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Forty-one percent of companies have needed to increasetheir collections efforts and more than half have been contacting theircustomers more frequently to receive payment, according to a new survey.

Over the past year, chief financial officers have becomemore optimistic, but nevertheless remain cautious in their outlook on theoverall health of the economy according to the first quarter 2010 "CFOOutlook Survey" conducted jointly by Financial Executives Internationaland Baruch College's Zicklin School of Business.

The economy grew at a 3.2 percent clip in the first quarter,braking somewhat from its 5.6 percent pace in previous quarter, but indicatingcontinued consumer spending.

Two weeks after Goldman Sachs was charged by theSecurities and Exchange Commission for fraud, federal prosecutors have begun aninvestigation into the banking giant according to sources.

Today – the last day of Financial Literacy Month – is Financial Literacy Social Media Outreach Day and the Texas Society of CPAs is getting busy.

The comment period set by the Internal Revenue Service onthe proposed preparer registration regulations closed earlier this week, with anumber of professional groups offering their opinions.

Wolters Kluwer Tax & Accounting has agreed to acquirethe tax compliance software products Tax Integrator, Fringe Benefits TaxOrganiser and Global Integrator from Ernst & Young Australia.

Small businesses added 66,000 new hires in April androughly 300,000 new jobs since June 2009, according to the latest Intuit SmallBusiness Employment Index.

New York - The International Auditing and AssuranceStandards Board has proposed a new assurance standard to address the process ofcompiling pro forma financial information included in prospectuses.

In comments submitted to the Internal Revenue Service,the National Society of Accountants supported the agency's proposed taxpreparer registration requirements, but suggested broadening them to includeeven more preparers.