you want goodwill payments? give proper retirement notice

older man and younger man having meeting at deskno transition – no goodwill.

by marc rosenberg
retirements & buyouts

if there is one takeaway in retirement planning, it would be this: “no transition – no goodwill.” here’s what i mean.

more on retirement: retirement plan funding? what funding? | vesting can cover part-timers, too | compromise is in order for some goodwill payouts | when retiring partners take a specialty with them | if clients leave, do you reduce retirement benefits? | three ways to calculate goodwill payable in partner buyouts, none of them great | eat what you kill? then maybe ‘book of business’ is for you | the ins and outs of aav for goodwill | 5 points to consider when paying out goodwill | clients leaving? time to reduce retirement benefits | 4 ways to decide how to pay out capital | partners may balk at guaranteeing retirement obligations

the best of times and the worst of times…

with apologies to charles dickens, who famously opened his classic “a tale of two cities” with the above, here are two real experiences i had regarding transition, one of which was the best example of retiring partner transition i’ve ever seen and one the worst.

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retirement plan funding? what funding?

young businessman clipping hedge into dollar signweighing 2 pros… and 6 cons.

by marc rosenberg
retirements & buyouts

ninety-nine percent of all cpa firms’ retirement benefits are unfunded. (this excludes the many instances where firms carry life insurance on partners because it only covers retirement in the case of death).

more on retirement: vesting can cover part-timers, too | retirement vesting: the devil’s in the details | compromise is in order for some goodwill payouts | if clients leave, do you reduce retirement benefits? | why you’ll get less from your partners in a buyout than you might by selling the whole firm | the multiple of compensation method, fully explained | clients leaving? time to reduce retirement benefits | how to set terms and limits for goodwill payouts | 4 ways to decide how to pay out capital | partners may balk at guaranteeing retirement obligations

there are two types of funding:

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vesting can cover part-timers, too

businesswoman with piggy bankpartial credit is an option for those whose schedules vary over their careers.

by marc rosenberg
retirements & buyouts

full vesting age is different than mandatory retirement age.

more on partner retirement: retirement vesting: the devil’s in the details | compromise is in order for some goodwill payouts | when retiring partners take a specialty with them | if clients leave, do you reduce retirement benefits? three ways to calculate goodwill payable in partner buyouts, none of them great the ins and outs of aav for goodwill | clients leaving? time to reduce retirement benefits how to set terms and limits for goodwill payouts | partners may balk at guaranteeing retirement obligations

these two ages are similar, but most firms treat them differently. for instance: read more →

retirement vesting: the devil’s in the details

money rolland two common methods fully illustrated.

by marc rosenberg
retirements & buyouts

vesting of retirement benefits is not unique to cpa firms. but vesting concepts for accounting firms are somewhat unique and are important to understand.

more on buyouts: compromise is in order for some goodwill payouts | when retiring partners take a specialty with them | if clients leave, do you reduce retirement benefits? | why you’ll get less from your partners in a buyout than you might by selling the whole firm | three ways to calculate goodwill payable in partner buyouts, none of them great | eat what you kill? then maybe ‘book of business’ is for you | the multiple of compensation method, fully explained | the ins and outs of aav for goodwill | 5 points to consider when paying out goodwill | clients leaving? time to reduce retirement benefits | how to set terms and limits for goodwill payouts | 4 ways to decide how to pay out capital | partners may balk at guaranteeing retirement obligations

employee retirement plans are intended essentially as “savings programs” that people can take with them when they leave the firm, even if they depart well in advance of a normal retirement age. when there is employer matching, vesting provisions are common, and vesting is fairly rapid. in contrast, vesting in partner retirement plans is intentionally slow.

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when compromise is in order for some goodwill payouts

businessmen standing on dollar billtwo ways to deal with the loss of a major client.

by marc rosenberg
retirements & buyouts

sometimes you need a creative compromise for dealing with the issue of linking client retention with goodwill benefits.

situations that could cause a firm to factor in lost clients in calculating goodwill benefits include:

  1. client loss, regardless of who is at fault.
  2. non-traditional services that were not institutionalized and hence, left the firm with the lead partner.
  3. loss of a significant client.

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