Archive for 'Uncategorized'
Big 4: Going? Going? Gone?
Last week’s posting ended with this question: “What does a poorly run financial institution have to do to get a qualified opinion from its auditors?” Evidently I’m not the only person asking this question.A small army of lawyers is asking or planning to ask Big 4 bigwigs the same question - in court. […]
Posted: October 3rd, 2008 under Uncategorized.
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Get Off My Lawn
Does anyone remember the old banking maxim: “If you owe the bank a little bit, the bank owns you — but, if you owe the bank a lot, you own the bank?”
Looks like this is a truism, because “We the People” now own the banks, and the insurance companies, and the investment banks, too. What […]
Posted: September 26th, 2008 under Uncategorized.
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Should Accountants Be Afraid of the Big Bad Economy?
Hello, is anybody there? Is this mic on? Is the end of the financial world as we know it just a few days away?
As I read the financial news, listen to talk radio and play phone tag with my broker it certainly feels like apocalypse now. It’s like this: I bank at WaMu, […]
Posted: September 19th, 2008 under Uncategorized.
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A Tall Tail
This is yours truly on a trip to France we took in 2005.
My friend, Monsieur Doggie, did not enjoy
a sip of wine - but he devoured pate like Alpo.
Posted: July 3rd, 2008 under Uncategorized.
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Gas Prices Zap Accountants’ Energy
Talk about a moving target…I went by Costco last week about 10 a.m. - a gallon of gas was about $4.38. Shortly after lunch, I drove by that same station and gas had jumped up to $4.45 per gallon!
The unthinkable is just around the proverbial corner: $5 a gallon. Would you believe the possibility of […]
Posted: June 18th, 2008 under Uncategorized.
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Who’s Leading the Charge Toward International Accounting Standards?
Earlier this month I posted a blog about the globalization of accounting and reporting standards, and how those proposed changes could adversely impact American accountants’ careers. I have a vested interest in this subject: as an owner of an accounting staffing firm, the future of the profession has an enormous impact on my business.
Since my […]
Posted: March 4th, 2008 under Uncategorized.
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Globalization Strikes the Accounting Profession
I hate to be an alarmist, but did anyone notice that the SEC agreed to let foreign companies file their reports under International Accounting Standards?
Plus, three years from now, US companies will be able to elect to file using international instead of US GAAP. What happened, why and what could it mean to us accounting-types?
I’m […]
Posted: February 4th, 2008 under Uncategorized.
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The Secret to Retaining Key Employees
A friend of mine called me complaining about the rapid rate of turnover at his mid-sized accounting firm.
He swore he was doing everything right: he paid great salaries and hired only the best and brightest “star” CPAs. Yet still, he was constantly having to fill positions.
First off, I told him, it’s true that the Bay […]
Posted: January 22nd, 2008 under Uncategorized.
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Bay Area Accounting Professionals on the Move
As most of you have probably noted by now, our recent salary/job satisfaction survey yielded some interesting results. If you haven’t read it already, download a copy at www.kulaconsulting.com.
Conducted last November, the survey polled accounting professionals in public accounting and in the private sector. This was our first salary survey and, I believe […]
Posted: January 15th, 2008 under Uncategorized.
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6 Steps to a Successful Job Search
Finding a job is a job in and of itself. Know that going in, and having realistic expectations removes a layer of stress and uncertainty from the process.
Before going further, I suggest that you read (or re-read) my last posting about whether changing jobs is the right move for you. That post offers a quick […]
Posted: January 7th, 2008 under Uncategorized.
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