Getting a raise at work is all about picking the right time to bring up the issue and presenting evidence that proves your value.  Ginger Dean shares several tips for getting paid what you're worth. To read the full article in Forbes, click: Six Ways to Ask for a Raise—And Get It. ...

Older Americans Upbeat about Retirement, but Savings are Lacking for Some Fifty-nine percent of Americans between the ages of 45 and 65 said they were at least somewhat ready for retirement, according to a survey conducted in the middle of last month.  However, 22% of those surveyed said they had saved less than $100,000, and 27% said they had saved nothing for retirement. To read the full article in USA To ...

Charles Ellis writes that market professionals cannot beat the market consistently.  Therefore, investors are better off investing through low-cost index funds and focusing on asset allocation to achieve their long-term investment objectives.  Jeff Davis, managing director of Mercer Capital’s Financial Institutions Group discusses Ellis’ thoughts. To read the full article in Mercer Capital's Financial Repor ...

Asset Accumulation Method This discussion is the third part of a series. Previous discussions introduced the theoretical concepts and the practical applications of the asset-based business valuation approach. This discussion describes one common Asset-based Approach valuation method: the asset accumulation (AA) method. ...

Assess Change, Communication, Control, and Emotions before Implementing Changes Exploring change, communications, control issues, and emotions is often the best way to begin to understand what is causing conflict in the workplace, and what can be done to curb or control the situation. Once there is a basic understanding of these elements, it is much easier to develop a management strategy that constructivel ...

The number of deals involving firms with over $100 million dropped 25% last year to 104 deals, from 130 in 2015, according to Fidelity’s 2016 Wealth Management M&A Transaction Report.  Charles Paikert, senior editor for Financial Planning, looks at why the big RIA buyers are becoming more discerning. To read the full article in FinancialPlanning, click: How the Big Time M&A Game is Changing. ...

Federal Class-Action Litigation in Securities Disputes Rises Class-action securities lawsuits filed in federal court last year numbered 270, the most in 20 years, according to a report from the Stanford Law School Securities Class Action Clearinghouse and Cornerstone Research.  The 80 filings related to mergers and acquisitions were the biggest factor in the increase.  Meaghan Kilroy explains. To read the f ...

Distribution policy addresses both how much cash flow should be distributed to shareholders and the ideal form of such distributions.  The purpose of this whitepaper is to help directors formulate and communicate a distribution policy that contributes to shareholder wealth and satisfaction. To read the full article in Mercer Capital's Financial Reporting Blog, click: Distribution Policy in 30 Minutes. This ...

Common Analyst Misconceptions The first article in this series provided an introduction to valuation analysts (analyst) regarding the need to integrate and use the Asset-based Approach to value going-concern businesses and securities. This second installment addresses common analyst misconceptions regarding the use of the Asset-based Approach to value both asset holding companies and operating companies. ...

Strive to Differentiate Yourself and Become the Visible Expert In this article, Dr. Frederiksen discusses three sales and marketing strategies to drive growth in 2017. ...

When owners of CPA firms begin to think about succession planning, the most important decision they need to make is when to bow out.  Brannon Poe explores some factors to consider that can help you achieve the "Goldilocks zone" of timing. To read the full article in the Journal of Accountancy, click: Timing Your Exit. ...

Affluent Americans aren't Getting Inheritance Help, Survey Finds Even the richest Americans aren't getting professional help and creating plans to pass wealth on to the next generation, according to a survey by RBC Wealth Management.  Less than a third have a comprehensive plan, the survey found. To read the full article in InvestmentNews, click: Many Wealthy Americans haven’t Planned for the Transfer of th ...

Incentive compensation works much like the proverbial carrot dangled in front of a horse.  The lure of a future reward to employees encourages and propels momentum at the company level.  But what happens when the carrot is dangled a little too closely?  Megan Richards, financial analyst with Mercer Capital, explores this topic. To read the full article in Mercer Capital's Financial Reporting Blog, click: Ca ...

Personalize the Trailer to Engage the Reader An e-mail trailer provides an opportunity for the reader and firm to engage. Using mindless disclaimers at the end of an e-mail misses an opportunity to stand out and differentiate yourself and your firm. In this article, the author discusses the opportunity and provides some clever trailers used by established firms…that do work. ...

Introduction Valuation analysts are retained to value closely held businesses, business ownership interest, and securities for a variety of transaction, financing, taxation, accounting, litigation, and planning purposes. For each engagement, analysts consider the three generally accepted business valuation approaches: the Income Approach, the Market Approach, and the Asset-based Approach. However, most anal ...

Audit teams and engagements suffer when members feel unsafe about raising questions or admitting mistakes.  This blog defines what psychological safety means and the best practices to put audit team members at ease. To read the full article in the Journal of Accountancy, click: Why Audit Teams Need the Confidence to Speak Up. ...

CBO: Partial Repeal of ACA Could Lead to 18M People Losing Insurance Some 18 million people could lose health insurance in the first year after a partial repeal of the Affordable Care Act, and the number could grow to 32 million by 2026, according to a Congressional Budget Office report.  However, Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, said the analysis represented "a one-sided hypothetical scenario" that did not accoun ...

The magnitude of the equity risk premium, or required return in excess of the risk-free rate, is a perennial question for valuation specialists.  Travis Harms, Mercer Capital’s Financial Reporting Valuation Group lead, explains that the aggregate equity premium is typically broken into two pieces: 1) a market risk premium, and 2) a size premium. To read the full article in Mercer Capital's Financial Reporti ...

Engage and Assist Legal Counsel It is critical that the right person with the right expertise, training, and background be selected. This article will describe the various areas of specialization in which a forensic accountant performs, how counsel should select the right professional for the job, and the benefits of using a forensic accountant. ...

A Critique of the Ibbotson Methodology In this paper, the author argues that the Size Premium in Excess of CAPM (and other similar size premium measures) should not be used by valuation practitioners because: a) it is inconsistent with the empirical evidence; b) it is constructed using a method that is inconsistent with how practitioners estimate their CAPM cost of equity; and c) it does not properly calcul ...