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8 Steps to Reduce Tax Filing Stress

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8 Steps to Reduce Tax Filing Stress

The American Psychologist Association revealed that 71 percent of Americans say money is the cause of the most stress in their life. That’s no surprise since over two-thirds of Americans live paycheck to paycheck. For many Americans, tax season is a time to celebrate — it feels like a windfall, and vacations are even planned around this “bonus money.” Of course, any refunds aren’t a bonus at all, but rather, Uncle Sam simply returning the interest-free loan taxpayers lent him for the past year. The goal of tax season is to break even. You’re doing tax season right if you don’t owe. However, many Americans find themselves owing taxes year after year, unable to get that balance right. For this slice of the demographics, tax season is a time to dread and the peak of financial stress. If you fall into the latter camp, here are a few ways to ease stress in April:

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CPA Review Course Comparisons

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CPA Review Course Comparisons

Oh Hey CPA Candidates! I am back with another CPA related video but this time we will be discussing the review courses. If you have started to look into the CPA Exam process you may have learned that a reputable CPA Review course is critical to your success. There are many to choose from but in today's video I am going to be focusing on three of the more popular brands. The three that I am featuring in this video are Surgent CPA Review, Becker Professional Education, and UWorld Roger CPA Review. In the video I highlight a few features from each of the three, cover pricing and payment options, as well as a few pros and cons.

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I Quit my Full-Time Accounting Job

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I Quit my Full-Time Accounting Job

I am back now and ready to catch up. First things first- I quit my full time job in accounting. I actually did it! I had been in my role as an investment accountant working for a large insurance company for two years. There is a recap of what my first year in corporate was like posted in another blog. While it was a fantastic job, I had to let it go. In today's video I will be sharing how I knew it was time to quit my job and what I did to prepare for my departure.

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Do This Once Your YouTube Channel is Monetized

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Do This Once Your YouTube Channel is Monetized

Are the late night editing sessions finally starting to pay off? If your YouTube channel is now monetized, first of all congratulations! Once you begin making money from your social media content there are a few accounting moves you need to make. In today’s video I will be discussing the YouTube monetization process and going over a few next steps.

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Is the CPA Exam Really Worth It?

Featuredby Courtney Arrington1 Comment on Is the CPA Exam Really Worth It?
Is the CPA Exam Really Worth It?

Ahhhhh more failure. I know that the AICPA has recently released scores and many people’s results were unfavorable. So if you have found yourself questioning whether or not it makes sense for you to continue on this journey-this video is for you. As many of you know, I’ve found myself on the failing side of the CPA exam process more than a few times. I too, have questioned whether or not the process would be worth it in the end. Now that I am on the other side of things I can honestly say that it has been worth it. This isn’t necessarily true for everyone though.

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Accounting Entrepreneurship: Is It Right for You?

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Accounting Entrepreneurship: Is It Right for You?

The beautiful thing about the accounting field are the endless career possibilities. Often times when students think of successful accounting careers, they think of Firm Partners, CFOs, and Controllers. While these are absolutely great examples of success, entrepreneurship is also an option. Entrepreneurship is certainly not for everyone but for those individuals who are a good fit, accounting entrepreneurship is a wonderful option. In today's video I am discussing entrepreneurship. We will look at what accounting entrepreneurship is, whether it is a good fit, and how to get started.

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Tips for A Successful Busy Season

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Tips for A Successful Busy Season

The time has come, the IRS said. It's officially busy season and this season is expected to be full of excitement given the interesting year we had in 2020. Busy season is a time, in public accounting specifically, when both auditors and tax accountants work extremely long hours (yes longer than the long hours worked outside of busy season). It can be normal to feel burned out, depressed, anxious, frustrated, and other waves of emotion during busy season. It does not have to be the worst time ever, though. This is why I am sharing my tips for surviving busy season.

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What to do When You’re Failing in Accounting

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What to do When You’re Failing in Accounting

Oh hey accounting students! We are nearing the end of the semester and this is around the time when students have that "come to Jesus" moment. If you have started to realize that you are failing or seriously underperforming in accounting, there may be time to turn it around. I have not failed an accounting course before but I did come very close and ended with a "C". The Accounting department never let me forget that "C" either, but I digress.

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Careers in Advisory

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Careers in Advisory

Oh Hey- it's been a while. There are countless careers one can have in accounting and today we will be discussing advisory. Careers in advisory are exciting, quite lucrative, and they offer variety. In today's video I will go over what an advisory accountant does, discussing the varying focus areas from compliance to process improvement. [...]

Advice, Technical, Uncategorized

Best Accounting YouTube Channels for Learning

Featuredby Courtney Arrington3 Comments on Best Accounting YouTube Channels for Learning
Best Accounting YouTube Channels for Learning

In today’s video I am sharing three of the best accounting channels on YouTube that help with learning. While there are countless other YouTube channels that speak to the accounting experience (like The Accounting Struggle) sometimes you just need to know how to convert from cash to accrual accounting. These channels will help you with that.

Advice, Public Accounting

Choosing Between Audit and Tax

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Choosing Between Audit and Tax

The time has come for career fairs, conferences, mock interviews, and all things job hunting. If you are looking to secure a role in public accounting, you will undoubtedly be asked if you prefer to work in audit or tax. Knowing your preference is going to be very important in this process. Often students will answer "either one is fine", believing this increases their shot at securing a position. This actually does the opposite. When recruiters do not know where to place you, your resume goes into the "nope" folder. The same can be said for office location but we can save general tips for another video. For now, let's focus on deciding between a role in audit or tax.

accounting certifications, CPA Exam

EA vs. CPA – Which Should You Choose?

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EA vs. CPA – Which Should You Choose?

I have seen quite a bit of comparisons between the Enrolled Agent (EA) credential and the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) credential lately. I decided to do a breakdown of some of the main differences between the two to help you decide which is the credential for you. Today's video will define and describe what an EA and CPA does, give an overview of the process to getting the credentials, and compare the overall careers.

Advice, Corporate accounting, Industry Relevant, Technical

How to Write Your Employee Evaluation

Featuredby Courtney ArringtonLeave a Comment on How to Write Your Employee Evaluation

Oh Hey fellow accountants! We are more than half way through this year and whew, what a year! If you have not already, you should be doing your self-evaluations at work soon. It can feel somewhat unnatural writing unbiased reviews about yourself or even being critical of yourself. This is why in today's video I [...]

Advice, Uncategorized

Being the Black Person at Work

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Being the Black Person at Work

Soooooo it's time to have a heart to heart. In the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and the countless others- more people have began having difficult discussions about race. While race is generally a topic that is avoided in the workplace, companies have recently been putting out statements offering to stand in solidarity with and support a more inclusive workplace particularly for the Black community.

Advice

How I Survived My Broke College Phase

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How I Survived My Broke College Phase

Heading off to college is scary for many students but the added layer of being dead broke makes it a lot more interesting. Fortunately for me, going through college broke did not require much adjusting. I come from a large family and grew up very poor so going through college broke sort of felt normal. I employed a few different strategies during my college days that helped me survive (legal things of course).

Corporate accounting, Industry Relevant

How I Feel About my Current Accounting Role

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How I Feel About my Current Accounting Role

The career options in accounting are rather broad. Although when most people hear that I am a CPA, they instantly ask if I can do their taxes or help their kid with math (not all accountants love math btw). There is much more that a career in accounting has to offer. As many of you already know, I got my start in accounting working at a CPA firm as a tax associate. I have spoken candidly about what my time there was like, but if you are curious you can check out my previous blog on this topic. I started in my current role in June 2019, and I want to share with you what my career in corporate accounting has been like so far.

Advice

5 Basic Skills You Need to be an Accountant

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5 Basic Skills You Need to be an Accountant

I think most people would agree that accountants are highly skilled individuals. Accountants are known for being experts at analyzing, critical thinking, and problem solving. There are a plethora of skills you will need to develop to have a successful career in accounting. In today’s post I am sharing five basic skills that you need to be successful as an accountant. This is most certainly not an exhaustive list, but I believe these skills to be essential. These skills are easily transferable to other roles and can be developed and strengthened over time.

Advice, Social, Uncategorized

Why I Left Public Accounting

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Why I Left Public Accounting

I spent the first few years of my accounting journey working in public accounting in the area of taxation. I worked countless hours, met amazing people, and developed transferable skills during my years in tax and I would not trade the experience for anything. Although it was a career that was full of promise, I ultimately decided to leave public accounting in the Spring of 2019.

Advice

Finishing Your Accounting Degree from Home

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Finishing Your Accounting Degree from Home

I could not imagine being in my final semester of college, planning for gradation, and then boom- COVID-19 comes and ruins all my plans. Many college seniors have been hit with this unfortunate reality and now have to attempt completing their degree online. Accounting is not the easiest of subjects, so navigating the coursework outside of the classroom can be a real challenge. You can, however, be successful in completing your accounting degree at home. This is why today's video is all about steps you can take to finish your accounting degree online while still performing at a high level.

Industry Relevant, Uncategorized

Upping Your Accounting Skills in the Wake of Emerging Technology

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Upping Your Accounting Skills in the Wake of Emerging Technology

There has been a lot of discussion surrounding robotics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning as it relates to the accounting industry. The question is often, "are machines replacing accountants?", or "are robots taking over accounting jobs?". Today I am discussing why you should view these technological advances as opportunities rather than threats.

accounting certifications, CPA Exam

Choosing an Accounting Certification

Featuredby Courtney Arrington1 Comment on Choosing an Accounting Certification
Choosing an Accounting Certification

https://youtu.be/X1A_VkpOxN8 Oh hey fellow accountants! If you are not yet certified or maybe considering adding an accounting certification, this video is for you. I am a CPA, certified public accountant, but there are many other accounting certifications that you can choose from. Choosing an accounting certification that makes sense will depend on a number of [...]

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Prepare for the CPA Exam in Under 6 Weeks (per section)

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Prepare for the CPA Exam in Under 6 Weeks (per section)

The amount of time that I spent preparing to fail the CPA exam is truly astonishing. Early on in my CPA journey I gave myself months to prepare for each section so that I could "take my time" with the material and be sure to pass. Rather than use this additional study time to actually study, I did things like create new Pinterest boards and search Beyonce hashtags on Instagram. I found myself going from a relaxed, "I have three months" to a panicked "I have three days."

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10 Grown Up Ways to Spend Your Tax Refund

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10 Grown Up Ways to Spend Your Tax Refund

At last, tax season is upon us and for those receiving refunds, now is the time to live in the lap of luxury, right? Wrong, 2020 is all about making boss moves and stepping into our greatness. While nothing says greatness like a new designer handbag we can't truly afford, I have another idea for how to spend that refund. Today I am going over ten grown up ways to spend your tax refund.

Advice

Studying for the CPA Exam While Working Full-Time

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Studying for the CPA Exam While Working Full-Time

So if you have been putting off the CPA exam because you work full-time and believe you can't do both-I am your reminder that you can. If anyone knows the anguish of coming home after a long day of debits and credits and listening to a lecture on bonds, it would be. Studying for the CPA exam while working full time can be kind of trash- I am not going to lie. That is why today’s video is all about making the process less painful.

Advice

Don’t Let this Semester Fall Apart

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Don’t Let this Semester Fall Apart

I get it, I get it. It’s homecoming season, football season, cuffing season, and so on. The holidays are just around the corner and you can already imagine the scent of sweet potato pie baking in your family’s kitchen (yes, sweet potato because we only use pumpkins as props where I’m from). If your mind has started to drift and you feel the semester starting to fall apart, allow me to redirect your attention.

Advice, Internships

3 Ways to Stand Out During Your Internship

Featuredby Courtney ArringtonLeave a Comment on 3 Ways to Stand Out During Your Internship

It's that season! Many of you are starting new internships this summer and you want to make a great impression. There are so many things to consider when doing an internship and it can be overwhelming if this is your first professional job. I would suggest you read my old post, Internship Do's and Don'ts before starting. Now let's be clear, being a good intern is cool but it's not enough. You want to set yourself a part and show that you are worthy of that full time offer. Here are my top three ways to stand out as an intern.