Maybe I am reading too much into it, but l was struck by how the Ruth’s Chris Steak House in Lafayette, La. was packed on a mid-March Tuesday night.  A year ago when I ate there, I was one of maybe a half-dozen people in the restaurant.  Jeff K. Davis, CFA, Managing Director of Mercer Capital’s Financial Institutions Group, discusses how people’s reaction of being tight-fisted vs. loosening-up can change qu ...

How CIOs and CFOs Can Find Common Ground In many organizations, chief information officers and CFOs are at odds, and their interactions are strained by misunderstandings.  Bryan Mueller, principal consultant at ISG, discusses ways to overcome this disconnect, and CFOs can help by promoting cost transparency, hiring the right staff, and building an effective planning process. To read the full article in CFO, ...

Cost overruns in cloud projects are common, and a few common problems are often to blame.  Issues with data integration, the need for custom code and project-management challenges can all lead to higher-than-anticipated costs.  David Taber helps you understand the driving specifics and what steps can be taken. To read the full article in CIO, click: Anatomy of a Cloud Project Cost Overrun. ...

For outsiders observing a scandal at a company or organization, the situation often seems implausible or incomprehensible.  How did leaders let it happen?  Why did so many people go along with the wrongdoing?  And for so long?  The bigger the fallout, the more we shake our heads in disbelief.  Kellogg’s Maryam Kouchaki on understanding—and avoiding—ethical breakdowns. To read the full article in strategy+bu ...

Form 990-EZ, Short Form Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax, which can be filed by small exempt organizations that meet certain gross receipts and assets tests, now has 29 help icons on various parts of the form that link to explanations, instructions and other resources, the Internal Revenue Service announced Tuesday.  Sally Schreiber, JofA senior editor, explains. To read the full article in the ...

2016 Saw Record Number of Small Businesses Sold The 7,842 closed deals in 2016 were a record high for business sales, according to BizBuySell.  Gene Marks, Marks Group owner, explains that the factors driving the trend were strong business performance, low interest rates, and owners' desire to retire. To read the full article in The Washington Post, click: A Record Number of Small Business Owners are Sellin ...

When it comes to money, “enough” is the hardest word to define in the English language.  The challenge of defining “enough” extends to corporate managers deciding what cash balance is appropriate.  Travis Harms, lead of Mercer Capital’s Financial Reporting Valuation Group, takes us through the data offering helpful tips. To read the full article in Mercer Capital's Financial Reporting Blog, click: Is Cash A ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

A Donald Trump administration, combined with Republican control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives, makes legislation to reform the taxation of business income more likely.  Hank Gutman, in this detailed report, explains that, despite the increased likelihood of legislative action, the specific content of reform legislation is more elusive than has been suggested by many, as is the path to ...