What Questions Should I Ask When Shopping for E&O Insurance?
Deciding where to insure your firm can be overwhelming. You want to make sure your business is fully protected, but sometimes it’s hard to even know where to start. Of…
What Insurance Coverage Do I Need When Starting My Own Real Estate Firm?
Are you a real estate professional who is thinking about creating or beginning to start your own real estate firm? If so, what an exciting journey you’re about to take!…
The real estate market is a prime target for cybercriminals. With the US real estate market being worth approximately $226.8 billion in 2022, hacking into databases and stealing information about…
Managing the risk exposure for your firm through insurance is vital to avoiding or mitigating risk and effectively dealing with problems if they do occur. But between all the insurance…
A Sign of the Times: The Effects of COVID-19 and Inflation on Real Estate
A lot has changed over the past two and a half years, and real estate is no exception. Even though business was still booming during the height of the pandemic,…
Being a real estate professional comes with its fair share of risk. If you give what your client considers misleading advice, you could have a claim filed against you. A…
Most real estate professionals have seen an increase in their revenue over the past year due to the effects of COVID-19 and inflation (read about these in our other blog…
Think Your Business Is Too Small to Get Hacked? Think Again.
If you’re thinking cybercriminals aren’t interested in small businesses like yours, you’re unfortunately wrong. Over 50% of small businesses experienced at least one cyberattack in 2019. And according to recent…
Protecting Your Personal Property: What You Should Know
You’ve probably heard the stories of the wedding ring left in the hotel room after the family vacation, lost in the ocean during the honeymoon, or even falling down the…
Cyberattacks are grabbing headlines and keeping many business owners up at night wondering if they will be next. The reality is that since the world went into COVID-19 lockdown and…
Lower Your Workers’ Compensation Premiums With Smart Risk Management Practices
If you are a business owner with employees, then you are familiar with workers' compensation insurance. Even if you are a sole proprietor, you may carry a policy to protect…
The temperatures are warming and the water looks inviting! Spring is in the air, and boats are everywhere. If you’re considering buying a boat, or putting a boat on the…
Avoid Risk by Avoiding Promises: An E&O Best Practice
A real estate agent marketed a commercial property that included street-level retail and residential units on the upper two floors. The residential units were producing a steady stream of revenue,…
Money is tight for many of us with limited relief coming anytime soon. The thought of saving a bit wherever you can is very tempting—but choose wisely. When you consider…
If you're like many other homeowners, you probably have a DIY project in some stage of construction in your backyard, basement, or even attic. Or perhaps you're one of the…
Operating a small business in the current climate is incredibly challenging. For some, it has sadly been impossible. For many, staying afloat has meant pivoting to other lines of business…
Your personal vehicle is likely well-prepared for the clear roads and blue skies of summer, but it might not be ready to tackle winter's heavy snowfalls, icy streets, and decreased…
Business Owners Should Take a Few Extra Precautions During the Colder Months
Every season comes with its own risks, and winter is no different. The common elements of cold, snow, and ice may hit some areas of the country harder than others,…
The holiday season is officially upon us, and unfortunately, many of our seasonal traditions present a special set of risks for homeowners each year. As you gear up for the…
With daylight savings time and cooler temperatures marking the change of season for much of the country, weather remains a concern for business owners. Not only do you have the…
A slip and fall accident may be amusing in slapstick comedy, but in reality, it's no joke. Slips and falls account for a significant number of injuries to customers and…
There are probably a lot of activities on your fall to-do list, like picking apples, drinking pumpkin-spiced lattés, and taking hikes to enjoy the fall foliage. While you're enjoying autumn's…
Are Your Employees Using Their Personal Vehicles for Work?
If you answered "yes" to this question, then you may want to check your insurance coverage to see if you're protected from possible claims. Even with a commercial auto policy…
Whether you want to visit friends and family or you're just ready for a change of scenery, the urge to pack up and hit the road can sound awfully tempting.…
Insurance is a necessary business expense, but there are ways to reduce your premiums if your bottom line needs a little boost. Here are five quick and easy ways to…
Website accessibility is a concept many organizations take for granted. While many websites are built with the assumption that all users can see or hear the content being presented, some…
The early summer months are the perfect time to go outside and enjoy the warmer weather. But for much of the country, late spring and early summer also bring a…
To pick the right insurance company for your specific business needs, it's important to understand the different types of professionals that make up the insurance industry. Largely, there are two…
How to Pick the Right Insurance Agent for Your Business
There are many qualified insurance agents and brokers who are available to you. And, unfortunately, there are also plenty of folks who have passed a licensing exam that really have…
In a world of ransomware and data theft, phishing attacks remain one of the biggest cybersecurity threats to businesses. According to the FBI’s 2017 cybercrime report, fraudulent emails resulted in…
In the Mel Brooks classic Spaceballs, there's a scene where the main villain, Dark Helmet, remarks on the stupidity of using a password like "12345," remarking it's the kind of…
Whether you're working from home or a hotel, it's important to exercise caution with wireless networks. If you are running a wireless router at home, make sure you are using WPA…
Once only theorized, marijuana legalization becomes more of a reality every year with more states passing legislation allowing for its medical and/or recreational use. To date, 11 states—and Washington, D.C.—have…
4 Sure Signs It’s Time to Look for a New Insurance Broker
Knowing how to select a commercial broker is helpful, and we will dive into that in a separate post. But what if you already have a broker and are less…
Employees working remotely is trending upward in recent years with employers becoming more open to the concept. While having the choice of your work environment may seem like a great…
As warmer weather thaws the snow and ice outside, hibernation is finally coming to an end. Springtime is a season of renewal and rebirth, but it can also come with…
Picking the Right Insurance Agent Could Save You Thousands
A few years ago, a new owner of a tunnel wash operation in the Midwest had the misfortune of having a customer whose vehicle was damaged in their tunnel. At…
Simple and Inexpensive Ways to Recognize Employees
What if you held the power to increase your company's productivity without spending a dime? Pish posh! That seems impossible. Actually, it's far from impossible, and it's quite simple. We…
In your years as an accountant, you’ve likely come across tax laws that have left you furrowing your brow and shaking your head. It’s easy to get frustrated by our…
April was National Lawn Care Month. And though the event is now over, recent research shows that yards are too important for real estate professionals to ignore: 79% of Americans…
Raising Awareness of Fair and Equitable Housing Issues
The Fair Housing Act (FHA) was passed over 50 years ago, but we continue to recognize its importance each year during the month of April. The significance of this legislation…
Lawyers are known for their stressful profession—the demanding hours and struggle for work-life balance. That's why being family-friendly has even become a recruiting point for some firms. But what if…
How to Ensure a Five-Star Rating for Your Internship Program
Most of us can probably recall that internship in college when we made coffee, moved boxes, and filed endless stacks of paper. We added it to our resume, but did…
March is women's month, and we can't let it pass without giving a shout out to all the fierce ladies slaying the real estate industry one property at a time.…
What does the future hold for women in law? Check out our infographic to see the current representation of women in the legal field and how law firms are addressing…
Tax season officially started on January 28. …cue hair pulling and pillow screaming… Okay, maybe that's over-exaggerating just a bit. But we're sure you've had moments during tax season where…
As real estate agents, it's your business to know what's trending in the marketplace, so it's probably not a surprise to hear today's home buyers are attracted to a balance…
The life of a lawyer is a busy one. So busy, in fact, that stealing a few minutes for yourself throughout the day can feel impossible. But what about those…
Secure Your Future with Effective Succession Planning
Who Are Your Firm's Future Leaders? For many senior professionals, thinking about who will succeed them and determining their exit plan and next phase of their life often brings about…
Don’t leave the future to chance. Succession planning has been an important topic for many years, but it's become a bigger concern as Baby Boomers retire. Just look at an…
Complete everyday tasks on the go. Client meetings. Travel. Court appearances. Emails. Long phone calls. Document reviews. Research. Sound familiar? If your typical day contains any of the above items,…
Ah… is there anything better than making a few (thousand) easy bucks doing something that’s already in your career’s wheelhouse? Thanks in part to television shows like those found on…
Rethinking how we live indoors and out. Most of us equate our homes with warmth, safety, and security. It's often the one place we feel most comfortable and able to…
Don’t get caught off guard. Our economy grows more reliant on technology by the day, and there’s no sign of it slowing down. While our hyperconnected world provides plenty of…
Listing photography licensing and use. In our digital world, pictures are used more and more to communicate a feeling, a look, or even a message. A post to social media…
As society evolves, so do client needs. The legal field has roots dating back to ancient Greco-Roman times. But while some aspects of law practice will remain consistent no matter…
6 Practical Tips for Managing the Generation Z Accountant
Your accounting firm is in a good place. You've finally figured out how to manage millennials, and now, you have three (or more!) generations working together in relative harmony. But…
Airbnb Has Changed the Face of Real Estate. Airbnb may have started out as an air mattress on the floor of a San Francisco loft, but the online booking service…
Technological convenience may cost more than you think. The rise of technology has blown open the door of opportunity for everyone—including the competition. Though leveraging the benefits of the digital…
E-discovery frees lawyers to do what they do best: litigation. If you’re not using e-discovery in your practice, you may be putting your firm and clients at risk. Whether working…
Find unity in shared experiences. What does it take to manage a team with ages that range from 18 to 62? While you may face challenges in merging and guiding…
Stand tall against cybercrime. Prospective buyers take virtual tours of listings from the comfort of their homes. When you're working a deal, you likely use a digital app to collect…
Case Study: CPA Steers Customers Toward a Ponzi Scheme
Double-check your references. As you strive to generate referrals, you do your best to provide outstanding customer service. But you could open the door to liability if you step outside…
Don’t let history repeat itself. You check your paperwork 10 times to make sure it's accurate. You clear room in your schedule to answer clients' questions. You're thorough, and you…
Refuse to become the next victim—demand a phone call. Scammers are inserting themselves into transactions with a level of unprecedented sophistication. These scammers can duplicate email addresses, steal letterhead, and…
Think before you type. While technology gives accountants new ways to communicate with clients and colleagues, it can bring privacy and confidentiality risks. So, let’s dive into the pitfalls of…
Keep your stress in check. The phone rings and rings. New messages flood your inbox. Your calendar fills up with consultations. You explain the new GOP tax law for the…
Go social and go big. When it first launched, Facebook was written off as a place for young folks to rant and post selfies. It was supposed to come and…
Don't make these same mistakes. You can never have too much safety. When you work a real estate deal, you might even check the fine details ten times to make…
A Quick Account: How Frank J. Wilson Took Down Al Capone
When forensic accounting toppled a crime lord. Al Capone's gang ran Prohibition-era Chicago with an iron fist. Capone and his cohorts racked up an estimated $100 million1 per year through…
Policy and law adapt as new technologies emerge. Self-driving cars, 3D printing, and the all-encompassing Internet of Things (IoT) are exciting, futuristic frontiers. As with other mass-market technology introduced in…
Let the years tell a story. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "We are not makers of history. We are made by history." Perhaps this is why historic homes hold a…
Technology holds the key to your career path. A word like automation might make you think of apocalyptic wars between humans and machines. And as an accountant, you've probably worried…
Will Artificial Intelligence Take Over the Field of Law?
Hop on the AI wave. Classic science fiction is full of inaccurate predictions. Humans haven't colonized Venus, families don't own personal rocket ships, and time travel remains a distant dream.…
Requests for comfort letters from loan underwriters and other parties have generated significant buzz in the accounting community. The topic has garnered considerable attention on NSA Tax Talk and local AICPA's tax…
Simple Steps to Set up a Docket and Calendar System
Organize, prioritize, and prosper. Docketing is a critical process for any law firm, from the solo proprietor who only handles real estate closings, to the mega-firm with a broad range…
Case Study: A Violation of the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act
Always practice within the law. A mortgage brokerage firm had an arrangement with a lender who paid the firm based on the number of referrals received. The brokerage firm was…
Expand your knowledge. Or just have a quick laugh. We've combed the news outlets, journals, and professional (and not-so-professional) law blogs to collect the best ideas, news, and hot topics.…
Read to succeed. What do marijuana, busy season, Uber, and auditing all have in common? Well, not a whole lot, unless you really stretch your imagination. However, we're turning to…
3 Volunteering Opportunities for Accounting Wizards
Make a difference. How can your skills as a CPA transfer into the world of volunteering? Check out our infographic and see how your accounting skills can benefit volunteer organizations…
Roll with the changes. The digital landscape is constantly evolving; can your law firm keep up? Check out our infographic for more on the ever-changing world of technology and how…
Organize and manage with ease. For real estate professionals, managing your client list and properties can be a daunting task. Check out our infographic for information on how to simplify…
Don't ignore the power of Snapchat evidence. In "The Art of War," Sun Tzu wrote, "If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle." From…
Upgrade your tech and transparency. If you picture all millennials as trend-hopping youngsters dressed in funny hats and crazy glasses, you should adjust your mental image. Many members of this…
Stay on your A-game. The barbaric invaders stomp across your brain. They carry torches and pitchforks, and they have strange names like Child Credit, Reinvested Dividends, and Charitable Contributions. You…
How to use “big data” for your firm. It’s no secret that the legal field seems to be behind on data trends. Apart from its effectiveness in measuring the basics—like…
Stop cyber thieves in their tracks. During real estate transactions, hackers attempt to divert closing proceedings from attorneys, banks, title companies, and REALTORS®. These thieves compromise the email accounts of…
Always leave a paper trail. Too often, attorneys cite great client relationships as their reason for not using official letters. But even long-time clients may second-guess your work or the…
The struggle is real. Despite an improving housing market, it’s no secret that the majority of real estate agents have had—at one time or another—a long-standing face-off with a stubborn…
A real-life claim situation. Countless accountants pursue comprehensive continued education to prevent harmful claims. If you stay current with ever-changing tax laws, you create an extra layer of protection for…
Protect your friendships from legal bias. Between succulent bites of ham and sips of eggnog, the holidays are typically spent catching up with old friends and extended relatives. Though this…
Don't let the season dampen your resolve. Winter is a dreary time for home sales, but the added challenge doesn't mean you should abandon hope. If you take these guidelines…
Big data and the future of business intelligence tools. Like most professions, accounting has been fundamentally altered by modern computer technology. As an accountant, you keep your work organized, productive,…
Know what your customers are thinking. Have you ever experienced a job interview where the questioning was more like an interrogation than a conversation? As an accountant, you've probably sat…
It's that time of year again. Holiday music is filling the airwaves, and twinkling lights are making every street shimmer. But amidst the holiday cheer, realtors are faced with a…
5 Essential Steps for Effective Succession Planning
Plan today, retire comfortably tomorrow. You can’t pass the torch when no one’s waiting for it. Though you may not want to step away from practicing law, you’ll need to…
You don’t have to accept every customer. You exhaust the possibilities to expand your client base, face new career challenges, and get a leg up on your competition. But you…
5 Steps to Take When a Claim Threatens Your Career
Call, write, and stay proactive. Your client taps her nails on the chair as she sits in the customer lounge. She’s been waiting there for half an hour, because your…
When you cook the books, you pay the price. The word disaster often brings forces of nature to mind: hurricanes assaulting coastal cities, tornadoes wreaking havoc across the Midwest, and…
With great profits come great risks. Few industries know this better than the real estate industry. If you take the proper steps to prevent errors, satisfy your clients, and implement…
Cybercriminals are always hunting for identity theft victims. It is becoming increasingly important for you to take proactive measures to protect your clients' personal and financial information. It doesn't matter…
What New Attorneys Need to Know About Professional Liability
If you want a long and successful legal career, professional liability insurance is just as important as landing new clients and winning cases. Before you begin to practice law, you…
What New CPAs Need to Understand About Professional Liability Insurance
As a CPA, your career will revolve around your clients' financial losses and gains. If you make any mistakes that cost your clients money, their response may cost you, too.…
Every single year in the United States, law firms close up shop and send lawyers scrambling in search of new jobs. As you navigates the trials and tribulations of the…
As real estate transactions become more complex, it's important for real estate professionals to protect themselves from personal liability risks. In the current market, unhappy clients are quick to pursue…
Financial security is no longer a guarantee for established law partners at powerful firms, let alone lawyers with brand new practices. Thanks to a variety of increasingly common factors, including…
How CPA Firms Can Reduce Their Professional Liability Costs
Most CPAs who have been in business for ten or more years will have faced at least one professional lawsuit. While you may not be able to prevent legal claims…
8 Unexpected Steps to a Prosperous Real Estate Career
A thriving real estate career—that's the dream, right? But how do you get there? Most savvy professionals understand it takes drive, passion, a commitment to great customer service, and an…
Don’t Buy E&O Insurance Until You’ve Asked the Broker These Questions
Real estate is a complex industry. In addition to regularly dealing with expensive properties, real estate professionals also have to handle sensitive data, including legal documents and personal information, among…
Do you think general liability insurance for your real estate business covers all of your risks? If so, you may be in for an expensive surprise. General liability insurance leaves…
7 Ways to Reduce Errors & Omissions Risk for Your Firm
Risk management is an essential part of any real estate firm's business model. Errors and Omissions (E&O) Insurance protects you from claims of negligence or misrepresentation, but you can also…
