Audit

International Accounting Standards Board Chairman Sir David Tweedie said that the U.S. Financial Accounting Standards Board would still continue to play an important role in the standard-setting process, even after the transition to International Financial Reporting Standards in the U.S.

The College for Financial Planning plans to add renewal requirements to some of its professional designations starting next spring.

An Ernst & Young survey of internal auditors found more of a need for specialty skills, especially in focusing on operational risks.

California accounting firms Burr Pilger Mayer and Andersen & Co. plan to merge on Jan. 1, 2009.\

The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board has issued an alert highlighting how the current economic crisis could increase various audit risks such as fraud.

iPro One and American Business have teamed up to offer insurance products that wealth management advisors at CPA firms can market to their clients.

Weaver and Tidwell is merging with Polansky McNutt Perry & Co., expanding Dallas-based Weaver into the San Antonio market.

The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board has released a report summarizing its inspection findings between 2004 and 2007 of eight of the largest domestic accounting firms, outlining the many problems it has found with their audits.

The success of financial advisors in profitability, revenue growth, and attracting clients was the overriding theme in the 14th edition of the 2008 Moss Adams LLP Financial Performance Study of Advisory Firms, recently released and sponsored by Genworth Financial Wealth Management. For the average firm, new assets from new clients accounted for about two-thirds of growth, expanding assets under management by 13.5 percent. However, the study shows that only one in four firms has a well-defined succession plan and many firms, some 44 percent, have no plan at all. Actually, Dan Inveen of Moss Adams, who prepared the excellent release, said that while the current flux in performance of the financial markets may be causing advisors concern, the demand for objective financial advice is likely to increase. “Forward-thinking firms will recognize this as a time of opportunity and will continue to improve their effectiveness and show value in serving the market. Plenty of potential exists for further growth.” Looking at this in greater depth, the study turned up the fact that advisors in the top performing firms spend the most time on client service and business development. Actually, the top 25 percent of solo firms (meaning firms with one owner/professional) spend 56 percent of their time on client service and business development, compared to other firms that only spend 46 percent of their time on these activities. Moreover, top-performing ensemble firms also gain leverage with non-professional staff. The smallest multi-professional firms (less than $2 million in revenue) employ 1.2 non-professionals for every professional. The same ratio applies for the larger firms ($2 million - $5 million in revenue), which is double at 2.4, thereby allowing professionals to focus more time on business development and client activities, and less time on administrative and operations tasks. Of course, expansion for advisory firms raises new and impending issues as a significant number of firm owners are nearing retirement. Though firms have been trying to recruit and retain experienced professionals, the demand has outweighed the supply. As a result, this could leave firm owners holding concentrated positions in a valuable asset with no ownership transition plan. The 2008 study shows that only one in four firms has a well-defined succession plan and 44 percent have no plan at all. In addition, the aging advisor population, coupled with strong growth in the advisor industry, indicates that transactions will be prevalent in coming years. In fact, within the past two years, 29 percent of firms considered a sale, with 37 percent citing succession as the primary motivation behind this consideration. On the opposite side, more than half (55 percent) of the firms expressed an interest in acquisition, with most citing growth and efficiency as the driving factors. For more information, visit www.mossadams.com/2008advisorstudy.

Former Internal Revenue Service Acting Commissioner Kevin Brown has joined PricewaterhouseCoopers as a partner in the firm's IRS Service Team.

The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board has voted to extend the deadlines for inspections of non-U.S. accounting firms to avoid conflicts with the laws in other countries.

The Financial Accounting Standards Board plans to introduce a new official accounting standards codification on July 1 that will supersede other sources, including the AICPA.

Prosecutors have decided not to appeal the dismissal of charges against 13 defendants in the KPMG tax shelter case to the U.S. Supreme Court.

XBRL US plans to soon publish an upgraded version of the Extensible Business Reporting Language interactive data tags for U.S. generally accepted accounting principles and is making the latest draft available for public review.

The American Bankers Association has written to Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson calling on regulators to make several immediate reforms to mark-to-market and fair value accounting rules before banks have to file their year-end financial statements.

Lawyers representing two former KPMG executives asked a judge overseeing their trial on tax charges to declare either a mistrial or dismissal in the tax shelter case.

The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board has approved a $157.6 million budget for calendar year 2009, a $13 million increase from the $144.6 million it approved for 2008.

CPA firm Cottrill Arbutina Professional Services has acquired an eight-person tax and audit group from S.R. Snodgrass, expanding its reach in Western Pennsylvania and its auto dealership client base.

CBiz has signed a deal to acquire Mahoney Cohen, a New York-based accounting firm that is expected to contribute about $55 million in annual revenue next year.

Reality TV addicts, here’s an interesting nugget for you. Rockville, Md.–based Aronson & Company sponsored one of their clients, Dan Ryan Builders, in a project with ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Rockville, Md.–based Aronson & Company sponsored one of their clients, Dan Ryan Builders, in a project with ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition television show, which remodels homes of struggling families.