08.30.19

Effective Governance — How Important is It Really?
Kelly H. Buchheit

Board Operations The value of an involved board of directors (governance) cannot be emphasized enough.  Any well-run organization, whether for-profit or not-for-profit, has a layer of controls beyond management to ensure that there are appropriate checks and balances over management’s responsibilities.  This also means that governance should be completely independent from management.  In other words, […]

08.27.19

Time for Class: Widening the Scope of Training for Retirement Plan Committee Members

Learning the ropes of overseeing a retirement plan isn’t a “one and done” exercise. Periodic training updates for retirement plan committee members acting in a fiduciary capacity is a prudent approach ensuring that they maintain the current knowledge essential to carry out their duties. More fundamental is ensuring that new committee members get a strong […]

08.20.19

How to Make Market Volatility Your Friend

Recent market gyrations have made even strong-stomached investors a little queasy. In general, maintaining your positions in a well-diversified portfolio is the best response to such volatility. But there may be something else you can do: Use falling prices as an investment opportunity. Think long term Although overall stock prices have historically risen over time, […]

08.19.19

Three Keys to Providing Terrific Patient Service

One of the cornerstones of a successful medical practice is terrific patient service. In a non-medical context, you would call it customer service, but patient service needs to go beyond simply fulfilling a patient’s demands. Here are three keys to getting it right: Service Design For any service business, when designing how you are going […]

08.15.19

Effective Altruism Gains Momentum: Donors Are Looking for the Most Bang for Their Buck
Harry Fox

Proponents of so-called “effective altruism,” also known as strategic giving, have gained footing in recent years. That’s evidenced by the growing role of organizations like GiveWell and The Life You Can Save, which help so-called effective altruists select organizations to support. That help is based on objective data about the organizations’ effectiveness at helping others. […]

08.13.19

Revenue Recognition Is Here: Are You Ready?

Non-public manufacturers and distributors are affected by the 2019 GAAP change in how revenue is recognized.  Have you made changes already?  Do you understand how your financial statements will be modified for 2019?  Have you discussed this with your bank? Industry information collected indicates that most companies and firms are still struggling with understanding and […]

08.12.19

Captive Insurance Strategies Can Pay Off for Real Estate Operators

Federal tax law has permitted U.S. businesses to form so-called “captive” insurance companies for many years, and numerous large companies have done so. It is only relatively recently that the arrangement has gained traction with smaller public and privately owned companies. Could your real estate business benefit from pursuing captive insurance strategies? To find the […]

08.08.19

Do’s and Dont’s for Today’s Compensation Plans

The past decade has brought sweeping change to the legal industry, from the influx of Millennials into law firms to growing competition from alternative legal services providers. Yet many firms have clung to compensation plans first devised years ago, in a very different climate. Even firms that have been stubbornly holding out in hopes the […]

08.05.19

Paid Leave for Medical Practices: Considerations for Setting Time Off Policies
Jason Flahive

In any business, staff members need the flexibility to take time off from work — whether for sick days, personal days or vacations. Some medical practices take a fairly casual approach, while others have more formal time-off policies. Whatever your current method, you should periodically review and reconsider what would be the most effective and […]

07.30.19

Eight Tips for Protecting Your Money From Cyberattacks
Peggy Vyborny

More and more banking and financial transactions are conducted online, which means that cyberattacks pose a significant threat to the wealth of many Americans. How can you mitigate this risk? Consider these eight tips. Use Strong, Unique Passwords This may seem obvious, but according to a recent survey, the most common password is “123456.” “Password” […]