tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69630066802062354672024-03-13T04:23:37.851-04:00CPA CafeWhere ideas brew ...CPA Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595306558445498618noreply@blogger.comBlogger426125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6963006680206235467.post-10405239918341409932014-11-11T11:30:00.002-05:002014-11-11T11:33:10.735-05:00Young Professionals Corner: A Guide to Managing Your Own EducationEditor's note: This is the latest in a series of guest posts from young VSCPA members dealing with topics of interest to young professionals. If you'd like to write or have a topic you'd like a future blogger to cover, please email VSCPA Academic & Career Development Coordinator Tracey Zink.
By Steven Valdez
Associate, KPMG
Time and time again we are told to manage our careers CPA Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595306558445498618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6963006680206235467.post-67923932207619698672014-10-29T11:23:00.002-04:002014-10-29T11:23:47.928-04:00Ways to Overcome ‘Impostor Syndrome’At some point in their professional lives, everyone, no
matter how successful, feels like they’re a fraud. Even luminaries like Maya
Angelou, Tina Fey, Neil Gaiman, Sheryl Sandberg and Sonia Sotomayor have written
or spoken about the feeling of impending doom that would come with being “found
out.” And that great indicator of the national pulse, The Onion, published an
article earlier this year CPA Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595306558445498618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6963006680206235467.post-18780579445132337852014-10-22T10:14:00.003-04:002014-10-22T10:14:47.340-04:00Are the 'Defining Dozen' the Right Metrics for Your Firm?The American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) posted a list last year of the 12 metrics CPA firms should track in order to better define how well a firm is capitalizing on existing relationships and setting the stage to expand into new ones. The aim of these metrics is to provide qualitative feedback and help firms manage their reach with clients.
The AICPA identified the following key metrics:
CPA Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595306558445498618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6963006680206235467.post-48803323321172953772014-10-14T10:50:00.003-04:002014-10-14T10:53:45.452-04:00The Exact Amount of Time You Should Spend Working Every DayAccording to Fast Company, the Draugiem Group says they've hit upon the exact number.
Draugiem, a social networking company, used the time-tracking productivity app DeskTime to see how the most productive employees spent their time. The results were surprising — the 10 percent of employees with the highest productivity spent LESS time working than the average employee, taking a 17-minute break CPA Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595306558445498618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6963006680206235467.post-87417384748301745092014-10-10T10:59:00.002-04:002014-10-10T11:04:15.257-04:00Young Professionals Corner: Tips for Staying Positive at WorkEditor's note: This is the latest in a series of guest posts from young VSCPA members dealing with topics of interest to young professionals. If you'd like to write or have a topic you'd like a future blogger to cover, please email VSCPA Academic & Career Development Coordinator Tracey Zink.
By Shelly Verougstraete, CPA
Team Accountant, Joyner, CPA Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595306558445498618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6963006680206235467.post-45249340413030633382014-09-30T10:40:00.000-04:002014-09-30T10:40:56.046-04:00Arthur Andersen Is BackBack when the Big Four was the Big Five (which was after it was the Big Eight, of course), Arthur Andersen was the fifth of the biggest of the major players in the accounting industry. Andersen would not survive the Enron and WorldCom scandals that were revealed at the turn of the century. But now it's back, at least in name.
A group of former Andersen partners have changed the name of CPA Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595306558445498618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6963006680206235467.post-30180040786573439942014-09-29T12:32:00.002-04:002014-09-29T12:32:50.328-04:00Mixed Results in Small Business Jobs IndexThe newest iteration of the Paychex | IHS Small Business Jobs Index showed a slight decrease in the national index, with small business employment growth slowing slightly in August, the third decline for the index in the past four months.
The Mountain region (Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico) moved into the lead among regions, with a 1.66 percent index, CPA Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595306558445498618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6963006680206235467.post-91583581909220373312014-09-04T15:04:00.001-04:002014-09-04T15:04:24.323-04:00Ice Bucket Challenge Raises the Bar for Charitable Donations
The incredible success of the ALS Association’s (ALSA) viral
“ice bucket challenge” provides a new goal for charities everywhere and
provides a reminder of the tax benefits of such donations.
The ALSA raises money to combat amyotrophic lateral
sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. The charity raised $94.3
million in donations between July 29 and Aug. 27, up from $2.7 million CPA Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595306558445498618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6963006680206235467.post-13345925747796026122014-09-02T16:03:00.002-04:002014-09-02T16:13:17.470-04:00Young Professionals Corner: A More Efficient OutlookEditor's note: This is the latest in a series of guest posts from young VSCPA members dealing with topics of interest to young professionals. If you'd like to write or have a topic you'd like a future blogger to cover, please email VSCPA Academic & Career Development Coordinator Tracey Zink.
By Steven Valdez
Corporate Audit Analyst, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond
CPA Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595306558445498618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6963006680206235467.post-9030672997823946592014-08-14T11:34:00.005-04:002014-08-14T11:35:07.982-04:00Third-Quarter Hiring Forecast: Plenty of Unfilled Staff Positions for AccountantsAccording to the Brilliant Q3 2014 Hiring Forecast, businesses in accounting, finance and information technology (IT) have a significant increase in unfilled staff positions. The document states that companies are poised to hire, but are "adopting a more conservative approach toward recovery
planning due to recent economic instability and slow pace of gains."
Sixty-five percent of respondents CPA Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595306558445498618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6963006680206235467.post-60745933775958015082014-08-12T13:50:00.001-04:002014-08-12T13:51:13.081-04:00What Are the Best and Worst Words to Use in a Résumé?In an economic climate slanted toward employers, many hiring managers
spend as little as 30 seconds reviewing résumés. So how can a prospective
employee ensure his or her package gets a second look?
Word choice is a big part of it. Harris Poll surveyed 2,201 hiring
managers and human resource professionals on behalf of CareerBuilder in late
2013 and compiled the best and worst words to use on CPA Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595306558445498618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6963006680206235467.post-50211413512504092082014-08-05T09:27:00.004-04:002014-08-05T09:37:11.416-04:00How to Sit Less at Work
It’s no surprise that the sedentary office lifestyle is bad
for your health. While the “economy class blood clot” for long flights appears
to be a myth (despite what your mother told you), the simple act of getting up
and walking around is good for you.
Fast Company has a useful
list of 10 ways to ensure you get off your rear end and walk around. So use
some of these tips. It’s for your own CPA Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595306558445498618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6963006680206235467.post-12741827613114462632014-08-04T11:47:00.002-04:002014-08-04T11:47:46.208-04:00What Type of Procrastinator Are You?Lifehacker has a useful flowchart from Dr. Joseph Ferrari of DePaul University, who has identified some basic types of procrastinators and identified solutions for each type.
Ferrari lists three procrastination archetypes:
Thrill Seekers, who say they do their best work under pressure and are "probably fooling themselves"
Solution: Complete a task ahead of time and "experience the thrill of CPA Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595306558445498618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6963006680206235467.post-86013050410040525322014-07-31T11:37:00.005-04:002014-07-31T11:37:49.903-04:005 Reasons to Complete the MAP Survey Today!The American Institute of CPAs' (AICPA) Insights blog has a great piece on the importance of the AICPA PCPS/TSCPA National MAP Survey, which closes today, July 31. Virginia is one of the states selected for the 2014 survey, so read on to learn about why you should hurry to take the survey today!
The five reasons the blog post gave were:
Peer-to-peer comparisons, including key metrics broken CPA Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595306558445498618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6963006680206235467.post-38388349161110271842014-07-30T11:21:00.000-04:002014-07-31T11:21:26.444-04:00Study: 35 Percent of American Adults Have a Debt in CollectionsAccording to a new study (PDF) from the Urban Institute, 35 percent of adults in the United States have a debt in collections reported in their credit history.
Nevada, which was hit hard by the mortgage crisis, topped the list with 47 percent of people who have a credit file having a debt in collections. The Silver State also had the highest average collections debt at $7,198.
Twelve otherCPA Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595306558445498618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6963006680206235467.post-43299932678522006182014-06-26T12:19:00.004-04:002014-06-26T12:21:26.072-04:00Starting Salary for 2014 Accounting Grads: $52,900According to the latest salary survey from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), the average starting salary for 2014 graduates with business majors (including accounting) has declined slightly to $52,900.
That figure is down 0.8 percent from $53,300 in 2013. Business majors as a group will see an average starting salary of $53,901, an 0.6 percent decease from 2013.
The CPA Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595306558445498618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6963006680206235467.post-36449230114948220412014-06-25T11:14:00.000-04:002014-07-31T11:14:38.786-04:00NACE: Nearly One-Third of Class of 2014 Graduates Had a Job at GraduationAccording to the 2014 Student Survey from the National Association of Colleges and Universities (NACE), 30.1 percent of graduating college seniors from the class of 2014 who applied for a job had one in hand upon graduating, up 0.3 percent from the class of 2012 and 0.8 percent from the class of 2013.
Nearly half (47.9 percent) of graduating seniors had applied for a job and received at least CPA Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595306558445498618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6963006680206235467.post-77882709637500075152014-05-15T11:11:00.000-04:002014-07-31T11:15:07.075-04:00What Do Employers Seek in New Hires?What are the most valuable skills and qualities to employers when they hire new employees? A new survey from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) has the answer.
According to NACE's Job Outlook 2014 Spring Update, employers are looking for candidates who are decisive, can solve problems, can communicate well and are analytical. "Ability to make decisions and solve problems,"CPA Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595306558445498618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6963006680206235467.post-17166293841172015332014-04-23T11:49:00.004-04:002014-04-23T11:52:16.442-04:00IRS Releases 2014 List of Frivolous Tax Arguments
Do any of these look familiar? The U.S. Internal RevenueService (IRS) has released the 2014 version of “The
Truth About Frivolous Tax Arguments,” which details and responds to some of
the most common arguments from citizens who oppose federal tax laws.
“While taxpayers have the right to contest their tax
liabilities, no one has the right to disobey the law or disregard their
CPA Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595306558445498618noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6963006680206235467.post-55290653306706052072014-04-15T13:07:00.001-04:002014-04-15T13:08:26.333-04:00Celebrate the End of Tax Season With One-Day-Only Deals
Tax Day is here, marking the end of tax season (or at least
a milepost along the way). If you’ve got time, make sure to take advantage of
some of the deals restaurants and other businesses are offering to celebrate.
Arby’s: Today only, get a free snack-sized order of curly fries with a coupon available at coupon.arbys.com/taxday.
BLT Prime, BLT Steak: Half off all alcoholic beverages.
CPA Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595306558445498618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6963006680206235467.post-70332635015589060242014-03-19T10:42:00.001-04:002014-03-19T10:43:49.328-04:00Setting Yourself Apart From the Other 100 Accounting StudentsEditor's note: This is the latest in a series of guest posts from young VSCPA members dealing with topics of interest to young professionals. If you'd like to write or have a topic you'd like a future blogger to cover, please email VSCPA Academic & Career Development Coordinator Tracey Zink.By Alice YehKPMG
Although the title of this blog indicates a mere 100 competitors CPA Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595306558445498618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6963006680206235467.post-79402622810761088882014-02-26T13:36:00.003-05:002014-02-26T13:38:29.981-05:00Young Professionals Corner: 'The Perfect Manager'
Editor's note: This is the latest in a series of guest posts from young VSCPA members dealing with topics of interest to young professionals. If you'd like to write or have a topic you'd like a future blogger to cover, please email VSCPA Academic & Career Development Coordinator Tracey Zink.
By Marian Millikan, CPA
Manager, Cherry Bekaert LLP
2013 was an exciting year CPA Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595306558445498618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6963006680206235467.post-73273433505111663192014-02-04T11:27:00.002-05:002014-02-04T11:29:47.184-05:00More Details on 'Money on the Vine'Did you read the "Money on the Vine" article in the January-February 2014 edition of Disclosures and come away wanting more information on the wine industry? Moss-Adams, a leading CPA firm working in the wine industry, has released its Wine Industry Financial Benchmarking Survey.
The survey found that:
The wine industry has generally recovered from the recession
Wine companies are seeing CPA Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595306558445498618noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6963006680206235467.post-75497473254114129472014-01-13T10:53:00.000-05:002014-01-13T10:56:56.097-05:00Young Professionals Corner: Stay PositiveEditor's note: This is the latest in a series of guest posts from young VSCPA members dealing with topics of interest to young professionals. If you'd like to write or have a topic you'd like a future blogger to cover, please email VSCPA Academic & Career Development Coordinator Tracey Zink.
By Clare Levison, CPA
Alliant Techsystems, Inc.
Here’s an excerpt from my recently CPA Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595306558445498618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6963006680206235467.post-3081987267201489912013-12-09T10:52:00.001-05:002014-01-13T10:55:25.338-05:00Young Professionals Corner: Stress ManagementEditor's note: This is the latest in a series of guest posts from young VSCPA members dealing with topics of interest to young professionals. If you'd like to write or have a topic you'd like a future blogger to cover, please email VSCPA Academic & Career Development Coordinator Tracey Zink.
By Jasmine Gao, CPA
Mangham Associates
We never live in a stress-free world. The stress toCPA Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595306558445498618noreply@blogger.com0