Firms may boost productivity and satisfaction by taking actions on three fronts. There is a disconnect when it comes to what business leaders say about employee engagement and what the employees themselves say they are experiencing. To read the full article in the Journal of Accountancy, click: Smashing the Barriers to Employee Engagement. ...

An example of outdated industry practices, says the chief product officer, is how some brokers still need a canceled check from a client to transfer money. To read the full article in Financial Planning, click: How Firms Are Holding Back Innovation. ...

Fair Market Value Considerations (Part I of II) The valuation of home healthcare and hospice enterprises and services are influenced by certain market forces related to the Four Pillars of Healthcare Valuation, i.e.,: (1) regulatory; (2) reimbursement; (3) competition; and, (4) technology—each of which relates to almost all aspects of the U.S. healthcare delivery system. This first of a two-part series on h ...

in Economic Damages Calculations (Part II of III) The purpose of this article—the second of three on this topic—is to provide the reader with an understanding of Chapter 2 (Costs) of the 2018 Practice Aid as well as certain other publications containing a body of knowledge on the best practices for developing “avoided or saved costs,” sometimes referred to by the courts as incremental costs. A prior article ...

Some CPAs consider themselves clever for coming up with easy-to-remember passwords, but hackers are often wise to this tactic. Each year, SplashData compiles a list of millions of stolen passwords and sorts them in order of popularity. For 2017, here is a list of the top 10 most commonly used stolen passwords. To read the full article in the Journal of Accountancy, click: Account Management: Avoid Commonly ...

CPAs in small firms face many of the same operational challenges when it comes to running their firms. This is the first in an occasional series highlighting how individual practitioners tackled common issues. To read the full article in the Journal of Accountancy, click: Small Firm Spotlight: How I Recruit and Hire New Accountants. ...

A competitive job market and emerging technology have made seniority only part of the advancement equation. As co-managing partner at accounting and consulting firm Friedman LLP, Harriet Greenberg, CPA, PFS, uses seniority as a factor in deciding whom to promote. But that's just one piece of the puzzle: She also believes in skills-based promotion—now more than ever. To read the full article in the Journal o ...

Considerations in Applying a Size Premium (Part III of III) In this third and final article, as displayed in Exhibits 1 through 4 in Part 1 of this three-part article, the size effect has been observed even when looking at recent periods starting in 1981 and 1990. If one holds that you should not apply the SP in the MCAPM and that beta should be the only measure of risk, one is supporting using the pure or ...

It is Not Just About Having a Buy-Sell Agreement A business is a dynamic entity. Businesses are fueled by the passion and vision of its owners. While it is hard to be passionate about administrative aspects of building a successful business, the truth is, some of that stuff is crucial. Take the buy-sell agreement or similar provisions in an operating agreement—think of it as the business will—the "what happ ...

The Association’s quarterly survey finds that staffing is still a top worry. Finance executives in the United States continue to feel good about growth in their respective industries, despite creeping concerns that the good times could be coming to an end in the near future. To read the full article in the Journal of Accountancy, click: Finance Leaders Feel Good but Ready for a Downturn. ...

The challenges associated with FASB’s new revenue recognition standard have been substantial for many companies, but at least they’re gaining valuable data and process improvements as a result of the implementation. To read the full article in the Journal of Accountancy, click: Finding Value in Revenue Recognition Implementation. ...

A self-styled “Money Doctor” who promoted his services on a Christian radio station penned a self-help guide to “share the benefits of putting Christ back in the center of our personal spending habits.” In pitches to clients, the ex-advisor allegedly promised guaranteed risk-free returns of five to eight percent per year. To read the full article in Financial Planning, click: Author of ‘Jesus Christ, Money ...

In More Ways Than One It seems every few months we read about a financial institution involved in a money laundering scandal. The bank typically agrees to pay a fine, promises to behave, hires consultants to monitor and report to the regulators, and the scandal is generally forgotten. You may ask what do the consultants do and what do they monitor? This article will discuss the development of two recent sca ...

Your Blog Posts Writing a blog is an achievement, in and of itself, but that is just the beginning. In this article, Dr. Frederiksen shares five steps you can take to effectively promote your blog posts. [su_pullquote align="right"]Resources: Marketing Techniques: Content Marketing and Thought Leadership Social Media and Networking How to Become a High Visibility Expert [/su_pullquote] If you have written a ...

FASB addressed two lessor implementation issues and clarified an exemption for lessors and lessees from a certain interim disclosure requirement associated with adopting the board’s new lease accounting standard. To read the full article in the Journal of Accountancy, click: New FASB Standard Clarifies Lease Accounting Issues. ...

The IRS posted a draft of a form that affected taxpayers will submit with their 2019 tax returns showing how they computed their qualified business income (QBI) deduction under Sec. 199A. Taxpayers who have QBI, qualified real estate investment trust (REIT) dividends, or qualified income from a publicly traded partnership (PTP) will use Form 8995, Qualified Business Income Deduction Simplified Computation, ...

Riding a decade-long bull market, robo advisory firms have proved investors are willing to let complex and proprietary algorithms be at the heart of their investment advice. Assets under management at digital platforms are expected to top $1 trillion in the next few years. To read the full article in Financial Planning, click: Why Regulators Are Taking Aim at Robo Advisors. ...

Criticism of Ang (Part II of III) In the second part of this three-part article, Roger Grabowski respond to criticism over the years about the validity of CRSP Decile Size premia data. He begins by addressing the criticisms from a paper published in NACVA’s QuickRead by Clifford Ang. Roger Grabowski argues that Ang’s critique is flawed and presents concrete evidence to that effect. He also addresses other c ...

in Economic Damages Calculations (Part I of III) The AICPA has issued two practice aids, one on 2015 and most recently in November 2018, focused on the calculation of economic profits and damages. The purpose of this article—the first of three on this topic—is to provide the reader with an understanding of Chapter 1 (Revenue and Growth Rates) of the 2018 Practice Aid as well as certain other publications co ...

Tax planning is a constant consideration for wealthy individuals, not a once-a-year process, said Lisa Featherngill, CPA, PFS. Wealthy clients can use several strategies to manage their tax bills, including creating conservation easements, setting up LLCs to manage investments, and using defined-benefit plans. Looking for more tax strategies for your clients? Use this checklist to help find tax and financia ...