Financial Executives International has written a report listing the top challenges it sees for financial executives next year. Among them are:

• Economic recovery and the U.S. economic outlook.
• Health care reform.
• Employee benefits.
• Financial regulatory reform.
• Global convergence of U.S. GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards.
• Business taxation. President Obama’s fiscal 2010 budget submission calls for reform of the U.S. tax rules relating to foreign source business income and for repeal of the last-in, first-out accounting method.

Be sure to keep your clients informed about these and other issues. Your clients are looking for proactive advice from your firm!

Business Week’s Best Place to Launch a Career 2009 reveals an interesting detail about the accounting profession. The Big 4 firms hold the top four spots: Deloitte (1), E&Y (2), PWC (3) and KPMG (4). Grant Thornton (51) and RSM McGladrey (66) also make the list. Kudos to the accounting profession! However, when asked to identify the most desirable trait in new employees the responses were either “College GPA” or “College Major.” Are we setting the bar too low? Companies like General Mills, Nestle, Johnson & Johnson, Marriott, and CIGNA are looking for leadership; Booz Allen Hamilton, Merck, and Walt Disney are looking for communication; and, Wells Fargo, Progressive, Amazon.com, and Prudential are looking for analytical skills. Think of the competitive advantage you could create by expecting more from your recruits than a college degree!

Our webinar on November 10, 1:00 p.m. Eastern, Creating a Great Place to Work, will explore the characteristics of the best companies to work for, what great CPA firms have in common, and hiring/career trends. It’s not all about the benefits. It’s about the people.