Accounting Today Podcast

Accounting Today editor-in-chief Dan Hood outlines the major trends and developments that accountants should be keeping an eye out for over the next 12 months.

As the profession grapples with lower numbers of people becoming accountants and CPAs, discussions about what it should take to become a CPA have proliferated; in this episode, Pennsylvania Institute of CPAs CEO Jennifer Cryder dives into why and how new paths to getting licensed are opening up.

On the eve of his retirement, longtime AICPA chief Barry Melancon turns his eagle-eye to the future, talking about the challenges and opportunities facing the profession, and what it needs to do to get ready for both.

As he prepares to step down from his long tenure as president and CEO of the American Institute of CPAs, Barry Melancon looks back at how the institute – and the accounting profession – have changed over the past 30 years.

As firms grow, they need to move their sales pipeline from inside their head into a more formal process, says Sarah Dobek of Inovautus Consulting, to gather the right data and hold everyone involved accountable for growth.

Private equity can solve many of a firm's problems –– but not necessarily all, according to Phil Whitman of Whitman Transition Advisors, and there are alternatives.

Private equity is a solution to many accounting firm problems -- but not for all accounting firms. Allan Koltin of Koltin Consulting Group dives into who might be a good fit for PE, and what they can expect if they do.

Private equity presents a lot of opportunities for accounting firms -- but comes with a great many questions, too. Bob Lewis of the Visionary Group offers answers and valuable advice for accountants looking at this major trend.

What keeps employees engaged is changing rapidly, and accounting firms can't afford to fall behind, according to Tina Wang, division vice president of HR at payroll and HR giant ADP, and Darren Root, a major thought leader in the profession and Co-founder of Better Every Day.

Too many accounting firms are relying on outdated or inappropriate data to measure their success, and Sarah Dobek of Inovautus Consulting lays out a much more forward-looking set of data for them to work with.

Melanie Lauridsen, vice president of tax policy and advocacy at the AICPA, and Cynthia Rijo Sanchez, president of the Puerto Rico CPA Society, discuss the boom in demand for tax and accounting services, and what it takes to successfully serve this market.

Terrell Turner of the TLTurner Group explains his firm's unique process for upgrading employee reviews and keeping staff performing at the levels they need.

John Napolitano of Napier Financial takes a long look at the host of unusual investment opportunities available to your wealthier clients, and how to tell what will work from what won't.  

Michael Bannon of ESOP investment banking advisors CSG Partners explains which accounting firms might want to look into employee stock ownership plans -- and why.

AICPA chair Carla McCall talks about the opportunities and challenges facing the profession, and how accounting firms need to work together so they can all thrive separately. 

And that should be their firm, says David Wurtzbacher of PE-backed accounting firm platform Ascend, so they can spend the vast majority of their time working on the business, rather than in the business.

Service line and practice offering leaders stand at the point where a firm's overall strategy meets the delivery of its actual services, and they have a unique role and set of responsibilities, says Sarah Dobek of Inovautus Consulting.

Client advisory services Kane Polakoff of CohnReznick looks into the future of this fast-growing service area, and outlines the steps firms need to take to succeed in CAS's next iteration.

Many retirement plans are geared toward the specific date a person retires -- but clients will hopefully live long beyond that, and there are a lot of issues they'll need to consider, says John Napolitano, founder of Napier Financial.  

The National Pipeline Advisory Group's recommendations cover a wide range of ways to attract more people to the profession, and NPAG facilitator and ConvergenceCoaching co-founder Jennifer Wilson walks us through what everyone can do to bring in the next generation. If you're interested in helping, you can take the Pipeline Pledge here.