Wearing My CPA Hat

During my career as a Certified Public Accountant, I helped so many people with, not only their tax situations, but with other financial matters.  Let me share just a couple of those moments.
 

• My friend, Ray was an elderly astute investor.  One day, toward year-end, I was at his home.  Together we were discussing tax planning opportunities and strategies.  We were interrupted by a phone call from his New York stock broker who represented a reputable firm.  Ray’s wife was participating in our discussions and while he was on the phone, she made this comment.  “He calls all the time.  I think Ray talks to him because he’s lonely.”  Several weeks after that visit, Ray died.  In February, I returned to do their tax returns only to discover a stack of stock trades Ray made while yet alive.  In the end, he lost $500,000.  It was a hard day to tell his widow how Ray had been taken advantage of by this stockbroker.  To make a long story very short, the family eventually recovered the losses.  That was a happy day!  By the way, that settlement and story made the front page of the Wall Street Journal!
• On another occasion, one of my clients was an absentee owner of a manufacturing company.    As I was preparing the tax return, I noticed that some of their line items were extraordinarily high.  As I drilled down, it became apparent that the bookkeeper had embezzled money---a lot of money.  By the end of the day, I confronted the bookkeeper and she admitted her crime.  Now get this, she asked, “Are you going to call the owner and tell him?”  To which I replied, “No…”  Her face lit up with liberation and thanks.  She was excited until I pulled a chair up in front of her desk and said, “No, I’m not going to call the owner and tell him.  But, I’m going to sit right here and listen while you call him and tell him what you did.”  For some reason, she never liked me after that day.

So what’s the moral from these two episodes?  Nobody is going to watch your money with the same diligence you will.  Remember the old saying, “A fool and his money are soon parted.”
 
Be diligent and take care of all the things God has blessed you with and remember the best advice ever regarding investments comes from Matthew 6 verse 20…“Lay up your treasures in heaven!”
 
Blessings and Love in Christ,
 
Pastor Allan
© 2018 Allan Redenius