CPA Exam Review News Blog

Currently, Millennials are feeling the stress and increasing pressure of debt and it's impacting many areas of their lives. The AICPA released an article called "How to Take the Stress Out of Debt" in which they talk about the mental burden debt brings on top of the financial burden. They reported that nearly 75% of Millennials have debt and 43% have anxiety from their debt. This affects their sleep, work, and relationships in negative ways. But what can you do to help with this debt stress?

As a CPA, you may be called upon to examine, test, and report on the controls for various types of organizations. Most of the time, you will be dealing with controls that encompass internal operations. However, because of the integrated nature of business operations, a business may work with outside organizations to process transactions. So, the concern is not just that the controls of the company are working for are secure and keeping your data safe, but that the data sent to and from outside service providers is secure.

Say goodbye to the 2018 Tax Season and hello to studying for the CPA Exam!

First off, take a breather! You undoubtedly deserve a little rest, but make sure it doesn't last too long. Coming off busy season is a great time to transition into studying to get your CPA!

You are already being highly productive and maintaining a rigorous schedule, so you might as well keep it rolling. Obviously, you can cut out some of the habits which are not healthy. Re-institute time for exercise and friends, and get back some of the sleep you may have sacrificed -- but don't lose your stride. Those who competed in the Boston Marathon earlier this week are going to rest a little bit, but they aren't going to stop training! They already have their eyes on the next race and future goals.

Some think the little piece of paper hanging on their wall, the one with their alma mater's name, is the most important foot in the door to a successful career. Others believe their connections will take them to the places they want to go. Most are taught hard work, grit, intelligence, and putting in time is the key to success. While all those are important, they pale in comparison to the trait most successful people have - emotional intelligence.

Whether you're in the midst of busy season, studying for your fourth section of the CPA Exam, or both, you're going to find yourself exhausted. You'll need to figure out a way to get past the wall you will inevitably run into. Here are a few tips to be mindful of when you have that classic lack of energy and how to re-energize yourself!

Every one of our students has a different style of studying, learning, and tackling the CPA Exam. By this point in your seemingly never-ending-student-career you've no doubt seen every type we're going to talk about. But which one are you? And how could you improve?

CPA Exam scores dropped this week, and some students received the news they wanted. Many others who took one of the hardest tests in the world found out they didn't pass. A 74 or below and you have to start over again, think about passing in time before scores start to expire, re-invest time out of your schedule, and make sacrifices all over again. It can be frustrating, heartbreaking even, but it should be encouraging as well. You have the experience under your belt and know what to expect. Here are a few things you can do differently this time.

Jim has been working for an accounting firm just outside Chicago for the past two years. He worked out a deal with the firm to let him travel and work remotely as he followed his wife, Jordy, around the world. She works as a traveling nurse (i.e., she works seasonal contracts with hospitals around the world who are experiencing shortages of nurses). Benefits of a traveling nurse include seeing the world, high pay compared to local nursing jobs, and housing stipends. While Jim doesn't make quite as much as he would in office, but he works about 20% fewer hours than those in the office, especially during busy season. So far they've lived in Colorado, California, Alaska, Australia, New Zealand, and Hawaii.

The hardest part for Jim is managing his schedule, expectations, and personal goals. Jordy works four 12-hour shifts during the week, so Jim tries to match his wife's schedule with four, nine to ten hour days by working the mornings she sleeps in after getting off an overnight shift.

Mental health is a conversation plastered all across the media. You'll hear it talked about at awards shows, in veteran communities with regard to PTSD, at your kid's school, and on the daily news. One place you usually won't hear about it is at work. While the stigma is changing, it's pretty ingrained among adults that "you're fine" or at least you should be. Nothing traumatic has happened to you lately. And if it has, there is plenty happening to everyone, so if it's getting to you it must be a sign of weakness, right?

Okay, we love our mobile devices as much as the next person. Smartphones are amazing in all the things they give us access to, but that's exactly why you need to power down so you can focus. We are more tuned in, available, and distracted than ever. You can, and people literally do, stay entertained all day, every day on with apps alone. The result has become somewhat Pavlonian as a text message tone or vibration sends everyone near digging into their pockets. Our subconscious is hoping for a release of endorphins that when we get a text from a loved one. Getting a notification informing you you've been "liked" is an addicting process.