EWA Accounting 11/29/24 EWA Accounting 11/29/24

Five Key Steps in a Successful Dealer Audit

Navigating a dealer audit can be challenging, but success is within reach with careful preparation and expert support. Initiating broker dealer audit services ensures the process is guided by seasoned professionals who understand regulatory compliance. Following a structured, detailed approach builds trust and credibility while avoiding costly mistakes.

1. Regulatory Requirements

The cornerstone of a successful broker dealer audit is understanding your regulatory obligations. Depending on your location, business model, and the governing financial authorities, these requirements can vary significantly. Missteps in compliance can result in significant penalties. Working with experienced auditing professionals helps ensure that your operations align with the latest standards. Their knowledge is indispensable in clarifying complex rules, allowing you to address your obligations effectively.

2. Review and Organize

Without proper organization, even the most compliant operations may face unnecessary scrutiny. Audit professionals emphasize that having well-maintained and precise documentation accelerates the process and reflects your commitment to integrity. Focus on organizing essential records such as:

Financial statements that detail income and expenses.
Trade blotters for transaction transparency.
Customer account records that verify adherence to guidelines.
Compliance logs documenting internal audits and risk assessments.
Contracts and agreements that highlight partnerships and responsibilities.

3. Pre-Audit Assessment

A pre-audit assessment acts as a safety net, allowing you to identify potential vulnerabilities before the actual audit begins. This critical step involves a thorough review of your internal controls and operational procedures. Skilled professionals conducting broker dealer audits can pinpoint weaknesses that might lead to red flags during an official review. By addressing gaps early, you demonstrate your dedication to compliance. A pre-audit review is also an opportunity to fine-tune processes, giving you a significant advantage.

4. Mitigate Risk

All businesses face risks, but how you handle these risks separates proactive operations from reactive ones. Identifying high-risk areas– whether in trading activities, recordkeeping, or customer interactions– is essential. Collaboration with experienced audit advisors ensures that risk management strategies are practical and impactful.

For example, high-risk trading strategies require detailed oversight to meet compliance requirements. Similarly, operational inefficiencies can lead to accidental non-compliance. Addressing these risks in advance shows auditors your business takes compliance seriously, which builds their confidence in your operations.

5. Transparent Communication

Open and transparent communication is the linchpin of a smooth dealer audit. Clear, timely responses to auditor questions create an impression of accountability and reliability. Miscommunication or delays can cast doubt on your operations, potentially leading to further investigation or penalties.

Employing broker dealer audit services ensures you have a knowledgeable intermediary assisting in building avenues of effective communication. This expert guidance equips you to handle inquiries confidently and accurately. Transparency streamlines the process and enhances your business’s reputation within the industry.

Approaching a dealer audit can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. By understanding your regulatory requirements, organizing documentation, conducting a pre-audit assessment, addressing risks, and fostering transparent communication, you ensure a process rooted in success. Relying on experts for broker-dealer audit guidance helps you transform an intimidating challenge into an opportunity for growth and trust-building within your business.

EWA Accounting 10/21/24 EWA Accounting 10/21/24

Eye-Opening Ways Broker Dealer Audits Enhance Financial Practices

Broker-dealer audits offer companies a vital tool to ensure compliance, reduce risk, and streamline financial practices. Utilizing broker dealer audit services helps business owners gain a clear understanding of their organization’s financial health and compliance status. By undergoing regular audits, businesses can meet regulatory requirements and improve long-term growth and sustainability.

Compliance with Regulatory Requirements

The financial industry is heavily regulated, and failing to meet the requirements can lead to costly fines, penalties, or even the loss of business licenses. A well-conducted dealer audit will identify potential gaps in compliance and recommend corrective actions, ensuring that businesses remain on the right side of the law. Regulatory bodies like the SEC and FINRA expect firms to be transparent in their financial dealings, and a thorough audit ensures this compliance.

Reducing Financial Risk

Financial risks can severely impact a company’s operations, particularly if they go unnoticed for an extended period. Dealer audits are instrumental in helping businesses identify areas of financial risk that might otherwise be overlooked. These risks can include anything from internal control weaknesses to issues related to financial reporting. Regular audits also ensure that risk management strategies are continually updated and aligned with the latest industry standards, providing long-term security for financial operations.

Internal Controls and Efficiency

Another key advantage of broker-dealer audits is that they help improve a company’s internal controls. A well-executed audit reviews a firm’s financial processes and uncovers inefficiencies that may be hindering operational performance. By tightening up these internal systems, businesses can streamline their financial practices, making their operations more efficient and reducing the likelihood of errors or fraud. This type of improvement is invaluable for companies looking to increase operational efficiency and maintain a competitive edge.

Transparency and Reporting

Financial transparency is vital for businesses, especially those in the financial services sector. Dealer audits help ensure that financial statements and reports accurately reflect the company’s operations and are free of discrepancies. Transparent financial reporting builds trust with investors, stakeholders, and regulators, which can strengthen a company’s reputation and credibility. Additionally, detailed and accurate financial reports make it easier for CFOs to analyze the business’s performance, enabling more informed decision-making. The insights provided by dealer audits contribute to maintaining clarity and accuracy in financial disclosures.

Long-Term Business Growth

While the immediate goal of a broker-dealer audit is to ensure compliance and reduce risks, the long-term benefits for businesses are substantial. By regularly conducting audits, companies can continuously improve their financial practices and remain adaptable to changing regulatory landscapes. Firms that embrace these audits often find that the recommendations provided by auditors not only solve short-term issues but also contribute to long-term business growth.

Broker-dealer audits play an essential role in ensuring that financial practices are transparent and compliant with industry regulations. From improving internal controls to reducing risks and fostering business growth, audits provide invaluable insights that help business owners and CFOs strengthen their financial foundations. Leveraging these audits is crucial for maintaining both regulatory compliance and a competitive advantage in today’s financial environment.

EWA Accounting 9/27/24 EWA Accounting 9/27/24

How to Improve Regulatory Compliance with Broker Dealer Audit Services

Regulatory compliance is a critical component in the financial sector, particularly for broker-dealers who must adhere to a complex array of regulations. To meet these compliance requirements, broker-dealers rely on thorough audits to ensure that their operations align with industry standards. Broker dealer audit services play a pivotal role in helping firms navigate these regulations, ensuring that any potential issues are identified and addressed early. Let’s examine how audit services can enhance regulatory compliance for broker-dealers, providing strategies for improving effectiveness and minimizing risk.

Understanding the Importance of Regulatory Compliance

Regulatory compliance is essential for broker-dealers as it ensures that they operate within the legal framework established by governing bodies like the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). Non-compliance can result in severe consequences, including fines, legal actions, and reputational damage. Therefore, having a comprehensive audit process in place is crucial. Audit services play a significant role in this regard by identifying areas of potential non-compliance and offering actionable insights for corrective measures. Effective audits not only detect gaps but also strengthen overall internal controls, reducing the chances of compliance failures.

Enhancing Internal Controls Through Comprehensive Audits

One of the most effective ways to improve regulatory compliance is by strengthening internal controls. Broker-dealers can benefit from regular and detailed audit services that assess the efficacy of their current systems and processes. A robust audit will scrutinize financial reporting, operational procedures, and adherence to ethical guidelines. This allows broker-dealers to identify weaknesses in their systems before they escalate into major compliance violations.

By implementing stronger internal controls based on audit findings, firms can reduce risks, improve transparency, and ensure that their operations are in line with regulatory expectations. Additionally, improved controls can lead to better resource management and more efficient operations, ultimately benefiting the company’s bottom line. Continuous monitoring, paired with regular audits, will create a proactive approach to compliance, making it easier to detect and resolve issues early.

Broker Dealer Audit Services for Proactive Compliance

Broker dealer audit services offer more than just a review of financial records—they provide an in-depth analysis of a firm’s entire operation. Through these services, broker-dealers can gain a comprehensive understanding of their compliance standing, enabling them to anticipate and address regulatory changes. A proactive compliance strategy, bolstered by periodic audits, helps broker-dealers stay ahead of the curve. By identifying potential compliance risks before they become costly issues, firms can not only avoid legal troubles but also enhance their reputation in the market. Broker dealer audit services serve as a preventive measure, ensuring that broker-dealers remain compliant in a dynamic regulatory environment.

In the field of financial regulation, staying compliant is both a necessity and a challenge for broker-dealers. Broker dealer audit services are invaluable tools in ensuring that firms meet regulatory requirements and maintain operational integrity. By strengthening internal controls, proactively addressing risks, and leveraging audit services to stay ahead of regulatory changes, broker-dealers can significantly improve their compliance efforts and reduce their exposure to legal and financial risks.

EWA Accounting 8/30/24 EWA Accounting 8/30/24

Types of Information Necessary to Perform a Broker Dealer Audit

Broker dealer audit services are essential for ensuring the financial integrity and regulatory compliance of broker-dealers. These audits require a comprehensive understanding of the financial and operational aspects of the firm. To effectively perform an audit, auditors need access to various types of information. Today we will explore the critical information categories necessary for conducting these audits, including financial statements, regulatory compliance documentation, internal controls, and transaction records.

Financial Statements

The cornerstone of any broker dealer audit is a thorough examination of the firm’s financial statements. These statements include the balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement. Auditors use these documents to assess the financial health and stability of the broker-dealer. For broker dealer audits, it is crucial to ensure that these financial statements are accurate, complete, and prepared under generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) or other relevant accounting standards.

The financial statements provide a snapshot of the broker-dealer’s assets, liabilities, and equity. Auditors analyze these components to determine if the firm has sufficient capital to meet its obligations and continue operations. Additionally, income statements reveal the broker-dealer’s revenue streams, expenses, and profitability, offering insights into its operational efficiency.

Regulatory Compliance Documentation

Broker-dealers operate in a highly regulated environment, and compliance with regulatory requirements is paramount. Therefore, regulatory compliance documentation is a critical component of the audit process. Auditors review filings made with regulatory bodies, such as the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).

In addition to regulatory filings, auditors examine the broker-dealer’s policies and procedures to ensure they align with regulatory standards. This includes reviewing anti-money laundering (AML) policies, customer identification programs (CIP), and recordkeeping practices.

Internal Controls

Internal controls are systems and processes implemented by a broker-dealer to safeguard assets, ensure the accuracy of financial records, and promote operational efficiency. During a broker dealer audit, auditors assess the effectiveness of these controls. This involves evaluating the firm’s control environment, risk assessment processes, control activities, information and communication systems, and monitoring mechanisms.

Auditors pay close attention to controls related to trade execution, custody of client assets, and the segregation of duties among employees. Effective internal controls help prevent fraud, errors, and financial misstatements.

Transaction Records

Transaction records provide detailed information about the broker-dealer’s trading activities. These records include buy and sell orders, confirmations, trade blotters, and settlement instructions. Auditors examine transaction records to verify their accuracy and ensure regulatory compliance.

Auditors also analyze transaction records to assess the broker-dealer’s risk management practices. This includes evaluating the firm’s exposure to market, credit, and liquidity risks. By reviewing transaction records, auditors can identify any unusual or suspicious activities that may indicate potential misconduct or regulatory violations.

Conducting a broker dealer audit requires access to a wide range of information, including financial statements, regulatory compliance documentation, and more. Each of these components plays a vital role in assessing the financial integrity and regulatory compliance of the broker-dealer. By thoroughly examining these areas, auditors can provide valuable insights and recommendations to help broker-dealers maintain their financial stability and adhere to industry regulations.

EWA Accounting 7/31/24 EWA Accounting 7/31/24

How to Find A Reputable Broker Dealer Audit Service Firm

Finding a reputable broker dealer audit service firm is crucial for ensuring regulatory compliance and maintaining the financial integrity of your operations. Broker dealer audit services provide essential oversight and evaluation of financial records, ensuring adherence to industry standards and regulations. Here’s a comprehensive guide to help you navigate the process of selecting a trustworthy audit service firm for your needs.

Understanding Your Needs

Before diving into the search for an audit service firm, it’s essential to clearly understand your needs. Broker dealers operate under stringent regulations enforced by bodies like the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). As such, your broker dealer audit services may vary based on the size, scope, and complexity of your operations. Determine whether you require comprehensive annual audits, quarterly reviews, or specific compliance checks.

Research and Recommendations

Begin your search by conducting thorough research. Start with a broad list of potential firms and narrow it down based on their expertise, reputation, and client reviews. Utilize professional networks and industry forums to gather recommendations. Fellow broker dealers can provide valuable insights into their experiences with various audit service firms. Additionally, consider seeking referrals from financial advisors, attorneys, or accountants who work closely with the broker-dealer community.

Evaluate Credentials and Experience

Credentials are critical when selecting an audit service firm. Ensure that the firm you consider has certified public accountants (CPAs) with specific experience in auditing broker dealers. Firms that specialize in broker-dealer audits typically have a deeper understanding of the unique regulatory requirements and financial complexities involved. Look for firms that are members of recognized industry associations such as the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB).

Assess Reputation and Reviews

The reputation of an audit service firm can significantly impact the quality of service you receive. Investigate the firm’s track record by reviewing client testimonials and case studies. Online review platforms, industry publications, and regulatory bodies can provide additional insights into the firm’s reputation. Pay attention to feedback regarding the firm’s reliability, thoroughness, and responsiveness.

Consider Technological Capabilities

In today’s digital age, technological capabilities are paramount in delivering efficient and accurate audit services. Evaluate the firm’s use of advanced auditing software, data analytics, and cybersecurity measures. A firm that leverages cutting-edge technology can provide more precise and timely audit reports, reducing the risk of errors and enhancing overall compliance.

Evaluate Communication and Transparency

Effective communication and transparency are essential components of a successful audit relationship. During your initial interactions with potential audit firms, assess their willingness to answer questions and provide clear explanations. A reputable firm should be transparent about their audit process, fee structure, and any potential conflicts of interest.

Selecting a reputable broker-dealer audit firm requires careful consideration of your specific needs, thorough research, and evaluation of credentials, reputation, and technological capabilities. By taking a methodical approach and prioritizing transparency and communication, you can find a firm that ensures compliance, accuracy, and the financial integrity of your broker-dealer operations.

EWA Accounting 6/26/24 EWA Accounting 6/26/24

7 Most Popular Tips to Prepare for Broker-Dealer Audit Services

Broker-dealers face a few separate challenges than other financial service providers. Because they offer advice and proprietary financial products, broker-dealers must meet compliance regulations. Their financial statements must be clear and accurate, and their internal controls must be adequate.

Each year, auditors pay a visit to broker-dealers, a crucial part of regulatory requirements. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) mandate these audits to uphold the industry’s integrity.

Just a few simple steps to prepare for the audit can help your firm calm its nerves. Here are seven ways to get ready for broker dealer audit services visits.

1. Understand the Goals of the Audit

The main objective of a broker-dealer audit is to ensure the firm is meeting regulatory compliance. Auditors take a close look at the firm’s financial statements and verify their financial protocol integrity. Knowing these goals can help your firm prepare to give broker dealer audit services the information they need.

2. Gather a Lot of Supporting Documentation

Paperwork lies near the heart of financial audits, and broker dealer audits are no different. Make sure you collect all documentation that the auditor will request, including:

Financial statements
General ledger
Accounting records
Client account records
Compliance documents and regulatory filings
Policy and procedure documentation
Insurance policies
Corporate governance documents
Employee records

The auditor may ask for other types of documentation, so be prepared to retrieve whatever records they need.

3. Communicate Openly With Your Team

Be honest and forthright with your staff in anticipation of the auditor’s visit. Set expectations and help them prepare the documents they may be responsible for. Always be available to answer your team’s questions and concerns before the visit.

4. Understand the Auditor’s Independence Requirements

Broker-dealers are generally responsible for selecting their auditor services. They need to be independent of your firm and can’t already be managing your accounting, financial statements, or other management areas. Seek auditors who have track records of quality and integrity.

5. Communicate With Your Auditor

Keep all lines of communication with your auditor open. If your firm has changed the way it works, entered into new business agreements, opened up new avenues of revenue, or made other adjustments, let the auditor know. This will define how the audit will be conducted and reinforce the trust between you and your auditor.

6. Stay Compliant With Regulations

Regulatory compliance is your responsibility at all times. It’s well worth your time to double-check your compliance status all year, especially in the days before your audit is scheduled to take place.

7. Keep Calm and Carry On

Audits inevitably cause shivers of anxiety, even if they’re expected, annual routines. Staying calm and relaxed demonstrates the professional nature of your business and shows confidence in your procedures. Believe it or not, steadying those nerves can make the process run smoothly or produce a favorable outcome.

Get Through Your Audit

By following these procedures and preparations, your broker-dealer firm can facilitate the next visit from your local auditor.

EWA Accounting 5/31/24 EWA Accounting 5/31/24

4 Great Reasons to Use Reputable Broker Dealer Audit Services

Partnering with a firm that provides broker dealer audit services makes sense for many reasons, with the most important reason involving protecting investors. However, conducting broker dealer audits also is required by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). According to several consumer protection laws, the SEC requires organizations that provide broker dealer audit services to register with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB).

Ernst Wintter & Associates (EWA) complies with SEC regulations by registering with the PCAOB to provide highly rated broker dealer audit services. Our accountants deliver broker dealer audit services to protect investors in four important ways.

Analyze Financial Statements

If your organization hires a firm to deliver broker dealer audit services for just one reason, the reason would be to ensure the accuracy of all financial statements. Investors depend on your organization to maintain highly accurate books before they invest in your mission. The accountants at EWA provide broker dealer audit services that follow the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).

Just one minor bookkeeping mistake can turn a financially solvent organization into an organization that swims in a sea of red ink.

Scrutinize Accounts Payable

A firm that provides broker dealer audit services should ensure that your organization is up to date in meeting debt obligations. From paying for supplies to meeting payroll obligations, your organization cannot afford to fall behind on bills. Although it is considered an automatic element of maintaining a clean bookkeeping system, you might be surprised to learn that a large number of organizations fail to meet accounts payable obligations because of lax monitoring standards.

Confirm Revenue Sources

One of the unethical ways organizations improve the appearance of their financial statuses is to claim revenue sources that do not exist. This unethical strategy is to entice potential investors to send organizations money. At EWA, our Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) go through revenue statements to confirm every claimed source of revenue, as well as the monetary value of each claim. We uncover any attempt to conceal the identities of revenue sources by claiming revenue sent by ghost or shell companies.

Regulatory Compliance

The SEC has created a lengthy list of regulations to meet the goals established by federal legislation as the Dobb-Frank Act, which Congress passed in response to the financial meltdown that developed in late 2007. Legal protections enforced by the FEC include protecting potential investors from the fraudulent bookkeeping practices implemented by for-profit and nonprofit organizations. One of the goals of the broker dealer audit services provided by EWA involves ensuring full compliance with the regulations enforced by the SEC.

Receive Comprehensive Broker Dealer Audit Services

One of the most important regulations implemented by the FEC is for organizations to receive broker dealer audit services at least one time a year. Receiving an audit conducted by EWA ensures your organization fully complies with PCAOB registration standards, as well as every SEC regulation. You can expect an audit to reveal any financial issues that compromise the actions taken by investors.

EWA Accounting 3/26/24 EWA Accounting 3/26/24

What are PCAOB Standards in Broker Dealer Auditing?

Companies that provide broker dealer audit services must follow several standards to ensure they maintain precise bookkeeping data for clients. If you run a broker business that wants to undergo a thorough audit, the company that you hire to perform the audit should follow the standards created by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB). At Ernst Wintter & A ssociates, our company follows every audit standard mandated by the PCAOB.

The PCAOB rose from the ashes of the historic financial meltdown that unfolded in late 2007, which forced lawmakers at both the state and federal levels to make reforms. Although the collapse of the housing market precipitated the financial meltdown, brokers also felt the impact of the monumental changes imposed by legislative bodies from Albany, New York, to Washington, D.C. The Consumer Protection Act and the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act granted the PCAOB considerably more power to oversee the audits conducted for broker dealers registered with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

What PCAOB Standards Must Broker Dealers Follow for Audits

When the reforms in the United States financial system began to take place right after the financial meltdown of 2007-08, lawmakers first tackled fundamental issues such as the frequency of audits. Before the SEC stepped in to apply tougher auditing standards, companies did not have to follow a schedule for receiving regular audits. To meet the auditing standards set by the SEC and enforced by the PCAOB, businesses should receive an audit one time a year to ensure full compliance.

When broker dealers file reports with the SEC, federal law requires them to include the appropriate financial statements that support every section of an audit. The reports filed must come from an independent accounting firm that has registered with the PCAOB. Broker dealers receive broker dealer audit services to file compliance and exemption reports that are prepared by the same independent accounting firm that completed the comprehensive audit report. The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act gives the PCAOB the legal power to create an inspection program for independent accountants to follow when auditing broker dealers.

Another important PCAOB standard that broker dealers must follow concerns the examination requirements for each statement. Broker dealers must present sufficient evidence that is based on empirical data to meet the examination standard established for each accounting statement. Compliance with examination standards should come from the empirical data collected over the most recent year. Broker dealers must consider the risk of fraud, which includes the misuse of consumer financial assets. Each examination standard followed by broker dealers should be based on the size and type of organization undergoing an audit.

Broker dealers that plan to request exemptions to certain audit standards must turn to the PCAOB to ensure they meet the legal standards that allow for the submission of exemptions. The PCAOB has created specific rules for claiming exemptions to prevent broker dealers from omitting critical financial information. According to rule 17a-5 created by the PCAOB, certified independent accountants must acquire at least moderate assurance from broker dealers that the broker dealers meet the exemption standards defined by the PCAOB.

What Can Broker Dealers Expect in the Future

Nearly 20 years have passed since the monumental legal changes for auditing standards swept over the broker dealer industry. Are there more legal changes on the horizon for the companies that conduct broker dealer audits? If history is our guide, it will take another seismic financial meltdown for the SEC to impose additional regulatory standards.

EWA Accounting 3/26/24 EWA Accounting 3/26/24

What are PCAOB Standards in Broker Dealer Auditing?

What PCAOB Standards Must Broker Dealers Follow for Audits

What Can Broker Dealers Expect in the Future

EWA Accounting 2/28/24 EWA Accounting 2/28/24

What Do Broker Dealer Audit Services Look For During Audits?

After the financial meltdown towards the end of 2007, the United States Congress passed a series of laws to tighten regulations on banks and other financial institutions that sold securities. As the most influential piece of legislation, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 imposed several rules and regulations to prevent future acts of securities fraud.

As the organization responsible for overseeing broker dealers, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) applied several additional standards for broker dealers to follow. One of the most important standards concerns how often broker dealers must complete broker dealer audit services. Another important standard applied by the PCAOB involves describing what the companies that provide broker dealer audit services must look for during audits.

Here are four critical areas that Ernst Wintter & Associates look at during audits.

Verify Revenue Sources

In addition to complying with government regulations, as well as the standards applied by the PCAOB, companies that provide broker dealer audit services also look for certain accounting areas to help investors decide where to invest their money. One accounting area that is especially helpful for investors is revenue sources. Investors want to know whether a nonprofit organization is generating enough money to remain financially viable.

One of the most important types of broker dealer audit services that we offer is to perform a comprehensive audit that confirms every source of revenue generated by a nonprofit organization.

Ensure Bills Get Paid On Time

Most organizations focus on generating the revenue they need to fulfill their missions. What many organizations fail to do is stay on top of paying bills. Our team of accountants ensures every bill gets paid on time by examining the accounts payable ledger. We also go through every current bill to ensure our clients do not fall behind on fulfilling debt obligations. Since nonprofits operate on razor-thin budgets, failing to pay just one bill can send them into the red.

Review Financial Disclosure Statements

According to federal law, nonprofit organizations must submit accurate financial disclosure statements before specified deadlines for state and federal regulatory agencies to examine. If your nonprofit sends inaccurate financial disclosure statements, your organization might lose its nonprofit status. You can expect to lose your nonprofit status if your organization fails to send in the proper documents. EWA helps clients meet the deadlines for filing accurate financial disclosure statements.

Follow State and Federal Regulations

The flurry of rules and regulations imposed by state and federal government agencies can overwhelm an understaffed nonprofit organization. With the administrative support provided by EWA, your nonprofit organization complies with every rule and regulation applied at the state and federal levels. If you do not comply with government regulations, you face penalties that run from as light as a small fine to as heavy as having to close your nonprofit organization permanently.

Broker Dealer Audit Services Keeps Your Nonprofit Financially Healthy

At EWA, our team of accountants understands you have to juggle several responsibilities at the same time, which include recruiting volunteers and attracting the interest of potential donors. Remove one important responsibility from your long list of things to do by hiring EWA to provide professional broker dealer audit services.

EWA Accounting 1/29/24 EWA Accounting 1/29/24

Can I Use My Firm’s Public Accountant for My Broker Dealer Audit?

In response to the rampant securities fraud discovered during the financial meltdown that unfolded at the end of 2007, the United States Congress passed into law the landmark Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010. The historically significant federal law implemented several standards to prevent securities fraud and other types of financial crimes. As the body responsible for regulating the behavior of broker dealers, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) sets the standards for accounting firms to follow when providing broker dealer audit services.

One of the standards created and monitored by the PCAOB concerns how often broker dealers must undergo the audits conducted by firms that provide broker dealer audit services. This standard grants broker dealers some flexibility, as they should complete audits every one to four years. At Ernst Wintter & Associates, we recommend that broker dealers undergo thorough audits at least one time a year to ensure fully financial integrity. Another area of oversight for the PCAOB involves establishing the guidelines for the types of auditors that qualify to provide broker dealer audit services.

This brings up one important question for broker dealers: Can I use my firm’s public accountant for my broker dealer audit?

One of the underlying principles followed by the PCAOB when monitoring compliance with the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 is to ensure full compliance with the groundbreaking federal law. This means every audit provided by firms that conduct broker dealer audit services should result in the release of 100 percent accurate financial data and information. The PCAOB clearly states that full financial report compliance is not possible if broker dealers use in-house accountants to conduct audits. This means the firms that provide broker dealer audit services must be completely independent of the broker dealers that they audit.

Let’s review three common financial areas that an independent accounting from such as Ernst Wintter & Associates reviews when conducting a full audit for a broker dealer.

Financial Statements

The most important of the broker dealer audit services provided by an independent accountant concerns ensuring a client files accurate financial statements with the SEC before all mandated deadlines. Submitting accurate financial statements ensures non-profit organizations maintain their tax-exempt status, as well as helps private corporations avoid hefty fines. The key to filing accurate financial statements is to limit the number of filing exemptions.

Confirm Revenue Sources

If you have heard of the term “cook the books,” it typically refers to altering financial statements to look like an organization is financially healthy. An independent accounting firm like Ernst Wintter & Associates meticulously combs through financial statements to verify every revenue stream. For example, we verify the payments made by the customers of private businesses. In addition, we ensure that non-profit organizations do not treat the promise of donations as donations that are listed in financial statements.

Bill Payments

It is one thing to confirm every revenue stream. It is quite another to pay every bill. One of the key services provided by an independent auditor is to ensure clients pay every bill. A surprising number of both private and non-profit organizations fail to keep up with their debt obligations. From not paying rent to failing to cover loan payments, falling behind on bills is a recipe for financial disaster. The independent auditors at Ernst Wintter & Associates discover every unpaid bill to ensure our clients never fall into a deep financial hole.