Accounting Isn't Just a Necessary Evil; Sometimes the Methods Can be Used as a Key Part of Your Business Strategy   Jeff Haden at Inc. answers a question from a reader who wonders if it matters what inventory accounting method she uses.   It does!  Here's some explanation, and specific advice:  ...

Tighter Regulations Leave Less Room for Error When Computing and Disclosing How Much Mortgages Cost.  John Adams at American Banker reports that Ernst Publishing, not related to the accounting company, sells technology and closing cost data to mortgage market players. Its clients include nine of the largest ten originators and servicers and the largest five title insurance companies.  And it has now receive ...

Many Business Buyers Probably Have Some Boilerplate Questions Ready to Ask Business Sellers — But May be Missing the Most Important Ones.   Mike Handelsman, group general manager for BizBuySell.com and BizQuest.com, the Internet's largest and most heavily trafficked business-for-sale marketplaces, recently advised readers at Inc.com that if they're thinking about buying a business, they should put extra eff ...

Details Found in IRS Explanation Issued Wednesday; $20,000 Figure Based on a Family of Four.   In a final regulation issued Wednesday, January 30, 2013, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) assumed that under Obamacare the cheapest health insurance plan available in 2016 for a family will cost $20,000 for the year.   Under Obamacare, Americans will be required to buy health insurance or pay a penalty to the I ...

Rule Will Require a Second Appraisal in Situations Where a Home is Being Flipped for a Quick, Higher Resale  A new rule passed Jan. 15 gives mortgage lenders an additional year to institute appraisal standards for higher-risk loans, Bloomberg reported, and Appraiser News Online highlighted.  The extension is one of the revisions that regulators made to the Dodd-Frank Act to address concerns from financial f ...