Weinstein Spira’s blog, The Balancing Act, provides helpful information on technical accounting and CPA firm culture.
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Weinstein Spira, the mid-market public accounting firm for Houston’s top high net worth individuals and privately held businesses, is proud to announce the promotion of three leaders within the firm. Heather Branham promoted to Senior Audit Manager. As a Senior...
Since I joined Weinstein Spira in November 2020, I have had several colleagues ask how my work at our firm compares to my experience at a Big 4 public accounting firm. In this blog, I will share what I believe are the seven primary differences between working in audit...
You have heard it a thousand times— “communication is important.” But communication styles, like pant styles, vary among generations, genders, and level of authority. Most people think they are expressing their thoughts in a way that everyone understands,...
Deciding which QuickBooks version is a best fit for your business can be a challenge. There are quite a few offerings to meet the needs of a variety of business models and industries. This articleprovides a brief description of each QuickBooks version highlighting...
Almost every accounting professional has considered taking the CPA exam, but the time, energy and stress that comes with passing all four sections can make it easy to push aside. Studying for the exam is a challenge but it’s also a marker of your competence, work...
When you invest in financial instruments, such as stocks, mutual funds, IRAs/401ks, commodities, and even cryptocurrency, the main goal is to grow your wealth. In many cases, once that initial investment decision is made, people tend to leave it there and go about...
Working on the audit side of public accounting for 10+ years, I have performed audits of countless sets of financial statements. There are various reasons that a client may need this service, ranging from fulfilling a periodic requirement in their debt agreements to...
After almost a decade of pressure from the Department of Labor (DOL) requesting more transparent reporting and improved quality for ERISA plan audits, the Auditing Standards Board issued Statement on Auditing Standards No. 136, Forming an Opinion and Reporting on...
In the accounting world, spring internships are typically what you hear about the most. However, I did my internship in the summer of my junior year of college and found it to be very advantageous for several reasons. In this blog post, I will share that less-traveled...
U.S. Internal Revenue Code Section 1031 allows real estate investors to swap one property for another and defer recognizing some or all the gain and the related tax liability from the sale of the first property—assuming some very specific rules are met. Over the...
What is the typical day like for a staff accountant at Weinstein Spira? I am glad you asked! As a staff accountant who rotates between tax and audit, I can speak about my typical day, noting that things vary depending on the season and whether I am working from home...
Did you know? The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) issued several new auditing standards a few years ago, which are effective for the December 31, 2021 audits. Many of the standards affect what auditors do and how we document our work, so you...
QuickBooks is one of the most popular accounting software programs used by small businesses to keep track of their income and expenses. It is also used inside of many large companies by the bookkeeping department for everyday accounts receivable (AR) and accounts...
Throughout my career in public accounting, I have been a big fan of networking and it paid off enormously in both my professional and personal life with a long list of business connections and friends. But recently, I found it more challenging to make new connections,...
This blog article highlights potential oversimplification hazards that controllers and accountants may face with their fundamental, yet superficial, knowledge of ASC 842. Read time: 3 minutes. Avoid the Risk of Not Knowing ASC 842 By this time, most accountants are...
What work perks can you expect when choosing a career in public accounting? When evaluating a potential employer (and career path), it helps to know what to expect. This will depend on the size of the firm; however, there are some universal perks that apply to working...
The cash flow statement is an important part of a company’s overall financial statements. It provides a close look at the actual cash inflows and outflows for the period presented (typically one year). Simply put, it summarizes the changes in cash and cash equivalents...
Weinstein Spira, the Houston public accounting and business advisory firm for discerning high net worth individuals and privately held businesses, is celebrating its 60-year anniversary. Co-founders Stanley C. Weinstein and Joel Spira set out to create a firm that...
Companies that offer retirement plans know how hard it is to incentivize people to take complete advantage of this benefit. The hesitancy could be due to a lack of financial education regarding the power of compound saving or the lack of sophistication regarding the...
As current international president of the Association for Accounting Marketing (AAM) (2021-2022), I speak from direct experience, having worked my way up through the ranks of this niche organization. I can honestly say, no matter what level your participation,...
It is important for a restaurant to have successful accounting records, especially in the beginning, start-up phase and when making critical decisions that will drive growth. A key contributor to a restaurant’s ultimate success is an accurate, complete set of...
The pandemic has changed the way we do business in so many areas, and human resources is no different. As we continue to recruit accounting employees and interns—in almost all cases, remotely—we are relying on new ways to interview, having in-depth discussions about...
Background The process of choosing a career path in the field of public accounting can be daunting. Sometimes it is a conscious decision and other times it may be something you fall into by chance. For me, I had little understanding of how my degree would materialize...
Weinstein Spira, the mid-market public accounting and business advisory firm for Houston’s top high net worth individuals and privately held businesses, is delighted to announce three promotions within the firm’s management team. Amanda Buford is now a senior tax...