Sarah Ference, CPA, is a risk control director at CNA, the underwriter of the AICPA's Professional Liability Insurance Program. She also is a co-author for the Journal of Accountancy’s monthly Professional Liability Spotlight column. In her current role, Ference advises firms of all sizes on how they can manage their professional liability risk.  

In this episode, a collaboration with the Small Firm Philosophy podcast, Ference talks with Jeff Drew about what to look for in email, the danger of clicking on unfamiliar links, and more.

Nine articles have been posted on journalofaccountancy.com since Oct. 13, which means there’s been a lot of recent news affecting the accounting profession. This episode focuses on several of those articles, which offer advice, a chance to test knowledge, and some key numbers when it comes to thinking about the 2023 tax year. Here is a list of article topics mentioned in the episode:

• IRS annual inflation adjustments.
• An AICPA letter seeking guidance on the corporate alternative minimum tax.
• A quiz on helping clients reduce cash-handling risks.
• Understanding the tax consequences of remote work.
• Advice for negotiating once you’ve received a job offer.
• Annual wage base and COLA announcement by the Social Security Administration.
• FASB moves toward standard for fair value accounting of cryptoassets.
• FASB seeks input on proposed new chapter for its Conceptual Framework.

An exposure draft was issued recently by the AICPA for the Statements on Standards for Tax Services (SSTSs).

April Walker, CPA, CGMA, lead manager on the AICPA's Tax Practice & Ethics team, talks with Henry Grzes, CPA, also a Tax Section lead manager, and Dave Holets, CPA, a partner in the Crowe National Tax Services Group and chairman of the SSTS Revision Task Force, about the details of the proposed changes, including what’s new in the proposals.

News coverage on the Journal of Accountancy site touched on numerous topics recently, from financial planning advice to questions interviewees can ask employers to updates from the IRS and SEC. This episode touches on all those topics, plus it has a clip from a recent AICPA & CIMA and CPA.com Town Hall Series discussion about the CPA pipeline.

To celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month, Gil Vasquez, CPA, the founder of the Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA), joins the Journal of Accountancy podcast to discuss the history of ALPFA and how it has evolved over the years.

The founder and managing partner of Vasquez & Company LLP talks about early struggles to land a job as a CPA and some of the work he has done serving on boards in Los Angeles.

National Hispanic Heritage Month is Sept. 15 to Oct. 15.

Change has been the one constant for companies since 2020, and the wave of new developments is challenging corporate boards to consider a fresh approach.

The Future of the American Board, a new report from the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD), offers a framework for boards looking for answers. Sue Cole, chair of the NACD, joins the Journal of Accountancy podcast to discuss how the NACD’s framework can be a resource for boards tasked with navigating an ever-changing corporate landscape.

For Tiffany Willis, CPA, the role as vice president and head of investor relations at Starbucks is “an overwhelming honor.” She wasn’t always certain she would end up in such a role, and in reflecting on her life, she said that her proudest moment was “just never giving up.”

Willis also explains how finance professionals can “own their narrative” and why it’s important to be open about goals and dreams.

Jeannine K. Brown, CEO of a talent development consultancy, worked for 17 years as an accountant, so she rightfully refers to CPAs as “my people.” She is co-chair of the AICPA & CIMA Women’s Global Leadership Summit, an event scheduled for Nov. 8–10 in Miami, and she joined the Journal of Accountancy podcast to share a few highlights from the summit’s agenda, what “psychological safety” means, and why managers should me more focused on the question “How are you doing?”

Brown, also an author and ENGAGE speaker, shared some insights about the financial aspects of subpar people management.

CPA firm partners looking to retire in the next few years need to make sure they have a succession plan in place as soon as possible.

That’s one of the messages shared in the latest episode of the Journal of Accountancy podcast, produced in partnership with the AICPA Private Companies Practice Section’s Small Firm Philosophy podcast.

This express podcast episode with transcript highlights recent Journal of Accountancy news coverage of student loan debt forgiveness, an AICPA letter requesting penalty relief from the IRS, and more. The article links mentioned in the episode are:

• Advice from a CPA financial planner related to student loan debt forgiveness.
• A quiz on SAS 145 and its new and revised terms, and the companion article about the standards.
• The specific requests in an AICPA letter to the IRS requesting penalty relief.
• The September issue of the Journal of Accountancy.
• A Tax Adviser article that mentions an NBA team.