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March 12-14, 2013. This was the Pensions and Investments East Coast Defined Contribution Conference. The show gathered the experts in the fields of investments, plan design, and communications to discuss changes in the industry and offer time-tested strategies that could help make informed decisions for a pension plan, and succeed in providing an adequate retirement income for the plan’s participants. In all there were 470 participants, 59 presenters, 19 sponsors and 30 exhibitors. In his keynote, Harvard University economics professor David Laibson spoke at DC East Conference and discussed why retirement savings accounts are still not working, including low contribution rates and “leakage” He also offered strategies to overcome some of those pension-sapping issues. Turns out some older ideas now need to be “pensioned off”…
March 11-15, 2013. ICBA stands for Independent Community Bankers of America. With nearly 5,000 members representing more than 24,000 locations nationwide and employing 300,000 Americans, ICBA member institutions hold $1.2 trillion in assets, $1 trillion in deposits, and $750 billion in loans to consumers, small businesses and the agricultural community. Such banks can be located in small towns, suburbia or big-city neighborhoods. Community banks improve America’s towns and cities by funding small businesses and using local dollars to help families purchase homes, finance college and build financial security. These banks create symbiotic relationships with the communities they serve, favor local decision-making, and adhere to best business practices and ethical standards. You can bank on it…
January 4-6, 2013. The American Economic Association (AEA) gets its members from business and professional groups. The main focus is the encouragement of economic research, especially the historical and statistical study of “the actual conditions of industrial life”. Membership is around 18,000, over half of whom are academics; about 15% are employed in business and industry, and the remainder work largely for federal, state, and local government, or other not-for-profit organizations. Once composed primarily of college and university teachers of economics, the association now attracts an increasing number of members from business and professional groups. AEA, in conjunction with over 50 associations in related disciplines, holds its three-day meeting to present papers on general economic subjects. About 500 scholarly sessions are held each year. “The actual conditions of industrial life” these days are not all positive, so there was lots to talk about…
Sept. 23-25, 2012. The American Bankers Association (ABA) represents banks of all sizes and charters and claims to be the voice for the nation’s $13 trillion banking industry and its 2 million employees. Their Professional Development program offers frontline, mid-management and executive level conferences designed to “improve the performance of banks by improving the performance of bankers”. ABA Marketplace brought together the latest products and services to meet bankers’ compliance, growth and operational needs. The education programs featured up-to-date content and practical solutions for banks’ success. Strategic Solutions Sessions covered finance-related topics such as hot-button exam issues with senior-level regulators; mobile banking; growing the small-business portfolio; payment trends; getting started in social media; and managing bank risk. Advice you could bank on…
Aug. 4-8, 2012. This thing is an education. According to the American Accounting Association, the purpose of this event was to “sow the seeds of innovation”. This theme focused on the need for greater innovation in accounting scholarship. The hope was to engage members in a conversation about how better to enhance the accounting discipline as a whole in terms of intellectual vitality. While much of the format for the 2012 meeting remained unchanged from earlier AAA annual meetings, it was expected that an important component would focus on new developments in related fields, as well as new means for educating students taking accountancy. The aspiration for the 2012 AAA Annual Meeting was to provide a resource for members to gain new knowledge and develop their long-term scholarly interests. Seeds sown, then…
July 9-12, 2012. NATP is the National Association of Tax Professionals, the largest organization dedicated to tax folk and their success. They claim to exist to boost tax professionals’ expertise and credibility through tax education, industry-leading federal tax research, up-to-the minute tax code insights and services, and supplies to support tax-advisers’ business. NATP members know that through their service to taxpayers, they are “putting more good into the world”, we were told. How, exactly? ”Members should make every effort to protect the interests of the client and advise the client when the client is taking the wrong course of conduct. The client is responsible for any decisions made when the tax return is prepared”. So “Members should conduct their practice so that it will not jeopardize their professional reputation or self-respect”. Frankly, some clients can tax your patience…
June 17-22, 2012. This is the annual anti-fraud conference. ACFE learned early from practical experience that accountants need anti-fraud education to do their jobs. It is now more important than ever, we heard, to provide college graduates with fraud-related education. The Anti-Fraud Education Partnership addresses this unprecedented need at the university level. In pursuit of this objective, the ACFE has pronounced itself committed to providing world-class educational tools and resources to support fraud examination courses. Whether visitors were new to the business of fraud or wanted to expand existing fraud capabilities, the ACFE seemed to be the definitive source for fraud information and support. Okay, so look, I have this scam I’ve been cookin’ up for over a year, and I’m lookin’ for a course on how to make it absolutely impossible to detect…. Oh, wait, NOW I see…
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