Posts by Kristen Rampe, CPA
We occasionally receive lengthy replies to our blogs and like to share our readers’ perspectives. A senior manager of a three-partner firm in the Midwest wrote to us on the topic of succession and buyouts, following my April Fool’s blog on raising the minimum retirement age to 85. This is Part 1 of a 2-part…
A satirical blog post in celebration of April Fool’s Day. Struggling with the ongoing talent shortage facing the accounting industry, local CPA firm Watts, Taber and Fiske recently made a change giving them a viable option for staying independent. The firm raised its minimum age for partner retirement from 62 to 85, which gives the…
We polled our audience of partners to find out the approximate average value of the life insurance policy (where the firm is a beneficiary) that they held on equity owners, at the date the policy was purchased. Many, but far from all, firms choose to hold life insurance on partners to assist with paying any…
As featured in Accounting Today. Succession planning at CPA firms has never been more difficult. Minting new partners is a struggle, as many potential candidates are leaving the field or are not interested in the job. This leaves more and more “retired” partners (those who have given up their equity) still working because there’s…
2022 was a year full of great accomplishments. In recent weeks we have received messages about how our clients have gained competitive advantages in recruiting and retaining talented employees; built cohesion amongst partners; and accomplished meaningful goals. To give you a quick reference of actionable hot topics from the past year, here’s a list of…
We polled our audience of partners to find out what CPA firms are doing when it comes to 2023 pricing increases for services. Based on 232 responses, the most common average percentage increase planned for pricing increases was 10%–13%, followed by 6%–9%. Not surprisingly, larger accounting firms are making larger adjustments. Between labor costs and…
On November 29, 2022, Accounting Today released their Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting ranking. This award lists the thought leaders and change-makers who are shaping the profession. Marc Rosenberg and I were named among the Top 100 list this year. In the write up, Accounting Today editors cited a few reasons why: Marc:…
Last month, Rosenberg Associates was named one of INSIDE Public Accounting’s Most Recommended Consulting Companies. This achievement was made possible by an incredible group of clients that gave us the opportunity to help propel their firms to growth, clarity, and next-level goals. To highlight a few examples, here are five success stories we were grateful…
Together with Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, Michigan, we’re working on a research project on partner compensation to gain insights from firms with 3-20 equity partners. We are inviting owners of multi-partner CPA firms to complete a research survey regarding partner compensation. We are studying features of various compensation systems commonly found at…
We polled our audience of partners to find out what CPA firms are doing when it comes to 2022 pay adjustments for employees. Based on 137 responses, the most common average percentage increase planned for year-end staff salary adjustments was 10%–13%, followed closely by 6%–9%. Not surprisingly, larger accounting firms are making larger adjustments. That…
Kristen Rampe, CPA
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