Sandra N. Berlin Passes Away

Long before there was Quickbooks or other sophisticated forms of financial software, there were financial experts, people who knew their stuff inside and out. One such financial genius was Sandra N. Berlin, a finance specialist for the American Anthropological Association until her retirement in 2006. Berlin, who had previously served as the organization’s deputy director and chief financial officer, passed away on August 22, 2013. Her untimely death—Berlin was only 63—took place at the Sibley Memorial Hospital. The cause of death was reported as complications from multiple myeloma.

Though Berlin’s death is unfortunate, what she did in her lifetime is anything but. In addition to her work for the Anthropological Association, she served as an independent management consultant for Benton Foundation, American Security Bank and Trust, and several other financial organizations. Her unfortunate death should serve as a warning to Naperville residents to back up the advice and practices of their financial advisors using modern software such as Quickbooks.

Don’t Trust Wall Street

CBSNews.com recently released a rather scary article, one that disclosed a frightening fact: Wall Street executives aren’t getting more ethical; they’re getting less ethical! While many of Wall Street’s past actions are largely to blame for the financial crisis the United States is currently in, there is no evidence that Wall Street execs have learned from their mistakes. In fact, a recent survey from Labaton Sucharow LLP revealed that a whopping 25% of professionals providing financial services and advice admitted that they would readily engage in insider trading. Similarly, approximately 25% of financial services providers admitted knowing of unscrupulous practices within their workplaces.

This disturbing news just goes to show that you really have to be careful about whom you trust with your finances. As an added protection, you may even want to consider keeping your own records via Quickbooks or a similar program and checking your records against your financial advisor’s records. To get set up with Quickbooks and to find truly trustworthy financial services in Naperville, contact Susan S. Lewis, Ltd.

Related articles

• Wall Street Professional Survey Reveals Widespread Misconduct, Acceptance of Illegal Activities, and Disregard of Client Interests (sacbee.com)

The Value of an Honest, Professional Accountant

Did you know that accountants are legally required to be honest with you at all times? This means that if you go to your accountant and say, “I just spent $3000 on a new mink coat,” he or she would have to inform you that maybe this wasn’t the smartest investment. Likewise, if an accountant notices that someone you employ has been fudging the numbers in QuickBooks records or that things don’t quite add up in your QuickBooks records, he or she has to tell you. Sometimes, the truth can be hard to hear, but you should never underestimate the value of honest, professional information from a skilled accountant.

 In fact, for many people, accountants are the only ones they can count on to give them honest information. Investors and others often have their own best interests in mind when they give advice or provide information. Accountants, though, always put you and your best interests first.  If you’re lacking an accountant who will always be there with a healthy dose of truth, contact Susan S. Lewis, Ltd., located in Naperville, to change that.

Related articles

• Embezzlement | eLocal (elocallawyers.com)
• Account Mismanagement | eLocal (elocallawyers.com)