-
How to Exclude Data from QuickBooks
Our team has been involved in multiple cases where the end client needed to produce QuickBooks accounting records but, for perfectly legitimate reasons, did not want to disclose any more data than strictly necessary. This led to the question: Can you produce a QuickBooks file with only select periods included? The answer is yes —…
-
How to Value: Real Estate Asset Management & Consulting Firms
Industry Description The real estate asset management & consulting industry in the U.S. comprises providers of real estate support services such as escrow, fiduciary duties, consulting, research, listings, tenant representation, and other related activities (NAICS 53139). This industry excludes real estate agents, brokers, lessors, property managers, and appraisers. The following are some basic characteristics…
-
California’s Retirement Savings Mandate for Small Businesses
California has joined a growing list of states requiring employers to provide retirement savings options for their workers. The law was enacted to address the retirement savings gap in the U.S., where millions lack access to employer plans and Social Security faces long-term funding pressures. With compliance deadlines approaching, small businesses should understand their obligations…
-
A Study About Investor Behavior
Despite the abundance of research on stock prices and investor behavior, surprisingly little is known about how individual investors gather information before making trades. A new study by the National Bureau of Economic Research fills this gap using a rare and detailed dataset: browser history from U.S. households that actively traded stocks online. Most Investors…
-
How to Value: Janitorial Services
Industry Description The janitorial services industry in the U.S. comprises providers of cleaning services for the interior spaces of buildings and transportation vehicles as well as window cleaning operations (NAICS 56172). Providers typically operate under contractual arrangements to maintain cleanliness in buildings such as manufacturing plants, retail establishments, shopping complexes, corporate and government buildings,…
-
Tips for Deposing Financial Experts
The following is practical advice with the benefit of hundreds of depositions. First, a question What is your strategy for this deposition? Will you use this deposition to prepare for trial, or are you instead pursing settlement? Either choice will involve tradeoffs. If you are preparing for trial and wish to keep your cards close…
-
Tax Provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law on July 4, 2025, enacts a wide range of changes to federal tax law affecting individuals, businesses, international taxation, nonprofit organizations, and clean energy incentives. This summary provides a clear overview of the Act’s key tax provisions. Individual Tax Provisions Income Tax Brackets and Rates The…
-
How to Value: HVAC Wholesaling
Industry Description The heating and air conditioning wholesaling industry in the U.S. comprises the procurement, distribution, and sale of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning equipment, excluding in-room and in-window air conditioners as well as hydronic systems (NAICS 42373). While installation services are not part of this industry, wholesalers do offer minor repair and maintenance…
-
Valuing a Cash Business
Cash-intensive businesses occupy a unique space in the valuation landscape—one marked by financial opacity, undocumented transactions, and a healthy dose of professional skepticism. From corner stores to restaurants to service-based enterprises, these businesses often operate at the margins of formal accounting, leaving valuation professionals to fill in the blanks through a combination of forensic acumen,…
-
Forensic Accountants in Class Actions
In class action litigation, forensic accountants serve as indispensable advisors who bridge the gap between abstract legal claims and the concrete financial evidence required to support or challenge them. Their work is at once investigative, analytical, and strategic—often influencing not only the calculation of damages but also the structure and viability of the class itself.…
