Accountants, bookkeepers and tax preparers now have an alternative for malpractice insurance, available for the first time through the Internet through a new web site unveiled this week by one year old ePolicy.com, Inc. of Torrance, California.Shopping for insurance can be handled entirely through the Web, and coverage from major carriers is available within minutes.The malpractice insurance available through e-Policy is primarily for firms with 10 or fewer accountants or bookkeepers.

Written by James Herst, Performance Source, Inc., reprinted with permission by The Financial Management Network.Sellers can avoid bad debt losses through better handling of their receivables. Here’s some suggestions. Customer Records a KeyCreate and maintain accurate customer records, including full name of customer’s bank. Know names of those who approve payment, signs check and the superior of each at customer location. Call a new customer and tell your credit terms. Ask: Can you live with that?

One of the most debated and discussed issues in the accounting profession is the one about commissions and contingent fees, and whether CPAs should be in the business of taking them.What would you do if you were faced with a situation involving accounting and consulting?Industry analyst Wilbur L. Ross Jr. recently sat down with a reporter from The New York Times to answer questions like this one, along with funding Internet start-ups, restatements of corporate earnings and the economy.You can find the full interview at the link below.

If a company awards stock options and later reprices those options, FASB rules require that the repriced options must be charged against profits. In a small company where the value of the options is minimal, this might not make much of a difference to the bottom line. But if you happen to be Microsoft, and you're looking at having to offset your profits with a $30 billion adjustment over the seven-year life of the options, you may want to rethink the repricing strategy.Microsoft issued options to its employees last summer, assuming the price of its stock would continue to rise.

Written by Annette S. Biesecker, Executive Vice President, Accountability Services, Inc., reprinted with permission by The Financial Management Network.No one can dispute that law firms sometimes engage in outright billing fraud. Consider: Webster Hubbell, once third in command at the United States Justice Department, plead guilty to charges that he had billed his legal clients fraudulently.

Crowe, Chizek and Company LLP, a leading accounting and consulting firm, today announced the formation of Crowe Chizek Capital Markets LLC. The wholly-owned subsidiary will provide investment banking services with a focus on sales and divestitures of closely held businesses with transaction sizes less than $100 million.

Do your kids collect Pokemon cards? Do you have a favorite niece or nephew who just can't get enough of the craze?In many ways, Pokemon is like the stock market. In its most basic form, a Pokemon card--one that is rare--is just like a non-profitmaking, non-dividend paying asset. Rare cards are parallel to a tiny free float.

Everyone these days is on the Internet, but how much can you use the Internet to deal with clients? Here are three fundamental uses of the Web.1. Answer Basic Questions: many firms use their Internet site to provide solutions for customers and clients. This is especially evident with systems like Ernst & Young's Ernie, which provides online assistance at a rate of $3,000 for 10 questions.

Everyone knows that labeling a transaction 'secure' over the Internet is a sure thing, right?Wrong! Not all online security companies are alike, and as financial professionals, it is up to us to advise our clients on the why and how of online security if the client conducts any kind of e-Commerce transaction.Education is the best policy.