Commentary on fraud, scams, scandals, and court cases.
 

Forensic Accountant Builds Successful Practice by Billing For Value, Not Time

The path from Marquette undergraduate to forensic accounting expert was an unexpected one for Tracy Coenen. But she hadn’t counted on a chance semester of Financial Criminal Investigations and the impression left by her professor, a former IRS special agent. “It was somewhat accidental and somewhat not,” Coenen said. Her …

Why Blogging is Better Than Twitter for Lawyers and Accountants

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a post about my experience with Twitter, encouraging lawyers, accountants, and auditors to abandon the tool unless they had seen any specific business-related return on their time investment. Of course, for those who enjoy twitter as a social outlet, they should certainly tweet …

Book Review: Social Media Strategies for Professionals and Their Firms by Michelle Golden

Social Media Strategies for Professionals and Their Firms By Michelle Golden Wiley & Sons, New Jersey, 2010 (hardcover, 348 pages, $45) Reviewed by Tracy L. Coenen, CPA, CFF There are many books on the market about social media marketing and social networking for. Social Media Strategies for Professionals and Their …

Marquette Alumni Awards video

Last weekend I took part in an amazing celebration at my alma mater, Marquette University. I was honored with the Entrepreneurial Award from the College of Business Administration. I am grateful to my family for making that education possible for me, and was humbled to have wonderful friends and colleagues …

Why Solos and Small Firms Shouldn’t “Partner” With Larger CPA Firms on Projects

A couple of weeks ago I had an email exchange that exemplified why solo practitioners like myself should not “partner” with larger firms on projects. There is no “partnering” about it. The bottom line is their bottom line, and their bottom line is enhanced by two key moves: Profiting from …

Google Bomb: Internet lawyer John Dozier on Defamation Online

There’s a fine line between the First Amendment right to free speech and defamation, and this has become an increasingly larger problem online. What do you do if you’ve been careful with your reputation personally and professionally, but someone with a vendetta decides to attack you? Internet lawyer John Dozier …