Bond Beebe Promotes Professionals Firm-Wide

BETHESDA, Maryland (October 2009) – Bond Beebe, a certified public accounting and advisory firm with offices in Bethesda, Maryland and Alexandria, Virginia, is pleased to announce the following promotions of the members of its professional staff, effective October 1st: Linh Crider has been named Director of Claims Auditing; David Miller has been appointed Director of Benefit Plan Compliance; Marcella Pascal was promoted to Senior Manager in the Audit Department; Caroline Kettering has been named Manager in the Audit Department; […]

October 1, 2009 Firm News & Events Read more...

No Rest for the Restaurant-Owning Family: The Type of Family Business that Really Tests Your “Chops”

Posting by Jacqueline M. Thompson, CPA

It’s pretty hard to think of restaurants that don’t have at least some family connection, be it passed on in the family over the years, brothers co-owning, a family member implied in the name (e.g., Dave Thomas’ daughter “Wendy”), or family everywhere from head chef to valet.  It’s nearly impossible to think of a diner or similar type of eatery without thinking of family members popping up in every staffing position imaginable, ranging from […]

September 24, 2009 Family Owned Businesses Read more...

Why We Don’t Do Payroll Audits – Reason 8

Posting by Larry Beebe, CPA

“It is a Waste of Plan Assets to do Payroll Audits”

I would agree that a plan can waste plan assets in performing payroll audits.  An ill conceived and/or poorly executed payroll audit program is a waste of plan assets.  I do not believe, however, that a well conceived and well executed payroll audit program is ever a waste of plan assets.

What can the trustees do to insure that they are spending plan assets properly in […]

September 24, 2009 Payroll Audit Read more...

Best Accounting Firms to Work for 2009

Bond Beebe, a certified public accounting and advisory firm with offices in Bethesda, Maryland and Alexandria, Virginia, announced today that they have been named as one of the 100 Best Accounting Firms to Work for in this second annual survey and award program created by Accounting Today and Best Companies Group.  The survey and award program was designed to identify, recognize and honor the best places of employment in the accounting industry, benefiting the nation’s economy, its workforce and […]

September 23, 2009 Firm News & Events Read more...

Gotcha! How Forensic Accounting brought about the downfall of Al Capone

Lawrence R. Beebe, CPA, Principal

Elliot Ness.  J. Edgar Hoover.  Al Capone.  Frank Wilson.  Wait, Frank who?  Frank Wilson – likely the first and most famous forensic accountant ever known.

The 1920s mobster Alphonse “Scarface” Capone was an accountant’s nightmare; actually, he was a nightmare for many others as well.  It turns out when running nightclubs, speakeasies, dog tracks, brothels and distilleries, having comprehensive accounting “books” is a liability, at least when you’re a criminal.  So when multiple law agencies were trying to bring Al Capone up on […]

September 21, 2009 Accounting, Forensic Accounting, Tax Read more...

Training for the Big Win: How Athletes and Family Businesses Need to Train for Success

Posting by Joel C. Susco, CPA, Principal

I was at lunch recently and the topic came up on the similarities between business owners and athletes.  After some time on the topic, we were quite amazed at just how similar they truly are, especially when considering a family business.

Both commit countless hours over many years, striving for the ultimate goal, pushing their hearts, minds and bodies far beyond their comfort level.  Both have the inner desire to achieve excellence, sometimes facing […]

September 21, 2009 Family Owned Businesses, Uncategorized Read more...

Contributions of a Stated Amount

Posting by Larry Beebe, CPA

One of the subscribers to this blog asked the following:

Do you have experience with multi-employer plans where the employer contributes a stated amount per hour as written in the CBA and the contribution in excess of participant elected health and welfare benefits spills over into the retirement plan?  If so, what are some of the audit techniques you have found to be successful with these situations?

Please send me your thoughts at [email protected] and I will […]

September 18, 2009 Payroll Audit Read more...

Contributions of a Stated Amount

Posting by Larry Beebe, CPA

One of the subscribers to this blog asked the following:

Do you have experience with multi-employer plans where the employer contributes a stated amount per hour as written in the CBA and the contribution in excess of participant elected health and welfare benefits spills over into the retirement plan?  If so, what are some of the audit techniques you have found to be successful with these situations?

Please send me your thoughts at [email protected] and I will […]

September 18, 2009 Benefit Plan Accounting, Uncategorized Read more...

From Luxury Rides to Wagons – How Car Company Cousins Porsche & Volkswagen are So Different

Posting by Geoffrey D. Brown, CPA

In our Greater Washington DC Family Business Alliance, we often discuss the trials and tribulations of working with family in your business.  Every now and then, however, these families start or join other companies who may have contact with their former employer.  In the case of Porsche versus VW, we witness the very intertwined relationship – note that Porsche has recently rejected VW’s offer to buy out 49% of their company in order to […]

September 9, 2009 Accounting, Family Owned Businesses Read more...

Financial Law and Order: Why we need Forensic Accounting witnesses

Michael D. Rockefeller, CPA, Principal

It’s hard to picture the dramatic closing court scene of Law & Order being centered around an accountant, but as their stories are ripped from the headlines, this is more likely to appear in an episode a la Bernie Madoff’sPonzi scheme or the like. The specialty area of forensic accounting has opened up the scope of accounting, and features more intriguing services and characteristics beyond accounting and auditing; requiring skills and tools utilizing quantitative methods, […]

September 2, 2009 Accounting, Forensic Accounting Read more...