Occupational fraud is far more widespread than we may be inclined to think. According to the ACFE Report to the Nations, the typical fraud case lasts 14 months before detection, aggregating losses of over $100,000. A lack of internal controls contributes to nearly 33% of frauds. Nancy Wu, Head of Sales and Custome...
As accountants and auditors, we take certain things for granted. For calendar year-end audit clients, we generally plan interim fieldwork in the fall followed by year-end fieldwork in the winter. We roll-forward the prior year document request lists (lovingly referred to as PBC lists because, in fact, the documents are...
This week I had the pleasure of catching up with leadership consultant Jon Lokhorst in person. We chatted about business acumen, the future of work environments, turnover, burn-out, and leadership. (Quite a few topics in one hour!)We both acknowledged the trends we are seeing with organizations trying to figure out opt...
Every controller can relate to the nervous, eager, and somewhat uneasy feeling they experienced when closing the books and reporting financials for the first time in their new role. For some, that feeling never goes away, while others tackle the pain points head on. They assess risk, identify obstacles, and implement s...
It’s no secret that companies are investing in technology at the expense of traditional departmental budgets laden with personnel expenses. A 2021 Gartner survey showed that companies are expecting to drive business growth through the use of technology, and functional budgets would be decreased in order to fund these g...
The 2020 pandemic brought unprecedented disruption to the U.S. economy and upended some industries all together. After almost a year and half since the first lockdown, we are still adjusting to the new “normal” in the workplace. As McKinsey pointed out in their 6th consecutive annual Women in the Workplace s...
Tax season brings about a convergence of challenges for CPAs and accountants. The 2021 filing season for the 2020 tax year now involves a brand-new stimulus package, the American Rescue Plan, and potential for the April 15 deadline to shift to July 15 again this year. Managing client expectations has never been an...
Most finance and accounting teams perform a monthly variance analysis on the income statement. Fewer teams take the time to perform a balance sheet flux analysis. While the benefits of both exercises are ample, a few misconceptions can cause them to be overlooked and performed after month-end close, rather than as part...
How are you doing as we approach the one-year anniversary of the quick transition to remote work as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic? At the outset, I certainly did not expect the remote work environment to remain the norm for this long. Many firms have adapted and found their stride while others are experiencing the...
We prepare for it. We brace for it. Or maybe, this year, we can embrace it. Ready or not, busy season is here. Divvy recently sponsored a one-hour webinar with Jon Lokhorst discussing how to “Thrive, Don’t Just Survive, This Busy Season.” We want to share the highlights with you, because we believe they can...