Strategies and tactics to help sole pracs and very small firms get the most from their practices for their golden years

Oscar Wilde was certainly not thinking about accounting firm mergers and acquisitions when he penned his farcical comedy, The Importance of Being Earnest. But, the message in the title is abundantly clear for any CPA firm considering such a transaction.

Education services company Kaplan Inc. a subsidiary of publicly traded Graham Holdings, has agreed to acquire SmartPros, Ltd., a provider of accredited professional education and training for accountants and other finance professionals.

Whitinger & Company LLC has signed an agreement to merge in Merrill Greene, CPA’s firm, Greene Inc., effective Nov. 1, 2015.

Technology consulting and outsourced IT provider Warren Averett Technology Group and business software consulting group Kianoff & Associates are joining firms.

Santos, Postal & Company is merging in Hildebrand, Limparis & Associates, adding an office in Frederick, Md., to the firm’s existing office in Rockville, Md.

Blucora Inc., the onetime Internet giant known as InfoSpace, agreed to pay $580 million for HD Vest Financial Services, one of the few brokerages that specialize in helping tax advisers become licensed to sell investment products.

Top 10 Gulf Coast Regional Leader LaPorte CPAs announced that it will merge with Beyer, Stagni & Co., effective December 1.

Drees Riskey & Vallager has merged with Midwest Regional Leader Brady Martz, effective October 1.

A roundup of recent announcements from accounting firms and companies across the country.

Mike Lynch, the founder of U.K. software company Autonomy, accused Hewlett-Packard Co. of damaging his career with false statements in the fallout from the two companies’ $10-billion merger that has been marred by a massive writedown and allegations of accounting fraud.

Regional CPA firm Eide Bailly plans to merge in Arizona CPA firm Beckman & Kunkin on Nov. 2.

HBK CPAs & Consultants has signed a merger agreement under which Norman, Jones, Enlow & Co. of Columbus, Ohio, will join its firm.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has charged five Florida residents—including an accountant and two lawyers—with insider trading ahead of the acquisition of Pharmasset by Gilead Sciences.

Top 100 Firm Doeren Mayhew announced that it will merge with CPA firm Orth, Chakler, Murnane & Co., effective October 1.

Pennsylvania accounting firms Wouch, Maloney & Co., LLP and Edward F. Burger & Associates, LLC have agreed to merge.

SWK Technologies signed letters of intent this week to acquire both Oates & Co. and Seattle-based The Macabe Associates, both resellers of Sage and Acumatica applications.

Tax services firm Ryan has acquired EnerTax Consultants to expand its severance tax practice into one of the biggest in the U.S.

Portsmouth, N.H.-based Albert Stowe CPA PLLC will be joining Baker Newman Noyes, one of the top five firms in New England, as of Nov. 1, 2015.

Meaden & Moore has signed a strategic agreement with LBC International Investigative Accounting Inc., uniting Meaden & Moore’s Investigative Accounting Group and its 11 U.S. offices and 70-member staff with LBC’s four Canadian offices and 25-member staff.