Financial Planning

Balance Financial, a consumer finance software and services company, has introduced a set of bookkeeping products and services called Balance Certified Pro.

Protected Tomorrows Inc. has introduced a new program to help financial professionals such as CPAs deal with families who have a loved one with special needs such as autism, bipolar disorder or Alzheimer’s disease.

XBRL US has launched the XBRL Challenge, a contest to uncover the first generation of open source analytic tools that will mine financial data in ways never before possible.

The Governmental Accounting Standards Board is proposing some far-reaching changes in the field of pension accounting that should affect public employees and state and local governments across the country.

The Governmental Accounting Standards Board has issued two exposure drafts proposing improvements to financial reporting of pensions by state and local governments.

IMGCAP(1)]Equity compensation is more of a minefield than it once was.

Husbands and wives need to talk more about retirement planning and how to achieve their retirement goals, according to a new study.

MORE DELAY RETIREMENT

We think of risks associated with the audit and attest side of the business every time we place our signature on a financial statement. We think of investment risk every time we meet with a client who is nervous about market losses while counting on those investments to provide income or security in future years. But when it comes to traditional risks, many of which can be protected against or avoided, we are only scratching the surface of what CPA financial planners could or should be doing.

IMGCAP(1)]Accountants, insurance professionals and others need to be careful that they don’t become what the IRS calls material advisors.