This web page presents links that are primarily finance / accounting-related, but offers
other diverse information that should be interesting to many people. This is updated from time to time, but not daily. If you have a comment, I would enjoy hearing from you.
Investments
Stock analysis – Yahoo Finance
Calculating mutual fund fees and expenses – per SEC
Morningstar Mutual Fund Ratings
Uniform Prudent Investor Act (1992)
Merger Activity – FactSet Mergerstat – you will need to register, but is a complimentary service
Entrepreneurs
Good Business Practices
Benchmarking Resources – from AuditNet
Career Information
Link below gives sample interviewing questions under the behavioral approach. [You should be prepared to respond to these questions as you prepare for an interview] When responding to these type of questions, give the situation, your action, and the results (e.g., describe a significant leadership positon you have held)
Interviewing Questions – Behaviorial Approach
Accounting Career web site – Bob Jensen, retired Trinity University accounting professor
AccountingWeb.com – for Students, Young CPAs, and Faculty
Occupational Outlook Handbook – Bureau of Labor Statistics
How About Getting a PhD in Accounting?
See PowerPoint below by Nancy Bagranoff and Stephanie Bryant for the 2007 Beta Alpha Psi Annual Meeting
PowerPoint file
Graduate schools offering PhD in Accounting – GradSchools.com
Doctoral Programs in Accounting – American Accounting Assoc website
SUCCESS
I heard this many years ago:
1. You will be successful 80% of the time if you SHOW UP!
2. You will be successful 90% of the time if you SHOW UP, ON TIME!
3. You will be successful 100% of the time if you SHOW UP, ON TIME, DRESSED TO PLAY!
Becoming a Better Teacher
University of Virginia Teaching Resource Center
Bob Jensen on Teaching – Master Teacher vs. Master Educator
Bob Jensen, AECM, emails on teaching vs. research, and master teacher vs. master educator
Writing
Writing That Works – for business writers and communicators
Colleges and Universities
University News
Case Studies
Case studies – American Accounting Association
Arthur Andersen Case Studies in Business Ethics – Carnegie Mellon Tepper School of Business
Links to various cases / articles on Business Ethics and Accounting Scandals
Business, Finance and Accounting Articles
Fraud Guidance for CPA Firms Conducting Reviews and Compilations
Financial Faithfulness – Finances and the Bible – Christian Stewardship
FASB Interpretation 48 – Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes
Allbusiness.com – various articles on business and accounting – Use Search Block for suggested topic
Article on proposed new format of financial statements by FASB
CPA EXAM
Quick Information About the CPA Exam
Recommended Calendar for Applying for CPA Exam in Tennessee – begin 3 months in advance
GMAT, ACT, TOEFL, and SAT
THE BIG FOUR
KPMG Faculty Portal – check for interesting links
Go to Matching Majors Interactive Tool and see if you are a match for what KPMG needs
Ranking of Big Four by Revenues – CFO magazine, Sep 2007
A Firm in the Big Ten in Nashville
CPA Firm Practice Management
Illinois CPA Firm Survey 2006 – Practice Management – MAP Practice Survey
California CPA Firm Survey 2006 – MAP Practice Survey
Accounting Publications
Tennessee CPA Journal – index of articles
Strategic Finance – IMA magazine, some articles require member registration
Business Leaders
Compare Political Candidates
MSNBC – Compare Candidate’s Positions
Business Publications / Media
Online edition of Wall St Journal
Harvard Business Review Cases and Articles
Business 2.0 – CNN Money magazine
Accounting Today magazine (paper)
Useful Information
Kiplinger news, ratings, general information
Virtual community for Baby Boomers
FactCheck.org – as mentioned by Editor of Newsweek.com
Business Leaders
Research
Switchboard – White Pages, Yellow Pages
Taxsites.com – Tax and Accounting Sites Directory
Nonprofit / Charitable Organization Research
Charity Watch – solicits membership for annual guide to 500 charities; also provides free advice
Global / National Information
U.S. Dept of Commerce site – FedWorld
U. S. Budget Deficit / Surplus
NASA – Astronomy Picture of the Day
Financial Organizations
Financial Accounting Standards Board
Private Company Financial Reporting Committee – an advisory group to FASB
Securities & Exchange Commission
SEC – spotlight topics archived
SESC Discussion Paper on Advisory Committee on Improvements to Financial Reporting
International Federation of Accountants
Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board
Governmental Accounting Standards Board
U.S.Dept of Treasury – Advisory Committee on the Auditing Profession
International Accounting Standards Board
International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board
International Accounting Standards Pocket Guide 2006 – PWC
Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB)
Discussion of Risk – per Wikipedia
AICPA Center for Audit Quality
AICPA videos from the 2006 Fall AICPA Council Meeting
AICPA Board of Directors’ Video Highlight Report of the September 18-19, 2007 Board meeting.
AICPA PCPS Firm Practice Center
Treasury Dept – Advisory Committee on Auditing Profession
[when requesting a tax form, you can also use Google, and place the form number (” form 1040″) in the search blank)
Accounting and Auditing links via Texas A & M
American Accounting Association
Accounting and Business Links Provided by the AAA – a gateway to many accounting and business sites
NASBA – National Association of State Boards of Accountancy
Financial Executives International – FEI
New York State Society of CPAs
NYSSCPA – professional resources
Institute of Management Accountants
Institute of Internal Auditors
Selected Accounting, Auditing, and Other Standards
SEC Staff Accounting Bulletins (SAB)
AICPA Quality Control Standards
AICPA Audit and Attest Standards (and other related links)
In Our Opinion – AICPA auditing standards staff’s quarterly newsletter (auditing projects)
Summary of SAS’s 104 – 111 – Risk Assessment Standards by Russ Hissom, Virchow Krause & Co
International Auditing Standards and other pronouncements of IAASB
International Auditing Standards – per wikipedia (see list)
International Accounting Standards Pocket Guide 2006 – PWC
List – FASB statements , Interpretations, Technical Bulletins – per wikipedia
FASB – a “Current Text” arrangement by FASB; free, but you need to register
FASB Statements, Interpretations, Staff Positions, and Technical Bulletins – scroll down
FASB Technical Inquiry Service – Questions about new standards and technical procedures
International Accounting Standards – list as provided by Deloitte
Rules of the Tenn State Board of Accountancy
List – SAS Auditing Standards – Wikipedia
Issues in Accounting, Auditing, and Tax
AAA Response to SEC regarding non-reconciliation of IAS to GAAP
Comparison of international accounting standards with U.S.GAAP
Deloitte IAS Plus – a good source of general information about international accounting standards
International Federation of Accountants – rewrite of many auditing standards
WebCPA – Current articles and information relating to Auditing
IFRS Model Financial Statements – Deloitte
International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board – Deloitte
SEC Advisory Committee on Improvements to Financial Reporting
CFO article – on recommendations of SEC Advisory Committee on Improvements to Financial Reporting
CFA Institute – new comprehensive business reporting model
FASB Investors Technical Advisory Committee – investment community comments
AICPA Ethics Disciplinary Actions
Forensics Accounting
Videos and Cases for Fraud Investigations – Accounting
Association of Certified Fraud Examiners – for articles and videos
PWC 2007: Economic Crime: People, Culture and Controls
Accounting Scandals
Accounting Scandals – details on various cases over several years
Accounting Education Response to Accounting Scandals – Journal of Accountancy article
Sports
PGA Golf (Brandt Snedeker, Kenny Perry, and Tiger)
University of Kentucky – Athletics
CNN – football games and scores by conference
CNN – basketball games and scores by conference
Weather
Car Reviews
Travel
Dogwood Cabins – Townsend, TN, near Cades Cove, Smokey Mountains
Yellowstone Park – a must trip if your first trip out West
Glacier Park (U.S.) – you must see Going-to-the-Sun Road; the best park to see grizzly bears
Denali (Alaska) – don’t die without visiting Alaska and this national park
Canadian Rockies – another must visit; see Chateau Lake Louise and be sure to visit Banff
Natchez Trace Parkway – Nashville to Natchez, Miss
LastMinute .com – Travel Deals
News
New York Times columist – Thomas Friedman
Ky Kernel – UK school newspaper
Government
Library of Congress – find your Senator or Representative
Office of Management and Budget
United States Postal Service – Order stamps, Photo Stamps, etc.
Best Speeches
100 Best Speeches – per American Rhetoric
Famous graduation speeches – Yahoo
Commencement speech – wikipedia
Civil War
American Civil War – Wikipedia
Social Groups
Meetup.com – Group Meetings on a Variety of Topics Around the World
LinkedIn.com – 20 milliion have created profiles on LinkedIn.com
Spoke.com – Fewer members but cater to more specific interests
Entertainment
Garrison Keillor – Prairie Home Companion
An excellent lite rock radio station – click on “Listen live”
Public Radio – Nashville 90.3 WPLN
WTN 99.7 Nashville – Talk Radio (includes Paul Harvey and David Ramsey, afternoons)
All Nashville radio stations – click on website
Gaither.com – gospel music site
Songza – music search engine and internet juke box
Family and Children Entertainment
Wrigley Candystand.com – children’s video games and miscellaneous
Non-Business Publications
National Geographic – use pictures as a screensaver or wallpaper
Personal Financial Planning, Tax Planning, and Retirement Planning
An excellent personal financial planning link
Simple Worksheet to show if 4% of your savings will allow you to retire
Simple Trust – estate planning format and tax consequences
Social Security Administration – check your benefits
Forbes article, Nov 12, 2007 issue: “The 62/70 Solution” (Janet Novack) makes these recommendations about drawing Social Security benefits, according to two researchers:
1. one spouse (usually the wife) claims benefits at age 62 to 66, while the husband waits until 69 or 70 to collect benefits
2. reason: married couples get a special deal: when one dies, the survivor can take the deceased spouse’s benefits (if they’re higher) and drop his or her own benefits
3. “the higher earner should delay taking benefits because the higher benefits will always live on”
4. assuming average life expectancies, it pays for the husband to wait and wife to collect earlier
5. benefits claimed at age 62 will equal 75% of full retirement age benefits
6. for each year they wait past 66, they get 8% more (plus an inflation adjustment) for a maximum benefit at 70 equal to 132%of the full retirement age payout
7. 62/70 solution isn’t for everybody: if both spouses have great genes, it may pay for both to delay benefits until age 70; if they’re in poor health, they may both want to collect at age 62.
Taxsites.com – Tax and Accounting Sites Directory
How much do I need in Retirement?
Income Tax Planning and Preparation
Where to File Federal Tax Forms
IRS – FAQ – a good site for general tax questions
IRS – Tax fraud alerts – interesting information about various types of tax frauds
Will you owe AMT (alternative minimum tax)? Check this IRS site
IRA – IRS Publication 590 on IRA’s
IRS Valuation Guidelines – additional
Application form for Tenn F&E taxes – to be exempt due to a family-owned, passive income limtation
Third party comments on IRS New Governance Practice Statement for Nonprofits
The Tax Adviser – AICPA tax magazine
Intuit – Lacerte – Quickbooks, Lacerte
RIA – Payroll and Other Facts Applicable to 2008 (mileage rates, FICA wage limits, etc)
Tax Law for Ministers
Tax Law for Ministers – Per IRS, Publication 517
Business Taxes
Tennessee Franchise & Excise Taxes
Real Estate Analysis
Real Estate Investment Projections
[this worksheet will help you analyze a real estate investment, calculating taxable income, cash flow and the internal rate of return]
A Typical Private Equity Firm Investment – Diagram
Illustration of a Private Equity Firm Investment
Financial Projections – including financial statements
How to use the Excel’s Pivot Table for Simple Bookkeeping – you should learn the Pivot Table – it is a powerful tool for summarizing Excel data
New Development in Nashville
Tallest Building planned for Nashville – great video; This is a reason to move to Nashville. Click on “Virtual Tour.”
Signature Tower – Nashville, a 70-story planned condo high rise
Literature and Books
100 Greatest Books – Time magazine
Bartleby – site for searching literature
On-Demand Publishing – become your own published author
Quotations, Word of the Day, Other
Company websites for information / purchases
Craig’s List – online classified listings
Bible History and References
Listing of Old Testament Kings and Prophets
Bible Gateway – keyword lookup
TO STAY ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF LIFE
You should read or see:
1. Psalms 23 and Psalms 139 – for encouragement
2. Proverbs 30:7-9 – to put our financial lives in perspective
3. Matthew 5:1-16 – to keep us humble and on the right road
4. Max Lucado – to keep our perspective in proper balance
5. Sinclair Lewis – Main Street and Babbitt – very modern even if written in the 1920’s
6. John Grisham – great plots
7. Pat Conroy – a great storyteller, and so much of it true to his life
8. Mark Twain – to see so many sides of humor, and not all of it funny, but enlightening (for a funny story, read Chapter 19 of Huckleberry Finn – the comedic exchange between the two vagabonds)
9. Anything spoken or written by Abraham Lincoln – to better understand the reconciliation of politics, ethics, and courage
10. Don’t fear reading material with which you disagree; you will become more tolerant and understanding if you begin to understand the “other point of view.”
11. One famous author has said: “Read anything written by Charles Dickens.”
12. The movie “Into the Wild” will bring life into focus more clearly, especially if you have this very strong desire to be totally independent, avoiding interaction with others. “Life is to be shared.”
13. Advice: don’t let your children get addicted to Ipods, cellphones, computers, technology and other mediums that minimize human interaction – it can be life threatening. Force social contacts through church, school, clubs, sports, teams, and other situations involving groups. Young people need to learn, as early as possible, how to ADAPT to diverse situations and to diverse personalities. Adaptability does not come easy for most of us. We need to learn to enjoy being with people of different backgrounds. Occasionally, get outside your comfort level, but stay true to what is right and good. As parents, don’t be too protective – give them room to make mistakes and accept responsibility.
Recent and not-so-recent audio books and other books I’ve enjoyed:
1. Crime and Punishment Dostoevsky
2. The Source James Michener
3. Moby Dick Herman Melville
4. Various Civil War and historical fiction books
5. The End of War – David L. Robbins
6. War of the Rats – David L. Robbins
7. Berlin Diary – William Shirer
8. The World is Flat – Thomas Friedman
9. Run with the Horsemen – Ferol Sams (first of a series of a young boy growing up) (This may remind you of your childhood)
10. Oliver Twist
11. Killer Angels – Michael Shaara
12. Books by Ayn Rand, especially The Fountainhead
13. Books by Doris Kearns Goodwin, especially No Ordinary Time
14. Man in Full and other books by Tom Wolfe
15. William Faulkner – I’ve tried; but audio book may not have been the best medium
16. The Mayor of Casterbridge – Thomas Hardy – a good read and very interesting plot
17. Books by Robert Ludlum; I began with Chancellor Manuscript, read several others and last read The Bourne Identity, my favorite of all his books, but I’ve not read all of them
18. To Kill a Mockingbird – the audio version is especially good, because of the southern accent
19. Books by Louis Lamor – classic western stories
20. Grapes of Wrath – a good read; I expected it to be a depressing read, but the perserverance of the Joad family in the midst of overwhelming loss makes for an uplifting read. If you need to be reminded about the blessing of having what you have, then you must read this book!
21. Books by Stephen Ambrose are especially informative and well written – be sure to put Undaunted Courage at the top – the ultimate story about Lewis and Clark.
Music to enjoy:
1. Eagles
2. Bill Gaither Homecoming
3. Johnny Cash
SOMEWHAT USEFUL INFORMATION
1. How would you like to save an easy $124,500? This is called the “Economics of Ordering Water.”
a. Any person who eats out frequently should simply order water – the literal “taste-free” drink
b. Assuming a glass of tea or soft drink or coffee costs $2.00 plus tax plus tip = $2.50
c. Then assume a person eats out 6 times a week or orders a drink 6 times a week for 52 weeks
d. This equals $780 per year in savings
e. Find the future value of $780 per year for 45 years (age 25 to age 70) at 5% per year and you will accumulate $124,500.
Charles Frasier 
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