When valuing a business – or part of a business, a financial professional must take into account such intangible assets as patents, trademarks, trade names, goodwill, literary works, and even songs, according to a leading Philadelphia forensic accountant and Certified Valuation Analyst. “Although the phrase ‘I got it for a song,’ meaning for practically no… Read more »
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Why Bank Reconciliations Are Critical in Protecting Against Fraud
It is important for a business to closely monitor and control its bank reconciliations and other account-related activities to help prevent fraud, according to a noted Philadelphia forensic accountant and Certified Fraud Examiner. David Anderson, principal of David Anderson & Associates, a Philadelphia forensic accounting firm that provides a full range of fraud investigation and… Read more »
Tricks of the Trade – Looking at the Numbers
As part of the normal procedure of analyzing financial and accounting information, a forensic accountant will look closely at the numbers themselves. Such tight scrutiny can help unearth potential fraud or other abuse of financial information, according to David Anderson, a Philadelphia forensic accountant and principal of David Anderson & Associates, a Philadelphia forensic accounting… Read more »
Tricks of the Trade – Dates and Time
In conducting investigations, a forensic accountant often will analyze dates and time to determine if fraud or minority shareholder oppression may be present. Date and time analysis can be used for a variety of purposes, explained David Anderson, a Philadelphia forensic accountant and principal of David Anderson & Associates, a Philadelphia forensic accounting firm that… Read more »
Tricks of the Trade – How A Forensic Accountant Can Use Names, Addresses and Phone Numbers
A forensic accountant can use names, addresses and phone numbers when investigating potential minority shareholder suppression cases and when conducting a fraud investigation. In minority shareholder suppression cases, a forensic accountant will look for employees, subcontractors and vendors having the same last name as that of the majority shareholders, explained David Anderson, a Philadelphia forensic… Read more »
Tricks of the Trade: Benford’s Law Can Serve as Red Flag in Fraud Investigations
The business of forensic accounting is — most of the time — a very precise, highly detailed process. It might surprise you then to learn that one of the tricks of the trade forensic accountants use in fraud investigation stems from the very inexact science of probabilities, specifically, Benford’s Law. “Frank Benford was a physicist… Read more »
Detailed Financial Data Needed for Litigation Support Services and Expert Witness Testimony
A forensic accounting expert in Philadelphia or elsewhere in the U.S. often requires very specific, detailed financial documents for analysis before providing litigation support services and expert witness testimony during legal proceedings. But too often, attorneys engage the services of forensic accountants late in the process after having requested insufficient financial data from the opposition…. Read more »
The Role of the Forensic Accountant in Fraudulent Conveyance Litigation
Faced with losses that come as a result of foreclosures, divorces and other legal proceedings, less-than-scrupulous business owners sometimes resort to the fraudulent conveyance or transfer of property or other assets to lessen or eliminate their losses essentially by hiding valuable assets. When that happens, it is the role of the forensic accountant to uncover… Read more »
Forensic Accountant Advises Caution in Interpreting Financial Statements
Recipients of company financial statements that are “associated” with Accounting Firms often assume that the financial statements are accurate, fairly presented, have undergone a rigorous examination by the Accounting Firm, and are not subject to fraud or misstatement. While that may be true in some cases, it very often is an inaccurate assumption that can… Read more »
Forensic Accountant Recommends Strategies to Maximize Cash Flow
Having sufficient cash on hand to finance operations, pay debts and provide income to the owners is an ongoing struggle for most small businesses. But there are recommended strategies from a forensic accountant in Philadelphia that small businesses can employ to maximize cash flow. “Cash flow problems can be challenging for even the most organized,… Read more »
Forensic Accountants Tackle Complexities of Economic Damages Calculation
When a business suffers financial or economic damages as the result of the actions of another or due to a catastrophic event, business owners, attorneys and the courts rely on forensic accountants to calculate damages and determine the amount of financial or economic recovery necessary to restore the business to the position it would have… Read more »
Business Valuation the First Step in Selling A Business
Selling a business is not dissimilar from selling a house. There are a number of steps a business owner must take to prepare the business for sale and it starts with relying on a business valuation expert to determine what your business is worth. “The parallels in selling a house and selling a business are… Read more »
Fraud Investigations Identify Lesser Known Fraud Schemes
Employers generally are savvy about the more common types of fraud that plague businesses and may have enacted fraud controls and fraud deterrence programs to prevent them. But fraud investigations have shown that equally savvy fraudsters know their employers often overlook lesser-known fraud schemes — an oversight that leaves them free to pursue fraudulent activity…. Read more »
