Financial Reporting
Looking at the segment disclosures made by companies that have already implemented FASB Statement no. 131 in their 1997 financial statements may help other companies make some of the important decisions necessary for compliance in 1998.
Personal Financial Planning / Case Study
Companies may be caught by surprise when they implement FASB Statement no. 131 for their 1998 financial statements. The decision on how many segments to disclose may not be as easy to make as companies thought. Some implementation tips will help.
Personal Financial Planning
As individuals seek to accumulate enough money to achieve financial independence in retirement, they must decide how to divide qualified and nonqualified funds among the available asset classes, money market instruments, stocks, bonds and real estate. CPAs can play an important role in advising their clients on these critical decisions.
Software
Three database software packages dominate the personal computer market: Access, Approach and Paradox. We assess, among other things, how they work and how user-friendly they are.
Software
Although spreadsheet software can do many database jobs, database software usually can handle such projects far better. You may be more familiar with spreadsheet applications, but now it's time to learn how to use databases to enhance your financial skills.
Corporate Governance
A strong audit committee charter can set the tone of a company's control environment and serve as a reliable reference guide for audit committee members. A good charter explicitly spells out the committee's organization, authority and responsibilities. The author provides an up-to-date model against which to measure your company's audit committee charter.
The Financial Manager
The road to financial fitness can be a long one when a CPA tries to introduce proper accounting standards to mom-and-pop operations.
Personal Financial Planning / Case Study
What steps should a CPA firm take if it wants to offer clients investment advisory services? Here is the process one firm went through as it expanded its services to meet the changing needs of its clients.