Accounting Degrees Are in Demand

In a recent article on Yahoo's education website, they listed the top five in demand college degrees. In order they listed:

1. Accounting 
2. Finance
3. Engineering
4. Computer Science
5. Business Administration

I found it interesting that 3 of the five concerned jobs in business and two of them concerned science. I am not shocked that accounting was listed at the top of the list. The last few years of financial scandals and high-profile missteps in the top financial organizations has increased the need for good accountants. Also when some well publicized business news in in front of the public it raises awareness to the career opportunities in the industry.

Government has stiffened it's regulations on businesses by requiring more overseeing of a businesses financial records. To head off further problems, the federal government passed the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) of 2002. This act requires public companies to strengthen internal financial controls and to ensure the accuracy of their reporting. Such legislation, of course, has greatly increased the demand for ethical, knowledgeable, and well-trained accountants.

There many other reasons that demand is increasing for accountants. The increasing globalization of companies in recent years, forcing them to comply with International Financial Reporting Standards, as well as an aging baby boomer population, which will leave many vacancies as retirements continue to increase.

Accounting Degrees

The United States has three main classes of certified accountants. They are Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), and Certified Management Accountant (CMA). CPAs work for the the public, including auditing, accounting, litigation, tax planning, and financial advisory services. CIAs work in an auditing capacity for employers, while CMAs can work for companies but might also serve the public in a more limited way than CPAs.

Accounting Careers

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, accountants and auditors earned a median annual salary of $61,690 in May 2010. The highest concentration of accountants and auditors work in accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping, or payroll service firms. And a 2010 National Association of Colleges and Employers salary survey found that employment candidates with bachelor's degrees in accounting received an average starting offer of $46,718 per year.

Of course, no educational program can guarantee a future salary or employment upon completion, but accounting degrees and licensure certainly increase your opportunities for employment and advancement.

How Do I Get a Bachelor of Accounting?

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How to Save Money Effectively – Things You Must Know

saving and spending (Photo credit: 401(K) 2012)It doesn’t really matter how much fortune you own, the ability to save is always an important one to have. Even if you are filthy rich, your fortune will slowly melt away if the only thing you do is spend away on things that you will probably not even use. For normal households with a limited budget, saving up is also important because they must think their funds smartly in order to have enough to live a decent life as well as educate their children and have a security fund for their future.

The first and most obvious way of saving would be to always watch what you buy. Buying unnecessary objects or commodities that may not be used and stay on a drawer collecting dust is not a way of saving, but instead is a way of throwing money out the window. Think your more important purchases and only buy what you need or what you know you will use.

Another money saving tip is always keeping an eye open for sales. Anywhere from supermarkets and designer shoe stores to corner shops, there will eventually be a sale. Taking a look on the supermarket catalogues now and then will keep you up-to-date with the best buys. If you see a sale on an article that you think you are spending too much on, go ahead and stock up! If you saw a piece of clothing that you think is too expensive but that you really want, you may want to keep an eye out for any price cuts that may occur on the said clothes, or even look for something similar at a lower price. Seasonal sales are also the place to be. Even if the saving is only a few cents, they will slowly add up to noticeable amounts. Try writing down your savings and you will see that in a few months your savings will go up to an impressive level.

On a side note, try looking for the “buy x, get one free” sort of sale rather than the “x%” off type of one, since the latter tend to be more of a bargain. However, the second ones are not to be underestimated either, since they still mean that you’re saving on an item that you would’ve otherwise paid more for.

Before buying something, make sure you look around. There is fierce competition between stores selling the same articles, and most of the time one of them will try to attract customers by lowering prices in comparison with the stores they are in competition with. This is an opportunity for you to get a better price on just about anything, so make sure you check the prices for the things you want to buy in several places before making a larger purchase. This is at the basics an advanced method of walking around the market looking for the best price throughout the dozens of stands. Again, supermarket catalogues are your best friends since you probably won’t like to go inside two or even more supermarkets to check the prices yourself.

Always remember to deposit your savings and not only in a bank so they pick up interest. This is arguably the easiest way of saving. You simply put your money somewhere safe and let it rest. When you will take the deposit back, it will have produced a small interest which is all yours to spend. If you’re speaking about a long-term deposit such as a college fund, the interest will be far more noticeable. Once again, check the competition for the best interest rates, as banks are just as bitter in competition as the stores we have described.

Buying items second-use may also be a way to save money. If you require car parts, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to pay the car company exorbitant prices for a single, new part. If you’re talking a normal car and not an old classic you will most likely find such parts in specialized stores or online. The second-user method also applies to many other objects such as clothing and furniture, so keep your eyes open and your brain thinking.

Follow these simple money saving tips and you will notice that your savings will slowly add up.

This is a guest post from Lewis Hooker, Who is an Internet marketer and SEO specialist. He currently works with debt relief organizations. You can find him at gtalk : LewisHookerOnline

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How to get a cheap insurance for your sports car?

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)Sports cars like Ferrari, Porsche and other brands usually have higher insurance rate in comparison to the normal cars owing to the fact that these cars have powerful engines. A powerful engine implies better performance and higher speed which involves greater risks as well. Thereby, it is obvious for the insurance companies to charge a higher insurance for your sports car as it involves greater risks.

Here are some ways which can utilize to negotiate with the insurance companies and get much cheaper auto insurance for your sports car.

Step 1: Search for the best

The first thing that you need to do is research on the internet, search in the directories or ask your friends and relatives for chalking out a list of reliable local auto insurance companies that provides good service. After you had prepared an exhaustive list, call them up to get the latest quotes and what are the things that is going to be covered by them. Services vary so along with the price, you should also consider the kind of service provided by them.

Step 2: Confront the service providers

Thereafter, you should call them up to get the quotes for sports car insurance. They will be quoting an exorbitantly high amount so the trick is to make them understand that you are expert driver, which can assure them that the risk involved in providing you an insurance is much less. If you can convince them, then you are definitely going to get a cheaper deal.

Step 3: Do away with the unnecessary coverage

The auto insurance companies will provide with a comprehensive list that includes covers many pointless things as well. So, make your own customized coverage list and you will be surprised to see that insurance amount has been visibly reduced. The best way to go about is to check the valuation method of the service providers. Three types of valuation methods are generally available, namely: stated value, actual cash value and agreed value. For obvious reason agreed value is the best one as it allows you to negotiate with the service provider before signing the deal.

Step 4: Stay loyal to one company

Try to approach the service provider from where you have already taking insurance service. Since the competition is very high, they will readily accept to provide some discounts to their loyal customers and thus you might be able to crack the most competitive deal.

All you need to do is a rational and wise analysis to get the best deal for sports cars. Not all insurance companies are ready to insure sports cars, so might have to engage in some extra effort to get the cheapest insurance for your car.About the Author:


The writer is associated with many car and finance communities including car review website and love to write articles about Cars and Bikes.

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Top 4 Reasons To Use Business Credit Cards

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)Securing and properly utilizing business credit cards has many advantages for businesses. Here are the top 4 reasons you should use business credit cards.

Build Credit

There are numerous benefits to using business credit cards but one of the most vital reasons to use business credit cards is to build up your business credit. If you are not using business credit cards and other methods of building credit then you cannot increase your Dun & Bradstreet scoring which is what your business credit rating is primarily based on.

Regardless of how small or large your business is it is vital that you constantly work on building, improving, and expanding your business credit score. The better your business credit score is then the more lucrative your business credit cards will be. If you need an additional delivery truck for your business it is much easier to use your good business credit to buy a new vehicle with lower interest then trying to pay cash for one or securing the loan but at a very high interest rate because you business credit is poor.

The best way to increase you business credit rating is by properly using business credit cards. As long as you make the monthly payment on time you will reap numerous benefits from business cards and they will also help you to expand your business much quicker.

Free Up Cash

By using your business credit cards for your business you will free up much needed cash. By conserving cash you can help to keep your business afloat and financially secure because you have cash on hand for anything that arises. It is still vital that you pay your monthly business credit card bill; however you will be in a financial state where you can do that because you have saved up and conserved your cash because you properly utilized the business credit cards you have secured for your business.

Separate Business and Personal Accounts

By keeping your business and personal accounts separate you will not only make it much easier for your accountant to do your taxes, but it will also help you to better manage your money and help to ensure the financial success of your business. By keeping your business and personal accounts separate you will also be able to show the Internal Revenue Service that you are serious about your business and not just trying to scam some easy tax write-offs.

Appear More Professional

Regardless of the size of your business, business credit cards can help you to appear more professional. Even if you are the only person in your company you will garner more respect and be taken more serious when you have business credit cards in your business name instead of your personal name. If you want to be taken serious as a business person then you need to ensure you have credit cards in the name of your business. If you are trying to secure a new contract you may struggle to get it if the potential business partner does not think you are a serious business.

Author's Bio: The articles of John Max have been proving very useful for the customers who look forward to get information on business credit cards. He suggests them to visit Businesscreditcards.com for further information.

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