Forensic Accountant Career Guide and Counseling

Question: How do i become a forensic accountant - i am starting a degree in accouting this year? I am starting a degree at Northumbria Uni in September. How do you become a forensic accountant and what do they earn?

Answer: http://www.forensicaccounting.com/home.h… Here is some information.

Question: How much does a forensic accountant cost? Anyone know what a regular hourly wage for a forensic accountant would be. A forensic accountant is someone that is trained to go through a buisnesses records throughly to find evidence of embezzlement and present evidence in court. My familys company had a great deal of money embezzled and so we need to hire one. Anyone know approximate prices for eastern US/Canada?

Answer: Well, in the western states about three hundred fifty to five hundred an hour. plus support staff.

Question: Can a Forensic Accountant be considered as an ordinary Accountant? I want to be a Forensic accountant as my career. And currently, I working for my bachelor's in Accounting. If I get my Masters in Forensic Accounting will that effect my job opportunities as an Accountant. And if so would the Masters in Forensic Accounting affect my qualifications because it is not a Masters in accounting

Answer: Certainly. However, you are entering a specialty. In my opinion you are limiting your job opportunities. However, that doesn't mean you couldn't apply that education to something much more simple, like general accounting for a private or public company. To answer your question, you need to ask yourself - what is the pinnacle you want to acheive? Then, what is the best way to get there. Consider my path, I have an undergrad in finance, and an MBA. I started as a financial anlayst, moved into cost accounting - went all the way to senior - then switched to managing general accounting. My opinion is this, as long as you can make the connections for future employers - you can take any degree and go anywhere you want. Just be sure you know how your "specialty" degree applies to other fields - which is why you are asking - I say you can take that anywhere - in your case maybe a move into auditing.

Question: what does a forensic accountant do? my cousin's psycho ex wife is planning on hiring a forensic accountant. What exactly do they do?

Answer: A forensic accountant is often called upon when a company etc experiences financial loss, ie embezzlement of it's funds, be that money, stocks bonds etc. They are paper trail detectives, and can when finished their audit bring charges (in Canada) against the individual/s who are responsible for the misappropriation of the said funds. I hope this answers your question clearly. Cheers AgentP

Question: Should I go to law school or be a forensic accountant? Right now my major is economics and I'm a junior next year with the goal of going to law school if my grades are high enough. I was thinking about changing my major to economics and trying to become a forensic accountant.

Answer: If being a forensic accountant means not going to school another 3 years and taking out a loan the size of a small mortgage, I'd do it. The legal profession is in shambles. There simply aren't enough attorney jobs for each person who graduates law school. About half the licensed lawyers in this country are not practicing law. That's not true of the medical profession, where every graduate is guaranteed a job. Law school is called professional school, but it's far from it. You are taught doctrine more than you're taught practice. Not true in dental school, medical school, and other professional schools. A law degree is not the ticket to economic security. And there's not a lot of fallback outside the degree. Consider these two articles carefully. The first is an economic analysis. The second is a general assessment of the nature of law schools.

Question: Does Anyone Here Work as a Forensic Accountant or any Related Field? I'm a college student interested in pursuing a career in accounting, and I have always wanted to crack down criminals as well, but I lack the physique to be a police officer, so I started looking into Forensic Accounting 1) What can you tell me about your job as a Forensic Accountant? Is it exciting/challenging? Office inside/outside? 2) How exactly do you become a Forensic Accountant? What degrees do you need/work exp? 3) What is the level of interaction with co workers?

Answer: I previously worked in one of the international accounting firms in Malaysia and was involved in forensic accounting for about 6 months. I will try to answer your question accordingly: 1. Someone who wants to be a Forensic Accountant needs to be detail oriented as every little evidence is crucial. However, it is a job which will give you much fulfilment upon completion of an investigation. At times, you have to be ready for hostility from workers of a company you might be investigating and also upon a certain seniority level, be prepared to provide evidence in court. 2. You can carve a life as a Forensic Accountant by applying for the said division in any international accounting firm after you graduate. Alternatively, people who start off as an external auditor also is able to progress to a Forensic Accountant as it uses similar skills acquired. 3. There is a high level of interaction with pp in your team since you work together to investigate different avenues. Sometimes you need to brainstorm ideas. Overall, you need to have the stamina as one investigation could go on for months or even a year. Good Luck and hope this little info helps!

Question: Does anyone work as a forensic accountant or a CPA? So i'm majoring in accounting and am mainly interested in forensic accounting but realistically will just work as a CPA and im wondering if your company paid for you to take the CPA exam and how much you made your first year out of college. They tell me at my school a accrediated 4 year university that we will make at least $45,000. That seems sort of high to me but I personally dont know any accountants so im not sure. Also what do you do all day at work?

Answer: start applying for internships as an accountant - this will help you in your career and your starting salary. what do we do all day at work? surf the net and answer silly questions for points :o) we keep the Company going by advising in financial areas and we keep the company straight by making sure the books are clean

Question: What do you need to master in order to become forensic accountant? Please, I need it right now. And if ou may please list universities that offered this study whether in Bachelor or Master or PhD. Also your job specification, procedure in taking this, and future prospect in becoming member of any association. Thanks!

Answer: Required education: Forensic accountants must have a bachelors degree in accounting and are generally expected to have CPA certification. It is also beneficial to become a CFE (Certified Fraud Examiner) or a CrFA (Certified Forensic Accountant). The National Association of Forensic Accountants (NAFA) provides training and CERTIFICATION to Certified Public Accountants in various fields of forensic accounting and provides availability and access to the services of those who have achieved NAFA CERTIFIED status Other Online schools Boston University Online Northeastern University Online Strayer University University of Phoenix DeVry University

Question: What are the educational requirements for becoming a financial analyst or forensic accountant? I mean post-secondary and on-wards.

Answer: A four-year degree is required to become a professional financial analyst. Employers do not generally require a specific field of study, but degrees in finance, business, accounting, economics, mathematics or law make the best preparation for a career as an analyst. However, some coursework in statistics and economics is required, and classes in taxes, estate planning, risk management and investing are highly desired. A master's degree in business administration (MBA) is even more attractive to a potential employer. "Forensic" refers to open argument in legal proceedings or in a court of law, so a forensic accountant investigates suspected financial misconduct and helps to prepare the evidence used to argue a case in civil or criminal trials. This field is also referred to as "investigative accounting". A forensic accounting specialist works by auditing and verifying records, collecting evidence, and interviewing people involved in the case. A forensic accounting major is ideal for you if you have excellent analytical and communication skills, are inquisitive by nature, and have a strong accounting operations understanding. The standard education requirement for a forensic accountant is a 4 year business degree in accounting or finance, but you also require your CPA (Certified Public Accountant) designation and industry certification.

Question: What qualifications will i need to become a forensic accountant? LOL..."taxes of homicide victims", no

Answer: I can answer this for you. You will need atleast a bachelors in accountancy and it would help to have a minor in criminal justice or criminology. You will eventually need a CPA and a CFE (Certified Fraud Examiner). To even sit for the CPA exam you need a certain number of credits and where I'm at it's 150 credits. Its a tough exam and you will have to study hard for it. For the CFE, you will need to have some experience in the field, or experinece in accounting. Education counts too towards a CFE. I myself have a BA in Criminology and I will be pursuing a Masters in Accountancy. I hope to work in a financial crimes unit. Good Luck!