Firm Management

Returns, rewards, whatever you call them, most people want to make something off of the money or effort they provide to a venture. And it’s human nature to try to get the greatest reward on the smallest input possible.

Microsoft is furiously at work on its next operating system, which it plans to introduce in 2015.

The American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) and the Management Accounting Section of the American Accounting Association (AAA) have announced that Stanley Baiman, Ph.D., has been awarded the 2014 Lifetime Contribution Award. Professor Baiman was honored for his 30 plus years of research and teaching of key management accounting issues, including those relevant in inter-firm contracting problems.

The merger wave among CPA firms is expected to continue its strong pace in 2014, particularly among small to midsized regional firms, according to the authors of a new American Institute of CPAs-published book on acquisition strategies.

Braver PC, a full-service regional accounting firm with offices in Needham, MA, and Providence, RI, has merged into Marcum LLP, a top national accounting and advisory firm, effective January 1. All three Braver divisions, including Accounting, Business Strategies and Valuation Services, joined Marcum.

The American Institute of CPAs has announced that undergraduate and graduate level accounting students may now apply online for scholarships for the 2014-2015 academic year. In addition, the AICPA has created a new scholarship for students who have earned a finance-related associates degree and declared their intent to major in accounting at a four-year college or university.

Data is king. Keeping it stored safely and securely is critical. Whether you are operating in the cloud, from an office, or from your home you need to be thoughtful about your data. In my professional life, strategies for keeping data safe have been mandatory for over 40 years.

Millennials are often lumped together, but the financial realities and habits of the 20-24 year-old set are very different from their older peers, according to data from PNC's Financial Independence Survey.