Let’s Wish a Very Happy Birthday to Becker’s Peter Olinto!
Yes, it's that time of year again: Peter Olinto's birthday! If you, like me, are friends with him on Facebook, go ahead and shoot him a note and ask him when the hell he plans to let you cash in that free coffee he owes you. We're pretty sure this is the best one yet: […]
Here’s a Fancy Picture About Projected Accountant Salaries for 2014
Thanks, Becker and Robert Half! The fine print: * Example only.** Large public accounting firms/companies = $250 million + in sales. Salary does not reflect overtime or bonuses which may represent significant portions of compensation for some positions.*** CPAs may earn up to 10% over peers without professional designations.**** Advanced degrees or professional certifications […]
CPA Exam Candidates Must Be Starting Families Earlier
OR Becker is trying to expand the customer base. OR Gearty and Olintbro are convincing their friends to get the CPA just for grins. No matter what the trend is, the mother of all CPA review is showing grandparents some love on Twitter for some reason. Here is a shout out to all of our […]
ICYMI: Here’s the Yearly Press Release From Becker Reminding Us They Rule
It happens every year like clockwork (well, not entirely, some years the Becker PR folks are a little too tied up to get the press release out promptly), the Elijah Watt Sells winners are released and then comes the inevitable patting-themselves-on-the-back from our friends at Becker:
Becker Still the Choice Among CPA Exam Overachievers
Serious question: when did they start handing out nearly FORTY Elijah Watt Sells awards a year instead of 10? Is this like what they started doing in elementary school when they would hand out trophies to all the kids on the soccer team, even the big fat losers? Anyway, the AICPA announced 37 Elijah Watt […]
Becker’s 2010 Elijah Watt Sells Winners Are So In Sync They Say The Same Thing
Obviously this is an error on the part of whoever put together the 2010 Elijah Watt Sells page for Becker but thanks to the good eye of one reader (PLEASE God let this person be an auditor), we see at least two winners who felt exactly the same way about their achievement. Eric Emil Hartel […]
Newt Becker, Founder of Becker CPA Review, Has Died
If there was no Newt Becker, I probably wouldn't be a CPA (inactive) and neither would you and GOD KNOWS we wouldn't have had the pleasure of knowing the sound of Peter Olinto's voice. From Brian Tankersley, a Becker instructor, at CPA Technology Blog, is the email sent by Becker Professional Education President John Roselli: […]
Let’s Look at Some Random CPA Exam Statistics From California Colleges
This post comes courtesy of a reader request. If you would like specific CPA exam statistics, shoot me an email and I'll dig through the candidate performance book for you so you don't have to waste $90 on it yourself. You're welcome. What are the top California schools for CPA exam performance (based on 2010 […]
Becker Partners With GE China to Deliver CPA Review To Its Employees
With GE slowly but surely shipping most of its important business over to the People’s Republic of China, this could work out to be quite the lucrative deal for the folks at Becker.
Becker Professional Education announced last week that it has entered into an agreement with GE China to provide, through its licensee in the People’s Republic of China, its complete, four part CPA Exam Review course to GE employees in the People’s Republic of China. Becker will also be providing extensive assistance with the CPA Exam application process to GE China employees.
“This partnership represents a tremendous opportunity for Becker to expand our leading international position with a strong partner in GE China,” said Matt Kinnich, Vice President, International and Business Development of Becker Professional Education. “We will be able to help a great number of GE China employees achieve their career goals through our quality course offerings.”
What this means, in simpler terms, is that some guys in China will be authorized to teach out of Becker books, likely using Becker’s own “lesson plan” text which all Becker instructors receive to teach from. I wonder if they’ll edit out some of the written-in jokes to translate for a Chinese audience?
Becker already offers live courses in Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Beijing.
CPA Exam Marketing, You’re Kind of Doing It Wrong
I don’t say this to be mean, I say this to be helpful I swear. I noticed something sketchy about this Becker marketing campaign.
Apparently they have a Posterous (news to me) and share CPA exam tips. That part sounds awesome but somehow it fails in the execution. Here’s what I mean:
Did you know that the sections of the CPA Exam have different time allotments?
You can use as much of the time allotted to complete each section as you like. The testing computer screen displays a countdown of the time you have left. As you practice, it’s important to learn how to budget your time wisely, so you don’t find yourself scrambling at the end to finish.
Sorry but that’s horribly vague. What is that supposed to tell someone about time allotments on the CPA exam? What on Earth is ‘You can use as much of the time allotted to complete each section as you like?’ supposed to mean? Sure you technically can use as much of the time allotted (I’m assuming they mean per section?) but I don’t think that’s a very helpful suggestion to give someone actually trying to pass the CPA exam.
In a different post, they also say “Getting your CPA is a little like getting to Carnegie Hall — it’s all about practice!”
Each post ends with an obvious link to one of their products that is tangentially related to whatever the vague “tip” says.
In fewer words, WTF purpose is this supposed to serve?
Like I said, meant to be useful, I swear.
Try to Compose Yourselves After Reading This Post
Being accountants, we don’t have too may rock stars among us. Oh sure, maybe Tim Flynn is the cock of the walk at the Radio Station or Barry Salzberg can’t walk around Big D’s office without associates crawling all over each other to touch his clothes but these men pale in comparison to the immortal we are about to present to you.
If you saw this man on the street, his swagger would make your knees week, his impeccable attire would cause you to stare uncontrollably and the sound of his voice might overcome you with so much nervous excitement that you might projectile vomit all over him.
Find out who this man-god is, after the jump
We present you with this:
Now we realize that the mere thought of Tim Gearty and Bob Herz on a cruise at the same time is probably more than most of you can handle but we had to share with you that the oracle of Becker Review was on Twitter bestowing encouragement and wisdom. All of you out there working to dominate the CPA exam can now rest easy that Tim will always be available in the Twitterverse.
You’re welcome.
Dear Becker,
A reader was kind enough to share with us a letter they sent to Becker after the software expired and was rendered utterly useless.
Here’s an excerpt:
“The Becker lectures sang to me like a siren’s song. Much like poor Odysseus, I screamed for more. Yet, unlike Odysseus, there was no one there to keep me safe. Tim Gearty became the man that I yearned to be. He is smart, funny, humorous, debonair, more dashing than James Bond and full of more knowledge than Ken Jennings. His style rivals that of GQ’s Man of the Month.”
Check out more love for Tim Gearty and Peter Olinto in the whole letter, after the jump