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Archives for August 2019

Useful Information about Securities

Investing in securities is a great way to plan for your financial future.  There are a variety of securities available to invest in. But before you invest your money into securities, there are several things you should know about investing in securities, including the laws surrounding securities exchanges, where to go for information about securities, and the agencies that regulate securities exchanges.

The U.S. Securities Exchange Commission regulates all securities exchanges.  Many of the laws regarding investing in securities were placed into effect by the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission, making their website the best place to get information about investing in securities.  On the website, you will find information that will help you determine how best to invest your money in securities, as well as information on the laws surrounding securities exchanges. You will also find a warning on the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission website that admonishes investors that investing in securities has no guarantees, and is not a “spectator sport.”

Laws governing investments in securities are vital to consumer protection.  This is because the securities have no value except for what the companies portray.  If the companies are not regulated, they could make false claims and misleading statements to get people to invest in their securities, which the investors would then lose with the securities proved not to be valuable.

Probably the best resource for those wanting to invest in securities is the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association.  The Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association provides news, publications, and information to those wanting information on investing in securities markets.  On the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association website, you will find a directory of securities, information about the securities industry, information about government news related to securities, recent media related to securities, current regulations on securities, research and surveys to help you choose securities to invest in, last-minute news that affects your investments in securities, and a wealth of other securities resources.

Securities are typically purchased through a securities broker.  To choose a securities broker, you should carefully select the most trustworthy financial investment advisors to assist you in investing your money in securities.  You want to make sure that your securities broker has a proven track record of success, and stays constantly up to date on their securities information. This is vital to your securities investment because it is only through your broker that you can know when to sell your securities to avoid losing money, or when to buy other securities in order to make money.  The value of securities can change drastically very quickly, and it takes a good broker to keep you from losing out on your securities investment money.

When in doubt, you should always check the securities broker you plan to use for your securities investment through local government agencies, as well as the Better Business Bureau.  These sources can let you know if there have been any complaints against the securities broker you plan to use for your securities investment.

At Peavy and Associates PC  our mission is to assist you with all your tax preparations, payroll and accounting needs.  We provide our clients with professional, personalized accounting services and guidance in a wide range of financial and business needs. Give us a call today and discover why our clients return to Peavy and Associates, PC year after year!

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tax accountant

All About a Certified Management Accountant

A CMA is a Certified Management Accountant.  This is different from a Certified Public Accountant.  A Certified Management Accountant is employed by a business firm or a not-for-profit organization and deal with private accounting.

A CMA can obtain employment by companies, government, and non-for-profit entities.  A CMA can obtain employment as a Bookkeeper, Payroll Clerk, General Accountant, Budget Analyst, Cost Accountant, Internal Auditor, or Information Technology Auditor.  These CMA careers have starting salaries ranging from $28,500 to $72,500, which is much higher than the salary range for CPAs.  

A Bookkeeper does not need to have any certification and therefore does not have to be a CMA.  A Payroll Clerk must have certification called Certified Payroll Professional, or CPP, but does not need to be a CMA.  A general accountant or budget analyst may not be required to be a CMA, but many CMAs begin as a general accountant or budget analyst.  A Cost accountant must be a CMA and be licensed by whatever state agency monitors and regulates accountancy in that state. An Internal auditor must be a CMA and have an additional certification as a certified internal auditor, or CIA.  An Information technology auditor must be a CMA and also have certified information system auditor licensing, or CISA.

The certification program to become a CMA is sponsored by the Institute of Management Accountants or IMA.  The CMA certification is proof of competence in management accounting. To receive a CMA certification, you must have a college degree, two years of experience, and pass a two-day session of testing.  

A CMA does not have the versatility of a CPA.  Because a CMA works internally within a firm, the duties given to a CMA are fairly rote, meaning that the CMA does typically the same work each day.  On the other hand, a CPA has as much variety in the type of work and work duties as the variety of his or her clients. It is due to this fact that most accountants choose to obtain a CPA certification and licensing rather than a CMA certification and licensing.

Most CMAs are cost accountants.  A CMA cost accountant enters transactions into accounting records like journals and ledgers.  CMA cost accountants also prepare financial statements. The financial statements that the CMA prepares are vital to the business.  The financial statements that the CMA prepares are used for business decision making, investor decision making, competitive comparison, and searching for industry trends.  A CMA must also attempt to discover and correct any errors in the cost accounting records. This can be done in a number of ways but is always very tedious for the CMA.

A CMA should be found if you are starting a business that will require extensive and accurate bookkeeping and accounting.  You can save a lot of money in your business by hiring a CMA in house rather than using a CPA on a fee for service basis. In this way, you are left free to run your business while someone else worries about the accounting for your business

 

At Peavy and Associates, PC  our mission is to assist you with all your tax preparations, payroll and accounting needs.  We provide our clients with professional, personalized accounting services and guidance in a wide range of financial and business needs. Give us a call today and discover why our clients return to Peavy and Associates, PC year after year!

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All About Charities

Many people donate to charities in order to take advantage of income tax deductions at the end of the year.  However, it is important to understand what charities are eligible for these income tax deductions so that you do not miss out on any income tax deductions that you can take.  It is also important to have a knowledge of what documentation you need to have in order to take the income tax deductions from your donations to charitites.

Charities can include things such as school fundraisers, church fundraisers, thrift store donations, donations to homeless shelters, donations to food assistance programs such as Harvesters, and donations to other charities such as hospital programs and women’s shelters all qualify as charities for the purpose of income tax deductions.  However, there is the documentation you need in order to legally claim donations to these charities as income tax deductions.

Purchases from school fundraisers are usually accompanied by some type of receipt or packing slip.  Use this documentation to claim your income tax deduction for these charities. Purchases and contributions to church fundraisers do not typically come with any form of receipt, even though that receipt is necessary in order to claim the donation to the charities as a legal income tax deduction.  Your best bet is to ask the church charities to provide you with some type of written record, even on a piece of regular notebook paper, indicated the amount of the donation. If your donation to these charities is in the form of property or items rather than money, you can estimate the reasonable value of the item and include that on the receipts from the charities.  This ensures that you have a reasonable and provable amount to deduct from the donations to the charities for your income tax return.

Other types of charities typically provide receipts for donations to charities.  If you donate items or property such as clothing, furniture, vehicles, toys, or food you can estimate the value of the donation and receive a receipt from the charities based on that amount that also lists what items were donated, then use that receipt for your income tax deduction.  If you purchase something new to donate, you can keep your purchase receipt signed by someone from the charities, and use that as a record of your contribution for your income tax deduction.

Charities can always use your help.  Deductions from charities do not get you any extra money on your income tax return above and beyond what you spend.  However, these charities can use your valuable help, and with income tax deductions for contributions to charities, you get everything you pay or give to the charities back on your income tax return.  So in short, you can give your help to the different charities without it costing you a dime! No risk, you help others, and you aren’t out any money. It’s a win-win situation for you and for the charities!  

Donate to your favorite charity today!

At Peavy and Associates PC our mission to assist you with all your tax preparations, payroll and accounting needs.  We provide our clients with professional, personalized accounting services and guidance in a wide range of financial and business needs. Give us a call today and discover why our clients return to Peavy and Associates, PC year after year!

 

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Accounting Education and How it will Help You

Are you very much interested in accounting? Well, if you are, you should take up accounting education. By doing so, you will gain systematic knowledge about the different practices and skills involved in accountancy and business. 

What is the meaning of accounting? It is defined as the art of systematic recording and analyzing of financial business transactions. The history of acounting dates back many years ago. Accounting is already an essential part of modern education. Every nation needs accounting because it is the key to economic development. 

If you want to pursue an accounting course, you should first choose a university or college. There are local universities and colleges that you can enroll in for an accounting course. If you prefer attending college abroad, you may do so. But make sure that you choose the university or college wisely. You also have to determine where you will stay when you’re already there; you can either stay at the dormitory or you can rent an apartment. Expenses are a great consideration as well. 

Accounting has four general areas, namely – public, government, internal auditing, and management accounting. If you choose an accounting course, you will learn how to prepare and organize financial reports that include collation or calculation of a range of figures, analyses, tax, and even projections. 

Traditionally, the study of accounting focused mainly in the technical skills. The traditional methods in the study of accounting include teaching the basic principles and concepts of accounting. The present accounting practices haven’t adapted yet to the various changes in business, regulatory environment, and economics. There are now modern methodologies used in accounting education. These methodologies are based mainly on accounting communication, decision-making, ethics, analytical skills, and the internal auditing principles. 

Educational programs in accounting have the same objectives and one is to teach the students about the various accounting principles. Aside from that, the students will also learn to develop their skills through various accounting practices. Professional accountants today have greatly benefited from modern accounting education. Accounting education also functions as an effective management tool for business executives. 

The educational components of an accounting education are specialized accounting, general accounting, and professional accounting. These days, accounting students can also take advantage of doctoral programs and other continuing educational programs. 

Is accounting education right for you? Before you finally enroll in an accounting course, you have to be very sure that you like business matters. You see, accounting is more on business matters and mathematical computations. It also involves a lot of analyzing tasks. 

Once you’ve decided that an accounting course if the best for you, find a university or college now; you can either go to college abroad or you can attend school locally. Every step involves making decisions. So make sure that you make the best decisions because your future lies with it. 

Once you start your accounting classes, you have to study all your lessons and know them by heart. This is the only way to become a successful professional someday. And of course, you need to pass all your exams so that you will soon hold your diploma. 

There are many career opportunities for accounting graduates. Again, if you think that an accounting course is the best for you, enroll now. Study hard and master the principles and concepts of accounting. Only by then can you say that you’re an effective and efficient accountant.

At Peavy and Associates, PC we can assist you with all your tax preparations, payroll and accounting needs.  We provide our clients with professional, personalized accounting services and guidance in a wide range of financial and business needs. Give us a call today and discover why our clients return to Peavy and Associates, PC year after year!

Contact Us Today

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