CPA Now Blog Archive

Properly implementing the latest technology into key operations can set a small business apart from the competition. This blog provides four ways small businesses can update their technology and achieve outstanding returns in the process.

As the Pennsylvania primary election approaches and we continue to grapple with the ongoing effects of COVID-19, it’s important to remember that your votes continue to matter. Elections are essential to the democratic process. Not only is 2020 a presidential election year, but there are other critical races, including U.S. Congress, statewide offices, and the state legislature.

There is comfort and security in routine, but that has been disrupted for you and your clients during the coronavirus pandemic. However, now may be a good opportunity to strengthen client relationships and secure their loyalty.

When businesses frantically began applying for relief through the Payroll Protection Program, Boyer & Ritter quickly developed with a partner the PPP Loan Forgiveness Workbook. Using the workbook, CPAs and clients can better plan for the use of PPP loans.

The role of the chief financial officer (CFO) continues to evolve, particularly in the area of creating value for their organizations. Brad Monterio of the California Society of CPAs and a global board member of the Institute of Management Accountants discusses ways CFOs can pursue this added value.

If you run Office 365, do you know what Secure Score is? If not, you're missing out. Here, learn about Secure Score and how you can use it to improve your network security.

Uniform Grant Guidance can be a complicated area to navigate. As a preview of their session at PICPA’s Pennsylvania School District Conference, Megan Thompson and Christopher Turtell discuss simple steps that can be taken that can lead to better results.

The profession is in an exciting state for those who will drive it in the coming years, and that is the subject of PICPA’s Guide to CPA Careers in a Changing Business Landscape, this year’s digital-only, special edition of the Pennsylvania CPA Journal.

The fiduciary responsibilities of employee benefit plan sponsors are legion: adequate fidelity bond coverage, timely and accurate contributions deposits, asset safeguards, and much more. Here, PICPA's Bill Hayes speaks with Thomas M. Murphy, senior vice president of Bridgeway Wealth Partners, for a glimpse of his session at the PICPA Employee Benefit Plans Conference.

For CPAs, having an awareness of all the risks to a client and solutions to mitigate those dangers are vital components in your toolkit. When assisting clients in a retail environment, sometimes it pays to think outside of the box – specifically the standard cash box or safe.

Those who have defined-contribution plans are generally comfortable with them and understand how they work. But what about some of the other options, such as 403(b) or employee stock ownership plans? Here, PICPA's Bill Hayes speaks with Joanne Szupka, CPA, about her Employee Benefit Plans Conference discussion on the risks associated with other types of plans.

One of the best enhancements Microsoft has added to Excel in years is its new dynamic array feature. With dynamic arrays, we now have the capability of creating more powerful formulas.

Taking the CPA Exam in 2020 has proved to be much more challenging than in the past. But don’t let delays, extensions, or coronavirus uncertainty throw you off your CPA course.

Expanding the client base takes a lot of effort in several different areas, including marketing, expanding services, hiring new professionals, and personal outreach. Client retention, too, is vital, but it is an entirely different animal.

Advocating on your behalf is usually an in-person endeavor, but our new world with a pandemic has complicated matters. The PICPA mustered an all-hands-on-deck effort to get and provide information from and to state officials and regulators. These efforts would not have been so well received if not for all our members who made a CPA-PAC contribution in 2019.

Allison Henry, PICPA vice president of professional and technical standards, provides a video update and guidance on recent lease accounting, revenue recognition, and ethics announcements related to COVID-19 from the FASB and AICPA.

A man walks into a store and steals $100. He comes back five minutes later and buys $70 worth of goods, and the owner gives him $30 in change. How much money did the owner lose? Easy? Maybe it's not as simple as you think.

The broken windows theory of crimefighting proposes that if broken windows in an abandoned building are left unrepaired, it fosters the impression that nobody cares for the neighborhood. Fixing broken windows helps establish a sense of pride, safety, and order. Avoiding "broken windows" in internal management reporting, too, will have undeniable benefit.

A relationship with a fintech can offer a huge opportunity to bring financial services innovation to consumers. If your organization does the appropriate due diligence, supports the rollout, and monitors the partnership effectively, you can have a successful relationship.

The word on the street is that the Small Business Administration Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) has burned through the funding it's been granted. Well, you should expect another round of PPP loan availability, and CPAs again will be called upon to assist clients with gathering the documents necessary to apply and determining the amount for which they qualify.