While most don’t see a benefit to speaking a second language in their personal or professional life, the increasing diversity of large cities and unexpected international elements in business deals is stressing its importance. Even though you may not remember any of your high school Spanish or German, it’s never too late start again, if for no other reason than the financial incentive involved. The Economist joined forces with scholars at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to determine the value of languages; which pay the biggest dividends with regard to education, GDP and compounding salary interest. You’ll be surprised…
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In an opinion piece for The New York Times, M.I.T economics professor, Michael Greenstone, examines the parallels between Enron, the corporate accounting scandals of the early 2000’s and the sub-prime mortgage crisis/Great Recession of present day. Greenstone points out that the biggest similarity and ethical hurdle in both scenarios is the fact that auditors were hired and paid for by the very firms they were being asked to audit. Naturally, this created an enormous conflict of interest on the part of the auditors to present truthful findings, while at the same time, feeling the pressure to please their clients. Although…
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A different perspective on profit and performance Balanced benchmarking provides a mechanism by which to assess and manage business branches and units. It also provides a unique insight as to the available paths to improve productivity and complements other analytical tools. The combined effect is that its use provides insight into best practices and ways to improve productivity.
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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 IRS. The news was reported by Huffington Post, CNS News, Catholic News, Investment Watch, Economonitor, Naked Capitalism, Investor Village, and more. The Journal of Accountancy offered detailed analysis of the new regulations, and NPR weighed in…