Features

2005 Salary Survey
Karl E. Reichardt, CMA, and David L. Schroeder
Certification does make a difference, according to the 2005 IMA Annual Salary survey. Members with a certification of any kind (CMA, CPA, CFM, etc.) earned an average salary of $100,892 and average total compensation of $119,515-approximately $24,500 and $33,500 more, respectively, than those members not holding a certification. The average salary increase was $5,738, but salaries of women members continue to be less than those of their male counterparts, with no decrease in the salary gap this year.

Fines for the Unsuspecting
Rob Rogers
Bristol-Myers Squibb, Skyline Displays, and the Salvation Army all have something in common-they paid fines in 2004 for civil infractions. The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) maintains a list of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN), and any company that does business with anyone on the list is liable for fines or other legal action. Accounting departments, take note: If you stray, you pay.

How Entrepreneurs Choose and Use Accounting Information Systems
Linda A. Bressler, CIA, and Martin S. Bressler
Small business owners don't choose software packages based on price alone, according to this survey. They like software accounting programs that are easy to use because often the accounting function is carried out by employees relatively inexperienced in accounting.

Hello, Saturn! Hello, Neptune!
Sandra Ford Walston
Whether you're a Saturn "just give me the facts" type or a Neptune "big picture" person who sees the end but not the detailed steps to reach the goal, it is possible to "connect," says this leadership consultant. When you actively listen to persons from another planet, translate the words, and see their vision, you will connect, and trust will ignite.

Columns

PERSPECTIVES
Thank you for your help and hospitality.

BEST PRACTICES
Make conscious choices.

STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT
Culture change for the analytical mind.

TAXES
ETIA of 2005 and new energy-efficient appliances.

CAREERS
10 qualities of successful financial executives.

ETHICS
Interactions between compliance and ethics.

Departments

STREETWISE
ELA issues lease accounting white paper | FAF names Linsmeier to FASB | "Three-questions accounting" is questionable | New take on ill effects of Sarbanes-Oxley | Books: The successful workforce | Glen E. Woodson, 1925-2006

ANNUAL CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS
Because you're about enhancing your career and improving the bottom line, you need to be here.

TOOLS OF THE TRADE
A very smart camera

TECH FORUM
Learning new software.

XBRL
XBRL Alliances: Shall We Dance?

END NOTE
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