. Valuation of healthcare related outpatient enterprises, similar to the valuation of any business, should include consideration of the three general approaches to valuation, i.e., the income approach, the ...

Couples Face Many Challenges in Retirement Planning A lot can go wrong when couples plan for retirement.  Updating important documents and communicating about retirement goals and plans can help couples overcome challenges.  Rodney Brooks, columnist for The Washington Post, discusses some tips to help couples become more prepared. To read the full article in The Washington Post, click: When it Takes Two to ...

How to Get Ready for the 2016 Filing Season As taxes get more complex, the to-do list to prepare for next year gets longer.  Annette Nellen, Esq., CPA, CGMA, looks at recent developments and discusses what tax practitioners can do to get ready. To read the full article in The Tax Adviser, click: Preparing for the 2016 Filing Season. ...

How to Tap into the Business Benefits of Diversity It's not enough to have a diverse workforce and leadership team.  Companies also need to have leaders who recognize the value of the ideas their employees share.  Sylvia Ann Hewlett, founder and CEO of the Center for Talent Innovation and Hewlett Consulting Partners LLC, discusses when a diverse company has these types of leaders, it tends to report better ...

What is key in considering the value of customer-related intangible assets?  Lucas M. Parris, senior member of Mercer Capital’s Financial Reporting Valuation Group, examines what attributes are important and their valuation. To read the full article in Mercer Capital's Financial Reporting Blog, click: Valuation of Customer-Related Assets. This article is republished from Mercer Capital's Financial Reporting ...

Disclose Now or Later? There is no requirement to attach an appraisal for an estate of gift tax return, but having been involved with the classification of returns at the Cincinnati Service Center located across the river in Covington, Kentucky, I want to share my thoughts on when it is appropriate to attach an appraisal done for gift and estate tax purposes. ...

Improve Your LinkedIn Profile to Develop a Professional Presence and Get Inquiries How much work and/or queries can one get from LinkedIn? As lawyers say, that depends. In this article, Rod Burkert answers the above question and shares some of what he preaches through the Practice Builder Academy. ...

The Emergence of the Transitional Support Advisor Following a divorce, how does a financially naïve former spouse transition to become a financially independent former spouse? In this article, the author discusses what is a Transitional Support Expert and that professional’s role in a dissolution proceeding and following entry of the decree. ...