Going Concern Turns 13 Today, There Will Be Cake in the Break Room Later
It was summer 2009 when this website came to be and it was a glorious time. Obama had been inaugurated earlier that year, the financial crisis was still very much top of mind for everyone including us, and I’d carved out a tiny bit of internet fame for photoshopping dollar bills coming out of Federal […]
Making Remote Work: June’s Hottest Remote Accounting Jobs
Looking for a truly remote accounting job—one that doesn’t transform into an in-office grind after a few months? Accountingfly is the answer to your “never commute again/never wear suit pants again” prayer–their core business is placing candidates in 100% permanently remote accounting jobs. Whether you’re looking for a permanent position or a freelance/temp gig, check […]
Job of the Week: Remote International Tax Manager at WilkinGuttenplan
Featuring a tremendous career opportunity in a rapidly growing practice group of a well-established firm for CPA with 6-8 years of international tax experience. Offering a flexible culture, attractive compensation, and significant career upside with regular one-on-one partner interaction and partner-track potential (if desired). WilkinGuttenplan is committed to work/life balance, a culture of multi-generational collaboration, […]
Job of the Week: Remote Accountant w/ Sage-Intacct Experience
Going Concern’s Job of the Week features a CPA firm looking for a Remote Accountant with a strong working knowledge of Sage-Intacct and church client experience. If you are interested in this job, we invite you to apply with Accountingfly. APPLY NOW (updated link) | Accountingfly connects you with virtual accounting jobs with the best […]
Are You Hiring Accountants During the Pandemic? We Want to Know
Ugh, it seems like every day we’re writing about some new round of layoffs, pay cuts, or furloughs in public accounting. It’s pretty depressing. So now’s the time to focus on something good—and help out accountants who recently lost their jobs during the COVID-19 crisis. By now you’ve probably seen the tracker on our home […]
Going Concern: 10 Years Of Giving You the Moon
July 20, 2009 was the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11 landing on the Moon. It also happened to be the first day that Going Concern was live on the Internet. So now July 20, 2019 is here, and it’s their 50th and 10th anniversaries, respectively. A big coincidence? Or a cosmic signature that will forever […]
I’m Back, Bitches. And I Brought a Special Guest.
Four score and seven weeks ago, Accountingfly f#[email protected] up. They closed comments here on Going Concern, thus leading to countless Going Concern faithful (or maybe just a vocal minority, all six of you) to declare this the end of GC once and for all. I’ll admit, when Jeff Phillips hit me up recently and asked […]
Come Visit Our New Hub for Remote and Hybrid Accounting Jobs
Hello, Going Concern denizens. I am here today to let you all know about a new hub we just launched in our Career Center called Remote Job Listings. It is a listing of … well, you guessed it … current remote jobs with accounting firms and in industry that need to be filled. Perhaps one […]
Thanks, This Has Been Fun
It’s with a mixture of sadness and relief that I’m announcing that after nine years I’m stepping down as Going Concern’s editor at the end of the month. It’s been a good run, and now it’s time for me to do something else. Don’t worry; you’ll be fine.
That’s (Mostly) It for Comments
This summer, Going Concern turns nine. Over that time, the site has changed a lot — to the chagrin of some, to the delight of others. In any case, one of the mainstays during this time has been the comments on articles. This week will bring more change to the site, as we’ve been working […]
Money, Technical Stuff, and a Comment Box: This Is the New Open Items
Attention, friends and accountants — we have a little more news to share. Yesterday we announced our partnership with FloQast, and alluded to an enhanced Open Items. I wasn’t joking; we have made some enhancements and improvements to your favorite accounting forum on the whole wide internet. I’ll take just a few minutes of your […]
Announcing Our Partnership with FloQast, the Startup Built by CPAs
Okay, some big news. Going Concern’s been at this for the better part of a decade, and one of our big goals for awhile now has been to produce more content for our readers who leave public accounting for industry. Which, let’s face it, most of you are going to do. You hear about us […]
Programming Note
You may have noticed that the site has gone semi-dark the last couple of days. Our esteemed editor received a visit from the stork on Monday, so publishing will be a little quieter for a few weeks. The Accounting News Roundup and its daily newsletter will be on hiatus during this time. Open Items will, […]
Hey Atlanta, Come Hear Us Yak About the Gig Economy and the Accounting Profession
If you’re an accountant in the Atlanta area and aren’t busy on October 18th, don’t make plans; we have you covered. The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants USA is hosting representatives from Going Concern, Accountingfly, and Beech Valley Solutions will be there in the flesh to discuss how the gig economy is affecting the hunt […]
How To Connect With Going Concern
As a courtesy to you, the Going Concern community, we’ll take this opportunity to remind you of all the places on the internet where you can find us. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn YouTube Pinterest And if none of those float your boat, just get us via email, with either the daily Accounting News Roundup or our […]
Los Angeles Accountants, We Want to Hear From You
The publishing overlords who run this here site would like to survey Los Angeles accountants. If that’s you, kindly take this short survey on working and living in the L.A. area. If you’re not in the L.A. area but are in Southern California region, go ahead and take the survey. It’s harmless, plus you’ll be […]
Say Hello to Gigs, Our New Home for Accounting Jobs
Hey there, notice anything different? Whoa, wait, that was like six months ago. I have to start paying closer attention to the calendar. Yes, Going Concern’s new look isn’t so new anymore, but we are still working behind the scenes to continue to make it better. Today we’re sharing a new resource in our Careers […]
Getting in touch
Have something we should know? Did we miss a story? Want to send us some feedback? Send tips, links and suggestions to [email protected] You can also hit us up on Facebook and Twitter.
Programming Note
We're off today, observing Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Since posting will be on the light side, you can drop questions or news you want to discuss in Open Items. The Accounting News Roundup will return tomorrow. If you'd like to receive it in handy email form, you can sign up here. Image: Wikimedia Commons
Programming Note: Late Summer Break
Our esteemed editor will be away until Tuesday so the Accounting News Roundup will be off and posting will be light during this time. You can still send us tips and links by hitting the button at the top of the page or emailing them to us. You can also keep yourselves entertained in […]
Programming Note
Our editor will be taking time off from today until next Thursday, June 30th. During his absence there won't be any Accounting News Roundup posts or newsletters but you can expect to hear from our regular contributors including Bryce Sanders, Megan Lewczyk, Leona May and Greg Kyte will drop in, too. You can still send […]
Changes
No, I'm not writing a David Bowie tribute. But it seems appropriate that I have some news about changes to our newsletter today. This will be the last edition of the Between the Spreadsheets. It's been a good run, but it's time to retire it. Now, don't fret, fans of GC email, we have plans […]
Going Concern Is Looking for New Columnists
Are you looking to mix things up in the new year? Take a risk? Express yourself in a creative outlet? Say things about accounting that you've kept pit of your heart out of fear that people would cast you into the darkness? Great, keep reading. We're looking for new, regular contributors to write for Going […]
We Can’t Fake Enthusiasm
Unfortunately, we're all back to being adults today. On the bright side, at least wasting time on Going Concern is work related. To ease you into 2016, I recommend thumbing through the Editor's Picks I dug up and also Leona May's inventory count horror story. And if you need something to look forward to, know […]
Believe it or not…
Between the Spreadsheets is off today (i.e. I'm not writing anything in this space) but will return next week. If you haven't been on Going Concern in a while, where've you been? Cruise the front page for what's new and drop in on Open Items if you feel the need to ask a question or […]
Fewer Managers, #AuditorProud and Star Wars
It's hard to be productive this time of year. All the HOLIDAY HYPE keeps our attention away from work and 2015 is not an average year. With the return of Star Wars returns on Friday, holiday hype gets a hyperdrive. And I am not immune it. In general, though, I'm a fan of hype. The […]
But Who’s Counting?
It's the Monday after Thanksgiving which means that we've all risen from our tryptophan comas to embark on a quest to find the cheapest HD TVs on the internet. It's also the last day of November which means there are only 31 shopping days until next busy season. Oh, you weren't counting? Sorry about that. […]
We’re All ‘Janice in Accounting’ This Week
Now that we've reached the fourth week of November, we're firmly in #DGAF territory. Maybe it's not the Janice in Accounting level of, "I'll be eating your clearly-marked Noosa Yoghurt," #DGAF, but with Thanksgiving only a few days away, most of us who are working are having a hard time caring about much of anything. […]
Oprah Brings the Oprah to Accountants
It's not every day that Oprah makes an appearance in the accounting world. So when she popped up at QuickBooks Connect recently, our man Greg Kyte jumped right on the story. Alright, he didn't jump right on it, his post appeared a few days after Oprah's talk but since Greg admitted that he's a "total […]
Crazy Ideas
People are worried about the accounting profession. Or at least that's the impression I get from articles I read nearly every day. Change is so fast and BIG and uncertain so I think I get why people worry, but I'm less certain about why they keep worrying. Part of what I try to do around […]
Interesting* Accountants Wanted
In the last few days we've featured new posts from two of our popular regular contributors, Leona May and Chris Hooper, but we also welcomed Jim Peterson, a friend to us over the years, into the fold as well. I like featuring the writing of others on Going Concern so if you have big ideas […]
What’s in an Accounting Firm’s Name?
Name Days aren't really a thing in the US, but maybe we should mark the occasion for accounting firms since so many have been changing theirs in recent years. Mergers, acquisitions and rebrandings all give firms a fresh start with a look and maybe a lot fewer letters. The latest is RSM (aka McGladrey) whose […]
Students, Meet Firms; Firms, Meet Students
It's Meet the Firms Week over at our sister from another mister, Accountingfly. It all starts this afternoon when Greg Kyte and I yuk it up over how students can avoid landing their public accounting careers in the toilet. There are plenty of webinars this week, which you can register for here, featuring accountants who […]
Don’t Miss Accountingfly’s Meet The Firms Week
Starting Monday, Accountingfly will be hosting Meet the Firms Week, an online event that connects accounting students with firms from across the U.S. There will be loads of valuable career information and if you register, your resume will reach over 7,500 accounting firms who are hiring entry-level talent. Read more about the benefits for students […]
The Accountant Doth Protest Too Much
If you assumed that comments submitted for accounting, auditing or tax proposed regulations were too boring to read, man, you are missing out. I dug through more than a dozen comments on the PCAOB's proposal to disclose audit partner names and, for the most part, the comments were harmless and relatively interesting. However, I find […]
Protecting The CPA Shield
I spent last week in Florida meeting my new overlords. And since new bosses want to talk to you and stuff, I didn't have much time for actual work. In times like these, I lean on my friends, like Paul Gillis and Greg Kyte to pick up the slack. One of Greg's posts, that just went […]
Learn All About Applying for Accounting Careers in Government
Tomorrow at 2 pm ET, Accountingfly is co-hosting a free, one-hour webinar, "Recruitment Timing and the Application Process for Government Accounting Careers." Here's a description: The webinar will offer important insights and provide timely advice for students as they embark on this initial step towards a successful accounting career in government. The host, Chris Lezovich […]
Going Concern Is Now Part of Accountingfly
By now you may have heard that Going Concern has a new home. That home is with Accountingfly, a career resource site only for accountants. You can read the press release, if you’re into reading press releases. Accountingfly is the brainchild of a guy named Jeff Phillips, who’s now my boss and the new publisher […]
Accenture Scrapping Performance Reviews
The firm formerly known as Andersen Consulting is getting rid of its annual performance reviews. Well, most of it anyway: Accenture CEO Pierre Nanterme told The Washington Post that the professional services firm, which employs hundreds of thousands of workers in cities around the globe, has been quietly preparing for this “massive revolution” in its […]
This Is Your Last Chance to Get In on the Going Concern Compensation Survey
Hi, people. Everyone having a lovely day? Yeah, me too. Now that KPMG compensation is up and rolling in, we are ready to wrap the first annual Going Concern compensation survey. If it feels like this thing has been open forever, that's because it has. We're all ready for this thing to be over. The […]
Crony Links: High Functioning Fun; Second-year Associate Skills; Free Mentoring
You can lead a reader to links, but you can't make it read. Open Items Leave before I find out my raise? AccountingWEB How to Put the 'Fun' in 'High Functioning' AWEB Forums What skills does a second-year need most? The Queen's AccountingWEB What kind of accountant are you? BusinessZone Been there and done it: Brilliant business lessons from a […]
PSA: How to Reach Out and Touch the Going Concern Team
Hello and Happy Friday, GC faithful. We are interrupting your regularly scheduled programming with an important message. Maybe it's because we monkeyed with the tip box graphic awhile back or maybe it's because you all genuinely have nothing to tip us about but we've noticed a steady decline in tips and, frankly, it concerns us. […]
Crony Links: How to Create Excel’s Equivalent to MAXIF; Fear of Phones; Women Candidates in EY’s EOY Awards
Link even though no one is reading, link even though you've never been linked to, link even though no one clicks, link even though the Internet is filled with mindless crap. Open Items Does This Count As Work Experience for CPA in NY AccountingWEB Creating Excel's Equivalent of MAXIF AWEB Forums #VALUE! Error Due to Blank Space […]
Crony Links: Stop Using Internet Explorer; Is HR Your Enemy?; Tips From Entrepreneurs
To link, or not to link. That's never a question. AccountingWEB Internet Explorer Opens Doors to Hackers Open Items 'tis the Season (for *required* charitable donations) The Queen's AccountingWEB Guide to spotting mental illness at work HRZone "The HR department is not on my side." TrainingZone How executive coaching can help close the gender gap BusinessZone 15 business tips from […]
Crony Links: Tax Breaks for Homeowners; Compassionate Management; Useful Business Travel Apps
If you've finished weeping for Scott London — get it all out, it's fine — take a spin around some other Sift Media websites for some other reading: Open Items Making the transition: Part 1 – Failure to Launch AccountingWEB How to Get Tax Breaks on Your Home The Queen's AccountingWEB Spring clean your clients HRZone Compassionate management: the softer side […]
A Very Happy April Fool’s Day from Going Concern, And That’s No Joke
In case you didn’t notice, our little playground was purposely hijacked this morning. Anyone coming to the site who tried to click a post from 8am until 2pm got this assy splash: Seems legit. If you clicked the “wallet” link, you got an equally assy splash that declared “haha, got ya!” and reminded you today […]
RSVP: An Overview the Statement of Financial Position for Nonprofits on March 26th
Event Date: March 26, 2014 This material focuses on non-profit organizations organization, accounting and reporting. It includes discussions of assets, liabilities and net asset accounts that are common to most non-profit organizations. Learning objectives are: Understand the fundamental definitions and operating principles of non-profit organizations Review significant Statements of Financial Accounting Standards for non-profit organizations […]
RSVP: Learn About Charts in Excel on March 25th
Event Date: March 25, 2014 In this session Excel expert David H. Ringstrom, CPA shares numerous techniques that you can use to work with charts more efficiently. David will provide detailed handouts specific to these versions of Excel: Excel 2013 Excel 2010 Excel 2007 Excel 2003 Who Should Attend:All practitioners who may benefit from using […]
RSVP: Performing Small Audit Engagements on March 21
Event Date: March 21, 2014 This material is designed to provide a start-to-finish overview of how to plan and complete high-quality small audits efficiently. Based on audit philosophies that have been used by CPA firms for years, participants will learn a framework they can apply in their CPA firms to increase profits on small audits. […]
The Award For Most Unnecessary Press Release Goes To…
These guys for letting us know two "accountants" came by the office to check things out: Industrial Nanotech, Inc. (OTC-PINK: INTK), an emerging global leader in nanotechnology based energy saving solutions, today announced that it has completed the onsite visit portion of the audit by the accounting firm of Hartley Moore Accountancy Corporation, a PCAOB […]
RSVP: Raise Your Leadership BAR on March 20th
Event Date: March 20, 2014 BAR is an acronym for: Boundaries, Authority and Role. This simple tool will provide participants with a solid understanding of leadership essentials to improve their performance. If you are looking to learn and grow your leadership talent, this course is for you! You'll take away from this session an in-depth […]
RSVP: Five Essentials to Client Service on March 6th
Event Date: March 6, 2014 Do you and your team have what it takes to provide outstanding client service? Client service is an increasingly important part of your professional success as you move up in your career. Client retention, profitable growth and your firm’s reputation all depend on it. In Kristen’s webinar, we’ll cover the […]
RSVP: Learn About the VLOOKUP Function on February 27th
Event Date: February 27, 2014 In this session Excel expert David Ringstrom will introduce beginners to the VLOOKUP function, and then go beyond the basics with a discussion of with the MATCH, CHOOSE, INDEX, SUMIF, SUMIFS, and SUMPRODUCT functions. David will also show you how to: Improve the integrity of VLOOKUP by way of the […]
Going Concern Presents…Open Items: Where the Accounting Profession’s Conversations Happen
It's a bit strange to think that we started Open Items last summer. For some reason (most likely it was sheer laziness on my part) I thought it would be a good idea to throw up a post that had no point but to let people discuss whatever they wanted. It's been a barrel of […]
RSVP: Overview of AICPA’s FRF for SMEs on February 25th
Event Date: February 25, 2014 This webinar presents an overview of the FRF for SMEs. The materials discuss the concepts and principles in the AICPA’s new special purpose framework. Learning objectives are: To understand the basic principles and concepts of the FRF for SMEs To be aware of impostant differences between the FRF for SMEs […]
RSVP: Designing Internal Control Systems for SMEs on February 20th
Event Date: February 20, 2014This webcast will focus on designing effective and practical internal control systems for smaller entities. Designing effective charts of accounts, management oversight and control over accounting operations, budgeting and governance issues will be discussed. Participants will learn: The fundamental concepts and the components of internal control. To design and operate effective […]
RSVP: Learn About Pivot Tables for Free on January 30
Following up on the success of his popular High Impact Excel session, this time around David H. Ringstrom, CPA turns his attention to pivot tables. In one hour you'll learn how to whip unwieldy data into shape, and then quickly build meaningful reports by dragging and dropping with your mouse. David will also discuss techniques […]
Save the Date: AICPA Conference on Current SEC and PCAOB Developments
As Going Concern's official Washington correspondent (read: the one who lived in an awesome condo in the DC hood), it's up to me to head home next week to cover the AICPA Conference on Current SEC and PCAOB Developments from December 9 – 11. I know, you're as excited as I am about this JUST […]
Housekeeping: Ch-ch-changes, Material Ones At That!
Greetings, capital market servants. How's your Thursday? Good? Great. It may have come to your attention, on Twitter or elsewhere, that our resident tattooed wench has been elevated to the position of Managing Editor of this here site. And it's true! After years of working 2-hour days and filling in for me during my infrequent […]
Take the Going Concern Annual Reader Survey to Save the Children*
It's that time of year again when the publishing overlords who run this laugh factory would like to know a little more about you, the Going Concern readers. It also gives you a chance to tell us what you think about this here web site and the Lord's work that we're doing. Go here to […]
Staffing Changes at Going Concern (or Why Accounting Media Journalists Should Be Required to Take Ethics CPE)
Hold on to your butts. Last week, Going Concern was in the (presumably) capable hands of Adrienne Gonzalez while Caleb Newquist, the site's editor, was "in Virginia" on some kind of "school tour," whatever the hell that might be. Turns out Caleb/Colin was not in Virginia on a school tour. He was in Denver being investigated by the […]
This Is a Friendly Reminder to Take the Going Concern Jobs Survey and Enter for a Chance to Win an iPad Mini
Hey, everyone. Colin here. Mind if I pull you away from your spreadsheets for a bit? No, you don't mind. Last Friday we announced that Going Concern Jobs would be gracing the Internet with its presence in the very near future. Of course, before we jump into anything we like to check with you all […]
Going Concern Jobs Is Coming Soon to an Internet Near You
It’s February. It’s busy season. We understand that you have things to do. You can spend a few minutes helping us, can’t you? Of course you can. Believe it or not, we pay attention to what you guys and gals click, read, complain about, enjoy, and flat out hate. So we think we have an […]
CPA Exam Candidates (and Trolls): Join Us For a Live Chat on 1/31
My colleague came up with the bright idea to start doing live chats, which we hope will end up being kind of like Reddit AMAs except with people directly or tangentially related to accounting. Lucky me, I get to kick things off with a CPA exam-centric chat on 1/31. The grilling starts promptly at 1pm […]
Zombie CPAs, Grant Thornton Temporary Tattoos, and Porn Stars: The Going Concern Editor’s Picks for 2012
I won't bother pinpointing the number of blog posts or the thousands of words I've written over the past year, but I'll just say that it was a lot. There's always something for everyone — gossip, Twitter trolling, money-envy and occasionally fringe-journalism will even find its way into these pages. Anyway, we create so many […]
Help Us Out By Taking the Going Concern Reader Insight Survey
TPTB, in their never-ending quest for world domination, ask that you fill out this year's Going Concern Reader Insight Survey so that we may learn a little bit about you all. I've been assured that it's perfectly harmless and if you have any suggestions on how we can improve this here site, then you'll have […]
Should New CPAs Put ‘CPA’ On Their Business Cards Or Is That Too Douchey?
The Psychic Friends Network once asked me to work for them but I was disqualified for being too much of a dream-killer. If you're looking for advice and don't want to pay $3.99 a minute to get it, get in touch and I'll consult my crystal ball covered in cat hair to see what the […]
Intern Weighs Betraying a Small Firm for the Big 4
Suffering from Big 4 burnout? Want ideas for your Sarbanes-Oxley 10th anniversary celebration? Need help making a smart the least stupid choice at the vending machine? Email us your questions and let us feel your pain. Hi GC, Looking for some advice. I am interning at a small firm and I am 95% sure I will […]
A Word About Commenting While Driving: Don’t
We've had many discussions about being responsible commenters on this site. And by responsible I mean, "be insightful or funny or, preferably both." Most of you attempt to adhere to our guidelines and if you don't, Adrienne puts you in the corner. Pretty simple. What we haven't discussed is responsibility about where you are making […]
Here Are the Going Concern Freelancer Finalists
After a grueling first round, we've narrowed the field down to three. We took a lot of your feedback into account, so don't say we never listen to you. Here are your three finalists, in no particular order, along with links to their first round submissions just in case you are just joining us or […]
Public Accounting Is More Dangerous Than It Looks
This is our final submission from the Going Concern freelancer candidates. The following is by Last Day in May. “Good morning.” “David’s dead.” “They found his body in Tel Aviv.” “Shot himself in the head.” “No suicide note.” And thus I found out that one of our high net worth […]
Meet The Going Concern Freelancer Candidates
After an exhaustive search that included a lot of underwhelming résumés and a number of pocket vetoes from Adrienne, we are prepared to briefly introduce you to the candidates for our open freelancer position. Jeremy Woodward – A tax senior at one of those big accounting firms. When not reviewing forms or reading the Master […]
Going Concern Seeks a New Writer
We're testing the waters for a new freelancer to join the GC team. If you (or someone you know) has a deep understanding of audit, accounting, tax, advisory services or all of the above and don't mind being mocked by capital market servants, then we'd love to hear what you have to offer. If interested, […]
Advice For Getting the Most Out of the Going Concern Tip Box For Complete Idiots
Alright, folks, we have a problem. I'm going to waste precious space here (not to mention my time) explaining how to get the most out of the GC tip box since it seems many of you have never interacted with human beings before and don't get how this works. First: let me kick this off […]
Reminder: You Could Win a Kindle Fire If You Follow Going Concern on Twitter
There are precisely two weeks left to enter Going Concern's Twitter promotion. Up to this point, you may have thought that entering the online cluckhouse known as Twitter was an awful idea because "I don't get it," or "Isn't it really just for celebrities?" Well, it's true that you probably don't get it right now, […]
BREAKING: Going Concern Founder Lured Back to KPMG
I have to admit, I never thought I would be writing this. I bring you this news with both sadness and excitement; sadness for losing my partner-in-crime and excitement for finally being able to make an unlimited number of misogynist bro jokes without getting berated by my editor. According to KPMG sources that asked not […]
Follow Going Concern on Twitter and You Might – MIGHT! – Win a Kindle Fire
As promised, we're launching a new campaign to get you through the final weeks of busy season and this time we're incorporating everyone's favorite virtual gabfest, Twitter. After experimenting with the Daily Grind eNewsletter for some time, we've decided to focus more on something that won't involve clogging your inbox. Following our Twitter feed is […]
I See What You Did There: The Latest Changes on Going Concern
Well, if it isn't another mopey March Monday in busy season. If your life has been feeling especially drab lately, maybe you can take the time to appreciate some subtle changes that we've made around we rolled out on Friday. Last time we tried this, there were a lot of comments and we took some […]
A Word About Comments
Since the year is still fairly new and we know some of you are still holding on to completely unrealistic resolutions, we thought it would be best to encourage to reflect on yourselves in a different manner: how you comment on Going Concern. For starters, let us just say that we love (most) of your […]
The Busy Season 2012 iPad Giveaway: Week 5
Good Thursday afternoon, capital market servants. We have a little update to share with you regarding the giveaway. But first a little about this week's winner. Week 5 iPad lucky duck is Yolanda H. who is a integrated MPA student in Texas. She likes to peruse GC to get through some of her lectures. She […]
The Busy Season 2012 iPad Giveaway: Week 4
It's week four of the iPad lotto sweepstakes on Going Concern so for any of you that are now just being made aware of this little bit of excitement, we'll go over this again. If you’re not currently signed up for the eNewsletter, go to the homepage and sign up at the top of the […]
Programming Note: Please Excuse Our Brevity
Hey kids, AG here (duh). Caleb is overseas this week selling your information to MLM scheme operators (or something) and unfortunately may not have the most reliable Internet connection. As I was only made aware of this today and do have a day job that doesn't involve annoying the crap out of you all, I […]
The Busy Season 2012 iPad Giveaway: Week 3
TPTB, in their neverending quest for world domination, have asked me to remind you that we have now entered Week 3 of the Busy Season 2012 iPad Giveaway. Since many of you probably ignored last week's promo post, this is how you enter: If you’re not currently signed up for the eNewsletter, go […]
The Busy Season 2012 iPad Giveaway: Week 2
Has your Monday been ruined due to some football-related news? Cheer up! The 2012 Busy Season iPad Giveaway has entered week 2 and if you didn't get an email this morning telling you that you won last week that just means your luck could still turn around. In case you forgot how this works, entering […]
Presenting the Busy Season 2012 iPad Giveaway
It’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Day or as it is more commonly known in public accounting, “the third Monday in January.” It is intended to be a day of service to our communities but most of you are simply doing the ushe – serving your clients. Not being able to observe federal holidays (President’s Day […]
Some Holiday Housekeeping
It’s the Holiday Season and that means two things: 1) Big Surprises; 2) Big Disappointments. With that in mind, I’m here to share with you, first, a surprise.
Tomorrow, barring any unforeseen sabotage by internal detractors, we’ll be launching a redesigned look and feel for Going Concern. We’ve been sporting our current layout for quite awhile and the feeling amongst us (and many of you that participated in our fall survey) was that we need to update things a bit. After quite a bit of yelling and few instances of people stomping around the room like 3 year-olds, we’ve got something we’re all (more or less) happy with.
Personally, I wanted to spring the revamped website on you like your parents divorce at the Thanksgiving table but I was convinced to share the news with you a day before for the sake of goodwill, transparency and all that crap. Along with the redesign, there will be some upcoming promotions and other new stuff that will undoubtedly change your lives forever.
Now, after an initial freak out, I’m sure you’ll have plenty of questions, which you are invited to share in the comments or by emailing us. But I will save you the trouble of asking the obvious – Yes, we will be maintaing the same commenting format, so you’ll be able to protect your true identities with cleverly devised Internet personas.
Oh right, the disappointments. If you’re devastated by this news and tomorrow your vision is completely shattered by the eyesore in front of you, we invite your feedback and suggestions for what will make your experience less sucky.
You may now shriek with glee.
Here’s a Bunch of Cute Kids Explaining Why They Want to Be Tax Accountants
PROGRAMMING NOTE: I’ll be on vacation next week in an undisclosed location but you’ll be in the very capable hands and permanently ink-stained arms of Adrienne. I don’t think I have to explain to you what will happen if you don’t behave.
Because I know you’ll miss me with every fiber of your being (and it’s Friday), I’ve presented the following video for your enjoyment.
[via TaxProf]
Here’s a Friendly Reminder to Tune into “Let’s Talk CPA Exam” Tonight
This is just a friendly reminder that I’ll appearing on the Yaeger CPA Review weekly radio show to talk about the CPA exam. This particular chat will focus on balancing your study life and work life (i.e. you have no life). If you’re having trouble pulling it together, you can call in and I’ll motivate you like some sort of CPA exam drill sergeant.
Of course if you don’t have questions about that, you can simply call in to gripe about NASBA, BEC, or whatever else grinds your gears about this whole process.
Click here if you’d like an email reminder for this week’s show. Adrienne has promised to call in simply to heckle me so it should be pretty fun.
UPDATE: If you missed it last night, here’s last night’s show for your listening enjoyment:
Let’s Talk CPA Exam: Working and Studying: How to Keep Your Sanity and Pass
For any of you CPA exam candidates looking to spend this Thursday evening in front of computer listening to my magical voice sharing infinite wisdom, you’re in for a treat.
You may or may not be aware that Phil Yaeger of Yaeger’s CPA Review has a weekly radio show where he talks about…wait for it…yes, the CPA exam. I’ll be the featured guest on Phil’s radio program this Thursday evening at 10 pm eastern time. We’ll be discussing the delicate balance of studying for those three special letters and working full-time. You’ll be able to call in with questions or if you feel compelled to berate me about typos or ask why Adrienne has to use so many curse words in her posts, I’ll be happy to oblige you with answers.
Click here if you’d like an email reminder for this week’s show. Whatever your motivation for calling in or listening, it should be a hoot.
(UPDATE) Thanks for Taking the Going Concern Fall Survey
We got a few emails asking about the iPad drawing so in order to get everyone to calm down, you’ll be glad to know that we’ve picked a winner.
But since no one wants their name to be in lights on this here fine publication, we won’t be sharing the name with you. UPDATE: Perhaps in an effort to wring some out of the readership, our winner has given us the go-ahead to publish their name. Your iPad envy should be directed at John Bialick, who works at Rothstein Kass in Roseland, New Jersey. Congrats, John! Just know that if you didn’t get an email from me telling you that you’re a winner, that means you’re a loser. Unfortunately, the rest of you are still losers. Not in life (unless you still can’t pass the CPA exam) but simply in this particular contest. This is just a quick word of thanks to everyone who took the survey and don’t worry, we’ll throw a chance to win more goodies at you someday.
Thanks for your continued support of Going Concern.
Take the Going Concern Fall Survey for a Chance to Win an iPad
Happiest of Friday, capital market servants. All the scary news out there got you down? It’s tough, I know. Unfortunately, there’s very little we here at Going Concern can do about it. Adrienne has yelled at everyone imaginable but still things are sucky.
The good news is that the TPTB here are still neck-deep in their never-ending quest for world domination and they need you to take our reader survey. Because we know your time is valuable (or at least it should be), we’re giving you a chance to win an iPad just for humoring us.
I know, our generosity is overwhelming at times but don’t get the impression that we equate love with cool-ass gadgets. Wait…maybe we do. Anyway, just take a few minutes to take our survey and you’ll have a chance to win.
Thanks for your continued support of Going Concern.
Going Concern Is Throwing a Party for Beta Alpha Psi Annual Meeting Attendees
Good morning, capital markets servants. Aren’t you glad there are still capital markets to serve? For now, anyway. Despite the doubts around our economy, we have a nice little offer for the future capital market servants who are attending this year’s Beta Alpha Psi Annual Meeting here in Denver. There are details after the jump but basically all you need to know is that it is tonight, attendees will be on a rooftop, there will be free refreshments, and attractive bar and wait staff will be catering to your requests.
So if you’re at this year’s meeting, join us at Spill located at 1410 Market St. in Denver, starting at 6:30 with open bar (beer, wine and well liquor) and appetizers until 8:30. I’ll be around chatting with various people so feel free to awkwardly interrupt to say hello; you never know, you might be getting me out of a bad conversation. Show up to eat, drink and mingle with your fellow attendees.
Fair warning, however, some of our sales people will be milling about chatting up exhibitors and apparently they have a reputation for being “loud” and “unprofessional” but you should know that only means they are FUN. So, unless you have a problem with that it’d be wise for you to show up. Hope to see you there.
Happy Birthday to Us! Going Concern Enters the Terrible Twos
Yes, today happens to be the blogoversary/birthday/whatever of this here fine publication. Back on this date in 2009, I woke up unusually late on a Monday only to discover that the site was live. I somehow was able to pull myself together and bang out a few posts sans pants without anyone – including David Lat – noticing that I was officially late for my first day of work (not the first time) day since then we’ve managed to come up with enough content to distract/keep you occupied throughout the week.
What have we learned in the past year? Let’s take a quick look back.
Well, for starters an email at PwC Ireland got a little out of hand. Adrienne’s lack of a CPA has come up a few times. Ernst & Young got sued over that Lehman Brothers thing. KPMG got sued for being a boys club. Lots of partners at Deloitte are unhappy. We learned that Rothstein Kass is officially the coolest accounting firm. BDO pays snitches in caffeinated beverages. And we gave lots and lots and lots of career advice. (Jesus, that Dear Abby must have wanted to keel over.) There was also de-pantsing by an accounting professor and now an accounting student. That doesn’t cover everything, obviously – Grover Norquist and Susan Coffey obsessions, Adrienne tells EVERYONE what they’re doing wrong on Twitter, DWB’s scotch-fueled advice, etc.
UPDATE:
I shamefully forgot this:
It’s all been pretty fun and we have you, dear readers, to thank. We really appreciate every single one of you. Especially you, John Veihmeyer. If you don’t email us, Tweet us, FB us, we don’t hear about these funny, disturbing and sometimes pathetic stories. KEEP IT UP. Thanks again for your support!
But now that we’re 2, where do we go from here? We’ve already managed to go from crawling to toddling, learned a bunch of naughty words (okay, we knew those) and quit drooling on ourselves. Basically, as Grover is fond of saying, ONWARD!
End of Busy Season Giveaway Winners
After an exhaustive exercise of pulling names out of a hat, we’re happy to announce the winners of this year’s End of Busy Giveaway, so that you may direct your envy appropriately.
iPad2 – Lisa Ginn
Airline Giftcard – Misty Bowman
Best Buy Giftcard – Annie Flanagan, Rachel Clupper
There were also 20 winners of priceless GC swag but we’ve withheld their names to protect them from being taken hostage for the loot. If you’ve been declared a winner in error or otherwise have a beef with the results, you can email us but expect to be ignored with extreme prejudice.
Have You Entered Our End of Busy Season Giveaway?
I’ve been convinced to inform you (probably not for the last time) that there’s only one week left to enter our End of Busy Season Giveaway. If you’re not interested in a chance to win an iPad, a travel voucher, Best Buy gift cards or GC tchotchkes, feel free to stop reading.
Once again, here’s the loot up for grabs:
• One Grand Prize of an iPad 2 valued @ $500
• 1 Airline Gift Card valued @ $300
• 2 Best Buy Gift Cards valued @ $100
• 20 Going Concern Prize Packs valued @ MTM
If you’re signed up than you have nothing else to do but grab your nearest rabbit’s foot, horseshoe or Deloitte CEO’s clean scalp. For those who are new or suffering from STML, entry is easy – just jump over the You Survived Another Busy Season Giveaway page and sign up for the newsletter and you’re in the game.
A Friendly Reminder for Anyone That Is Interested in Winning an iPad, Flight Voucher, Other Stuff
Five short days until the end of tax season. Can you feel it? Yeah, me neither. Although if you were to win something better than average – say, an iPad – you might end up feeling something. Excitement perhaps. Shock could be another one. You might trade hate for love as it relates to a certain smug, rimless spectacled, mock-turtleneck-wearing CEO. Whatever. At least you won’t be devoid of emotion for a change.
Here’s a reminder of what’s up for grabs when you sign up for the Daily Grind enewsletter:
• One Grand Prize of an iPad 2 valued @ $500
• 1 Airline Gift Card valued @ $300
• 2 Best Buy Gift Cards valued @ $100
• 20 Going Concern Prize Packs valued @ MTM
If you’re already signed up, don’t get your knickers in a twist, you’re entered automatically. Contest ends May 5th. Entry is easy – just jump over the You Survived Another Busy Season Giveaway page and sign up for the newsletter and you’ve gotta chance. Unlike certain pretend Presidential candidates.
Going Concern Presents: You’ve Survived Another Busy Season Giveaway
Yes, yes. There are still a few days left (12 to be precise) until tax season is officially over but for many of you the worst is over and TPTB figured we could drop this news on you now. Details on fabulous prizes after the jump.
Here’s the dealio. Follow this link to sign up for the Daily Grind enewsletter and you’re automatically entered to win one of the following:
• One Grand Prize of an iPad 2 valued @ $500
• 1 Airline Gift Card valued @ $300
• 2 Best Buy Gift Cards valued @ $100
•20 Going Concern Prize Packs valued @ Priceless
For those of you that are already signed up, don’t worry, you’re entered automatically. Contest ends May 5th. Like I said, entry is easy – just jump over the You Survived Another Busy Season Giveaway page and sign up for the newsletter and you’re in it to win it.
Going Concern Mid-Busy Season Survey (2011)
Hey gang, the ad folks who run this laugh factory have asked that you take this short survey. I’ve been assured that it’s harmless, so kindly oblige them and we’ll never have to speak about it again.
Supposedly there are some fantastic swag in it for a few lucky few of you, so make haste.
We now return to your regularly scheduled inflammatory nonsense.
You Bitched, We Listened: Comments Are Back Open
No, this isn’t a prank. It’s true. The comment section on all Going Concern articles is once again open for business. We saw the diatribes and polls on Twitter, we read the pissed-off emails, we noticed the lack of activity on Open Items. You were upset when we took away comments in May. We get […]