Accounting Resources
Accounting is one of the largest and fastest-growing fields in business, and along with that type of scope and prestige comes a wealth of resources for those in the profession, aspiring to a career in accounting, or simply seeking to understand more about the people who control their payroll, do their taxes, and make sure all of their dollars make sense. These resources range from bestselling books to magazines and websites, each helpful in their own unique way.
The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA).
As any accountant knows, a CPA certification is the first step toward a career in the accounting profession. The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, or AICPA, is the body which unites these professionals and helps them find careers, industry-related information, special event, and conferences.
The AICPA’s website even features a section for the public which defines how accounting, and those with the CPA certification in particular, are working toward the public good in communities across the country. For the public, or accountants looking for a good read, their online store offers a number of books and other tools that help to explain the accounting profession and the various ways it assists businesses and communities not only nationally, but globally.
Website: https://www.aicpa.org/Pages/Default.aspx.
The American Accounting Association
Another industry group for those in accounting, or who aspire to careers in the profession, is the American Accounting Association (AAA). This group has a nationwide voluntary membership dedicated to advancing the profession and promoting excellence in the profession. Combined with a career center, regular accountancy publications, and meetups nationwide, this membership organization and website is one of the leading ways accountants organize and promote their profession.
Website: https://aaahq.org/.
The Strategy and Tactics of Pricing: A Guide to Profitable Decision Making
Accountants are largely responsible for making sure a company’s finances add up — not just to break even, but to turn a profit. In “The Strategy and Tactics of Pricing: A Guide to Profitable Decision Making,” author Thomas Nagle explains the best way to price a company’s leading products in order to ensure a profit throughout every single quarter of operations. He explains how to strike the delicate balance between lowballing in order to attract customers, and promoting higher markups to attract profits.
Nagle also cautions against many common mistakes made by businesses large and small that often result in complete failure of their finances and a collapse of their larger operation. This is a must-read for anyone who is interested in promoting high profit margins at the companies they help keep afloat day in and day out.
Website: http://www.amazon.com/Strategy-Tactics-Pricing-Profitable-Decision/dp/013026248X/
New Accountant Magazine
Catering to exactly the audience its name implies, New Accountant Magazine is published in the United States for high school and college accounting students, as well as in an international edition for accounting students abroad. The magazine focuses on promoting all of the skills necessary for a successful career in accounting, from the proper sequence of high school classes (and a regular feature on relevant extracurricular involvement) to the necessary college courses needed for success.
New Accountant Magazine frequently profiles the best universities for accounting studies, as well as the most successful students who emerge from those programs and pursue highly successful careers in the field. And for international students, the international edition sets its sights on the best programs and job opportunities abroad for those in the accounting profession.
Website: https://www.newaccountantusa.com/.
The Journal of Accountancy
For more established accountants, the Journal of Accountancy offers the latest news from around the vast accounting industry as well as new trends in the field. The magazine also profiles and reviews highly successful seasoned accountants with a look at their unique road to success, their unique take on the profession, and where they plan to take it.
In combination with social media profiles on Twitter and Facebook, along with an array of industry-centered blogs, the Journal of Accountancy is the leading accounting publication in the United States. Its constantly-updated focus on issues involving the IRS and federal government policies and decisions keeps accountants up to date on everything they need to know during and after tax season, and ensures a smooth transition from one set of policies to the next, year after year.
Website: https://www.journalofaccountancy.com/.
Financial Accounting Standards Board
Any seasoned or aspiring accountant will want to make sure they have the Financial Accounting Standards Board’s website in their list of professional bookmarks. The association does exactly what its name implies: it focuses on accounting standards nationwide, defining the best industry practices and accepted standards of work.
Seasoned accountants will want to keep this site on reserve in case they need a refresher, and new accountants will want to make this website — and its associated publications — their bible. For the forgetful or socially networked, standards alerts can be subscribed to via email as well as followed on a special FASB Twitter account.
Website: https://www.fasb.org/home.
