October, 2014

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Top mistakes accountants are making with existing clients

Abrigo

'Singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell was referring to environmental impacts when she sang, “Don’t it always seem to go/That you don’t know what you’ve got/Till it’s gone” in "Big Yellow Taxi." But chances are, many accountants have the same thought after a client leaves the practice – especially someone who was with the firm for several years.

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The Direct Debit Guarantee: your rights as a customer

GoCardless

The Direct Debit Guarantee protects customers against payments made in error or fraudulently, making Direct Debit the UK's safest payment method.

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Thought starter: Top challenges accountants face and actionable ideas to solve them

Abrigo

'Comedian and television writer/producer Larry David has said, “I''m not a person who embraces challenges. I run from challenges. I break world records running from challenges.” Humor aside, accountants don’t have the luxury of thinking that way. While accounting was identified as the most profitable industry of the last 12 months , it is not without its challenges.

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Spotlight on lending: Preparing for Q3 bank reports

Abrigo

'With the fourth quarter of 2014 well underway, both banks and credit unions are in the midst of reporting their results from the previous three months. While Q3 reports will trickle in over the coming days to meet the end of October deadline, a crucial piece of the puzzle the financial community and economists will be looking at is loan growth rates.

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Accountants win more clients doing these 3 things

Abrigo

'Have you ever wondered why your accounting firm lost out on a recent engagement? Do you get frustrated when clients show little interest in utilizing the firm’s additional services that are offered? A lot of accountants may assume that they lost a potential client because another firm presented a lower estimate. Or it may seem as though a client is too stubborn to consider thoughtfully the benefits of receiving strategic advice or financial planning assistance.

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OCC outlines risk plan as Northeastern loan growth doubles

Abrigo

'Multifamily, commercial and automotive loans are driving loan growth among banks in the Northeast, but increasing risk will draw fresh attention from regulators to ensure recent and future growth is sound, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency said recently. The OCC on Oct. 28 released a report detailing substantially improving conditions among OCC-regulated banks in its Northeastern District, defined as Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, eastern Kentucky, Maine, Maryland,

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How to prepare for Basel III

Abrigo

'Following the recent financial crisis, the Basel Committee of Banking Supervision (BCBS) set out to “strengthen global capital and liquidity rules with the goal of promoting a more resilient banking sector.” With the release of Basel III, the Committee is building on Basel II’s three pillars and strengthening them. The three pillars include maintaining minimum capital requirements, a supervisory review process and market discipline.

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Establishing a project management culture

Abrigo

'Among the various characteristics that make up a company’s culture, one of the most important aspects often goes overlooked. Ancin Cooley , Principal of Synergy Bank Consulting, Inc. states that a mix of value-based cultures is pivotal in the effective management of a bank. A sound project management culture, Cooley argues, should be in the forefront of financial professionals’ minds.

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How one accounting firm used ProfitCents to show clients the importance of value-added services

Abrigo

'Nearly every firm has business clients who are interested in more services from their accountant. Almost two-thirds of clients are unaware of all services their accounting firm has to offer. Cross-selling value-added services will not only help you retain your current clients but also grow your business’s revenue. In a recent case study , ProfitCents customer Focus CPA Group Inc. shared how they were able to ensure their clients viewed them as trusted advisors by effectively cross-selling

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Banking M&A activity remains high with little sign of slowing

Abrigo

'In a recent survey conducted in partnership by the Federal Reserve and the Conference of State Bank Supervisors ( CSBS ), over 1,000 community bankers weighed in on a range of hot button issues facing their organizations in 2014. Among the topics in discussion was the continued upward trend in merger and acquisition (M&A) activity and further consolidation of the bank market as a whole.

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Combating inconsistency in risk management

Abrigo

'When it comes to the risk management process, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Financial institutions have a wide variety of approaches, as calculations and analyses differ between lenders. “It is as much an art as a science,” says Tim McPeak, risk management consultant at Sageworks. “Everyone’s going to have their own ways, and from bank to bank they will have different underwriting guidelines and standards.

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Caution! 3 Blood-curdling ways to stop your accounting firm’s growth dead in its tracks

Abrigo

'1. Be eerily similar to your competitors. Many accountants will come to the spooky realization that firms who compete in the same market will likely have the same basic offerings, mostly because accounting services are pretty standard across the board. And while your firm’s qualifications and experience may be fantastic, the truth is, it’s unlikely your prospects and customers can see much difference between yours and those of top competitors.

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What is the FASB’s process for issuing standards?

Abrigo

'The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) continues to receive attention surrounding their proposed current expected credit loss (CECL) model , as final guidance is expected to be released late 2014 or early 2015. Under the proposed changes, banks would need to use historical information, current conditions and forecasts to estimate expected losses over the life of loan.

CECL 83
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Guest blog post: Protecting yourself online

Abrigo

'The majority of professionals love technology. It makes not only your personal life easier, but running your small business or CPA firm, too. But when is too much technology just too much? Sageworks asked Don West, a member of the AICPA''s Information Management and Technology Assurance Section''s CITP Credential Committee the best ways to protect one''s self and business online. --.

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Poll: 36% of finance professionals send clients to a third party for business valuation services

Abrigo

'During a recent webinar on how to prepare for booming growth in the valuation industry , Sageworks polled over 135 finance professionals and found that more than 35% are sending their clients to a third party to complete a business valuation. During the webinar, Paul Wapner, CPA/ABV, CGMA, manager of forensic and valuation services for the AICPA, discusses how your firm can overcome barriers to entry and take advantage of these growth opportunities.

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4 Ways providing valuations can help your accounting practice

Abrigo

'Business clients see their accountant as a trusted resource with the knowledge and expertise to help them improve their business and avoid pitfalls. Many of those clients will be facing major life and business decisions in the near future as they approach retirement age, presenting a unique opportunity for accountants to assist them through services that go beyond tax preparation.

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The 8 Questions to picking an accounting niche

Abrigo

'Consumers understand that certain retailers specialize in particular items. If you''re looking to plant tomatoes in your garden, your first step is unlikely to visit the local Best Buy store. Sometimes a specialty retailer is necessary to meet your needs. Such can also be the case with accountants. A one-size-fits all approach to growing your accounting firm could mean that you''re missing out on a valuable, and potentially lucrative, opportunity to develop a niche.

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3rd annual Risk Management Summit proves “valuable” and “insightful”

Abrigo

'More than 140 bankers and industry experts from over 30 states gathered in Nashville, Tennessee last month for the 3rd annual Risk Management Summit hosted by Sageworks. Building on the success of the 2nd annual Summit , this year’s event featured new topics, new speakers and additional networking opportunities. Maintaining a focus on emerging trends and best practices in the allowance for loan and lease losses (ALLL) and stress testing loan portfolios, attendees learned from top industry

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Top concerns and growth strategies of community banks: Part I

Abrigo

'This article is the first in a two-part series on top concerns and growth strategies of community banks. Regulatory compliance. Loan growth. Risk management. These are all phrases that resonate with community bankers. Data from Bank Director’s 2014 Growth Strategy Survey in August confirms that these are bankers’ greatest concerns. Source: 2014 Growth Strategy Survey.

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The importance of balancing loan portfolio growth and risk management

Abrigo

'U.S. banks are seeing low loss rates on CRE and construction loans relative to the past six years, according to Forbes. As a result, many are seeking growth in these areas, and others, as the recent financial crisis falls into the more distant past. But how can this growth be managed appropriately? CEIS Review , a New York-based bank consulting firm, highlights the shift in a recent article.

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Keys to a Better Loan Presentation

Abrigo

'How much time do you spend on a loan presentation? Does it include the right content? According to Gary Welsh, banking services manager at Condley and Company , the key to a clear and concise commercial loan presentation is beginning with the end in mind. You should begin your commercial loan presentations by asking, “What is the commercial loan going to look like at closing?

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Poll: Are your staff members aware of what makes your accounting firm different from the competition?

Abrigo

'During last month’s webinar, How to Create and Implement a Marketing Plan in Your firm , speaker Bonnie Buol Ruszczyk, President of bbr marketing, discussed a number of tactics accountants can use to establish a marketing strategy for their firm. Bonnie shared how having a plan in place allows accountants to set benchmarks to review the success of their marketing efforts.

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Valuation demand is growing; Is your accounting firm ready?

Abrigo

'Baby boomers have been driving and are expected to continue to drive an increase in the sale of businesses in the next decade, given their influential ownership of private companies. In fact, a survey of deal advisors earlier this year by Pepperdine Private Capital Markets Project , the International Business Brokers Association and M&A Source, found that baby boomers made up 65 percent of new clients trying to sell and 41 percent of client buyers.

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3 ways for community banks to capitalize on the “buy local” movement

Abrigo

'Wal-Mart, McDonalds, Home Depot. These large corporations are found in almost every town in America. While many consumers choose to take advantage of their less expensive product offerings, a culture shift is starting to take place. Today’s youth and others across all age groups are placing a significant importance on consuming local food, developing local relationships and improving local communities.

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Tweet to pay: Is this the future of banks maintaining a competitive edge?

Abrigo

'Do customers want off-site banking to be as simple as sending a tweet? A bank in France is making that a reality. With the significant rise of person-to-person (P2P) payments – allowing a customer the convenience of sending money directly to someone else quickly – news broke earlier this month that Twitter is getting into the game; and yesterday, the details were announced at a press conference.

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Clubs and societies: Are you using the right payment method?

GoCardless

A lot of clubs and teams are using the wrong payment method to collect their membership fees. To help you decide whether your club is using the right payment option we’ve put together a list of three quick questions for you.

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Clubs and societies: 4 simple ways to save time and do what you love

GoCardless

Managing a club or society is a lot of work – that’s before you even get to deciding on teams, formations or tactics. Here are our four top tips on cutting down some of this unwanted admin so you can get back to the activities you really love.

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Football clubs: could Direct Debit increase your fanbase?

GoCardless

A few football clubs have started offering Direct Debit as a way for fans to spread their costs and make season tickets more affordable.

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Can you use Direct Debit for variable or one-off payments?

GoCardless

Direct Debit isn't only great for regular, fixed payments.

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