10.13.14

Guiding Your Plan with an Investment Policy Statement: The Prudent Thing to Do

Research suggests that only about half of 401(k) plans have an investment policy statement (IPS). It probably should be 100%. This brief blog highlights the reasons to have an IPS — and to heed it.

10.10.14

The Building Blocks of Effective Endowment Management
Barbara Miller

Overseeing a not-for-profit’s endowment fund is one of the most important roles for the board of directors. A strong investment committee, made up of board members and staff, will not only ensure the continued health of the endowment and the organization, but also attract other donors looking for good stewards for their contributions.

09.30.14

Five Ideas for Cutting Overhead Costs at Your Law Firm
Adam M. Levine

This blog offers five suggestions to cut overhead and improve profitability at your law firm: Renegotiating the office lease, outsourcing services, buying smarter, reviewing employee benefits and making the most of technology.

09.25.14

What You Should Know About Forms of Joint Ownership

What is the best way to hold a title to real estate? The wrong form of ownership can increase legal liability, enlarge your tax burden and subject an estate to probate. In contrast, choosing the right form of ownership can reduce red tape while improving a property’s profitability. This blog discusses the different options and who might benefit the most in each case.

09.18.14

My Fund Portfolio Manager is Leaving! What Should I Do?
Peggy Vyborny

A quality fund portfolio manager (PM) can be influential in the overall success of an investment plan, so it can be disconcerting when one leaves. But that does not necessarily mean that an investor should jump ship. This blog discusses some of the considerations involved in evaluating both the old and new PM, in light of the type of fund involved, management style and past performance.

09.16.14

Protect Your Practice — Buy-Sell Agreements Minimize Disputes
Danielle M. Gilbert

In the wake of health care reform, it may be advisable to hire more physicians to help with the workload. If these physicians intend to take an ownership share of the practice, it is important to make sure each one signs a buy-sell agreement. This blog addresses such issues as defining and appraising the practice’s assets, dividing practice income among partners, practice control issues and other considerations.

09.15.14

Outcome-Based Evaluation Puts the Proof in the Pudding

In the world of real estate, the mantra is location, location, location. In the world of not-for-profits and the entities that fund them, the mantra is results, results, results. Funders want to know that their funds are being spent responsibly and that the organization is accomplishing — or at least working to accomplish — what it said it would.

09.09.14

Do Not Let Overhead Accounts Get Ripe for the Picking

Overhead costs are a part of every business and accounting for them can be problematic. For manufacturers, overhead costing is particularly complex. Accounts tend to be large, and non-accounting managers do not always understand how they work. As a result, these overhead accounts can be open invitations to fraud. This blog details how internal controls can help ensure funds remain in overhead accounts.

09.08.14

The Ins and Outs of Restaurant Employee Compensation Law
Brandon W. Vahl

It is vital that restaurant owners be familiar with state and federal employee laws, including those pertaining to minimum wage, tips and overtime. This blog covers a few guiding principles of employer responsibilities which every restaurant owner should be familiar with, or alternatively have a consultant on stand-by for verification.

09.03.14

Understanding Your Forfeiture Account
James Pellino

One of the most misinterpreted and misused features of a defined contribution plan is the forfeiture account. Forfeiture accounts can benefit not only the plan, but also the plan sponsor. Before we explain how forfeiture accounts can be beneficial, we first have to understand what a forfeiture account is.