practice doctor q&a: how to get started in family office services

ed mendlowitz cpa the practice doctor q and aincluding a sample engagement letter.

question: some of my clients are getting older and are becoming unable to handle their own financial affairs and i have been asked if i could assist them.  what is involved and how do i charge for it?

ed mendlowitz, vpa, pfs, abv, responds: many large firms provide “family office” services.  this is a complete one stop financial service that helps clients manage their money, pay their bills, collect their dividends and interest, and make sure insurance isn’t cancelled, mortgage, car lease or condo fee payments aren’t skipped, and tax payments paid on time.

more from ed: seven ways to increase fees in 2013 | 10 best practices for tax season  | nine healthy things to do during tax season  |  12 reasons to love tax season | free instant download: sample fee schedule for 1040s | ask the geek: a couple great gadgets for saving money on all your other gadgets | three and a half ways to get your own cpa practicealso: “implementing fee increases” and “the tax season opportunity guide.”

following is a sample engagement letter that i use with clients needing such services. also, this letter provides a detailed description of what the service involves. read more →

nine healthy things to do during tax season

how to be at your best through april 15th.

tax season can be a marathon. everyone has their own tips and tricks, habits and techniques for staying sane and healthy. here are 10 from 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 contributor ed mendlowitz:

  1. eat lunch out of your office.
  2. go for a 15 minute walk in middle of afternoon instead of eating a snack.
  3. take off either march 17 or 18. read more →

when’s the right time for a full-time quality control reviewer?

not when, but how?

question: i want to improve my firm’s review and quality control. do you have any suggestions?

ed mendlowitz responds: this is a recurring issue for most firms. every cpa practice needs quality control. the issue is whether a dedicated quality control (“qc”) person is needed and, if not, how the qc can be done without one.

a practice is a business and every business must be run efficiently and profitably. qc is an area that i have found many firms getting tied up in and either spending nothing or much more than they should.

more ed mendlowitz:  free instant download: sample fee schedule for 1040s    |  tax season opportunity guide 2013   |  12 reasons to love tax season   |   implementing fee increases for 2013

a firm needs a dedicated qc person when the work load volume warrants it, especially where there are bottlenecks and backlogs because the supervisor or partner who would review the work is not readily or easily available; the scheduling becomes exceedingly difficult; and the expertise and training becomes more specialized and wider in scope. read more →