In his speech to the American Bankers Association's annual convention in Phoenix on Monday, Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan said that few regulatory changes are needed for the majority of banks in the U.S. However, regulators are looking into increasing the level of supervision of the country's largest banks because of the negative impact they could bring upon the U.S.

Remember the story about the cobbler whose children had no shoes? In the accounting arena, don't be surprised at tax time-especially if you provide tax advice yourself-by a tax burden based on any gains you experienced from online trading.Since online trading is such a hot "commodity," many taxpayers will no doubt have problems come tax time. Remember the differences between stocks held for less than a year versus more than 12 months.

In today's accounting marketplace, more and more CPAs and other professionals are getting further and further away from taxation and advise strategies for the small business owner.Some end-of-year tax planning will indeed help any situation, be it that of the CPA or a client. For example, by gathering together last year's tax statement, along with a projection of 1999, you can adequately take a look at where you may or may not be headed regarding the 1999 tax bill.Some strategies for small business boil down to the calendar itself, such as sending out invoices after Jan.

CPAs and accounting professionals try to teach their clients and employers each year the value of charitable donations and the tax breaks associated with regular giving programs. But what about applying some of this philosophy to their own businesses-as well as some of the intangible benefits, like reputation management?Each year, millions of businesses donate to charities and find themselves in a better position, not only from a tax standpoint, but in self-promotions as well.

Data mining is one of the new buzzwords in the accounting and technology industry, perpetuated by the ability to drill down into spreadsheets and general ledgers to extract information. In fact, it was named one of the AICPA's Top Ten Technologies in 1998.The banking industry has used data mining as a means to track information on customers from data submitted by the customers themselves. Data is compiled in a computerized data warehouse for use in other areas.

Most small business owners have learned from experience that obtaining business loans is no simple task. Small business banking veteran Charles Green has worked to separate the mystique from the lending process in his recently published Small Business Association (SBA) Loan Book.

A new study by Hewitt Associates, a global management consulting firm, reveals an alarming trend among 401(k) plan participants changing jobs. Could the results be an avenue for you to add value for your existing client base or offer more services in your compensation and benefits consulting practice?The study shows that 57 percent of 401(k) plan participants cash out at the door when they leave an employer instead of rolling over the balance to their new employers' plans or IRAs.

H&R Block solidified a deal Wednesday to buy Olde Financial Corp., a discount stock brokerage based in Detroit. The company was bought for a reported $850 million in cash, and is intended to provide an estimated 16.5 million H&R Block customers with a greater range of financial services.

While the stock market continues to gain momentum, the headlines boom with stories about day trading, after-hours trading and the much-discussed 24/7 trading.