Daniel Hood

Chief financial officers and corporate finance teams are taking on a larger role in protecting companies from cyber-risks, according to a new survey.

The omnibus spending bill signed into law last week gives the Internal Revenue Service an additional $290 million in funds – but it must be spent only taxpayer services and efforts against tax-related identity theft.

Our editors’ picks for what made news in the profession this year (text version)

The American Institute of CPAs has created an illustrative SOC 2 report to help CPAs report on controls over protected health information.

Top 100 Firm Warren Averett LLC announced that it will merge in Panama City-based Jinks & Moody, effective Jan. 1, 2016.

Greater engagement and a deeper relationship with your software providers will pay dividends in better service, better deals and, ultimately, better products, according to tech expert Jim Bourke.

The accounting profession needs to take advantage of current conditions to take critically important steps to ensure its future, according to American Institute of CPAs president and CEO Barry Melancon.

It’s a great time to be an accountant — and the future looks even better.

For the fourth quarter in a row, Top 10 Firm BDO USA led large audit firms in new Securities and Exchange Commission audit clients, with 13 new engagements and a net gain of eight in the third quarter of 2015.

As the final entry in our 20 Days to a Better Firm series, we thought it would be worth noting that the best workplaces know when to stop working.

Free food during tax season is by far the most common perk offered at accounting firms, but it’s probably not doing staff any favors.

Employees value regular communications from firm leadership – particularly the managing partner or chief executive – but even better is the opportunity to meet with them in the flesh.

It will come as no surprise that money is a great way to keep staff engaged – but you may be surprised by some of the ways top firms find to distribute it.

Public company audits are improving, according to Securities and Exchange Commission Chief Accountant James Schnurr -- and they need to keep on doing so.

With qualified accountants of all levels of experience hard to come by these days, some firms are starting to wonder if they should look beyond the profession for staff.

New surveys offer proof of its increasing value to firms

Many firms are quite rightly proud of the wide array of specialty services they can offer clients, and of the different client niches they serve. They should make a point of exposing their staff to as many of those as possible.

Employees and firms can’t improve without guidance and feedback – and the best firms are making sure it flows both ways as often as possible.

You can take a day off, but e-mail and mobile devices mean you’re still at the beck and call of all the people back at the office – unless the office is closed.

Time is money, they say, and at many top firms that means that employees get to spend time like it was cash.