• Certifications for Forensic Accountants

    Lately I’ve been thinking about professional certifications. A financial expert on the opposite side of a case came to the table with 10 certifications listed on his curriculum vitae (CV). And I had to wonder what was the purpose of […]

  • When Do You Stop Investigating?

    How does a fraud investigator know when enough investigation has been done on a case? If a scope of work was agreed upon with the client, the investigator should finish that work in order to meet her or his obligations. […]

  • How Do I Calculate Fixed Fees

    How do I come up with a fixed fee for a forensic accounting engagement? I’ve been doing fixed fees for almost 23 years, so I’ve developed a pretty good formula. With a fixed fee, a client is paying for a […]

  • A Forensic Accountant As a Consultant

    Forensic accountants are often retained in litigation as expert witnesses, with the intention that they will provide expert opinions and testimony on behalf of the client. Although retention as a consultant is less common, it is an important option to […]

  • Construction Fraud Cases

    What kinds of things can forensic accountants be involved in relative to construction fraud? A common area of fraud involves a general contractor using funds from a project to fund other projects. Also common is the construction company claiming a […]

  • Why Clients Work With Me

    It’s important to think about why your clients work with you. It can guide your marketing efforts and it can help you refine your service offerings. My clients like the fact that what they see is what they get. I’m […]

  • Questions for New Clients

    What questions do you ask a new potential client? Nearly all of my work comes from attorneys, on behalf of their clients. I have two clients: the attorney and his/her client. My questions are pretty much the same no matter […]

  • Keeping Forensic Reports Simple

    Making complex transactions easy to understand is no small task, but it is part of the job of any good fraud investigator. You can find the most earth-shattering proof of fraud, but if you cannot articulate your findings in a […]

  • Expert Witness Rebuttal Reports

    My favorite part of being a forensic accountant is rebuttal reports. An attorney comes to me with an expert report filed by the other side, which details some sort of economic loss. My job is to analyze that report and […]

  • Fraud Investigation for Small Firms

    The growth in forensic accounting and fraud investigation specialties has led accounting firms of all sizes to expand their practices to these areas. Experts agree that this practice area will continue to grow for the foreseeable future. Is it as […]