Comments for Focus CPA Group, Inc. (562)281-1040

Comment on Intermediate Accounting, 2007 FASB Update by Old Lady Student

Old Lady Student — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:10:36 +0000

Got this book for my intermediate accounting 1 class. VERY hard to follow. Some homework questions are not even discussed within the chapters! Some are phrased in a way that you have to dig for the answer because it doesn’t match how it was explained in the text (ie you’re looking for potato and the text refers to spud – same thing but you have to really *look* for it). Mix with a professor who doesn’t explain things well and you’ll struggle a bit. Plan on reading each chapter twice to fully comprehend.

Side note: book is INSANELY heavy. If you plan on keeping the book and are going to use it again for other classes, it’s WELL worth spending $10 at a kinko’s to have them cut the binding off and three hole punch the text to carry just what you need for the semester with you. This book will cause serious shoulder/neck/back problems if you try to carry it around along iwth everything else. Just note the pages are kind of thin so you need to handle with care.
Rating: 2 / 5

Comment on Intermediate Accounting, 2007 FASB Update by Johnny Taxemhigh

Johnny Taxemhigh — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:42:20 +0000

This book is an expensive paperweight. It is the worst textbook I have ever used. I had to purchase another Intermediate Accounting book just to explain what the author was explaining. There are no textbook solutions or checks by the review questions. The information was presented in a backwards form, an Anarchist version of deductive reasoning. The book is incredibly cryptic and a waste of money. Don’t buy this book if you can get through your class without it. If you really want to learn Intermediate Accounting, I highly recommend purchasing Intermediate Accounting by Spiceland. Spiceland’s book is well written and Mcgraw-Hills website has incredibly more comprehensive online resources and puts Wiley’s to shame.
Rating: 1 / 5

Comment on Intermediate Accounting, 2007 FASB Update by Eater of Books

Eater of Books — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:24:08 +0000

This textbook will only confuse anyone coming to intermediate accounting for the first time. It is extremely obtuse in its discussions and hardly provides any examples for the reader to learn from. Instead it is highly discursive about exceptions and rare instances, but never adequately teaches the basics before moving on to these topics.

If you are coming to intermediate accounting for the first time and actually want to LEARN accounting, get Horngren's "Accouting". It may not look like much, but it's got it where it counts!

Kieso's book I belive is useful for those who already know accounting, but are seeking an advanced discussion. I believe professors chose this text because they are bored with the basics that they already know. For the student, this book will leave you unprepared for both the exercise problems at the end of each chapter and for your tests, including the CPA exam.

If you are assigned this text and the problems from it, I recommend reading the same topics in Horngren first (usually he breaks Kieso's topics into two short chapters) and then reading the same material in Kieso [shudder] before taking on the problems. Rating: 2 / 5

Comment on Intermediate Accounting, 2007 FASB Update by Las Gayle

Las Gayle — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:54:33 +0000

Intermediate Accounting, Update
Intermediate Accounting is a comprehensive, attractive textbook. The usefulness of the exercises is curtailed by the lack of an answer section. I guess it is a marketing ploy to produce workbooks separately instead of providing even abbreviated answers in textbooks, nowadays. Apart from this deficiency, the book is very useful for studying accounting principles.

Rating: 4 / 5

Comment on Intermediate Accounting, 2007 FASB Update by Helen

Helen — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:12:00 +0000

The book is huge. I didn’t know the book is available in two parts to cut back on the bulk. It is the size of a dictionary. The book is also very heavy, which doesn’t really come in handy when I am carrying it all over the college campus. It does not fit into my oversized school bag (or it would if nothing else was in the bag).

The book is ok. My professor tests us on questions that aren’t gone over in depth within the book. Each chapter has A LOT of info and not enough ways to critically access and understand all of it. The editors should consider more problems or better explainations that go into concepts more in depth then just scratching the surface as they do now.
Rating: 3 / 5

Comment on JK Lasser’s New Rules for Estate and Tax Planning by Donna Francavilla

Donna Francavilla — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 20:23:07 +0000

Let’s face it. Keeping track of changing tax laws and estate laws isn’t much fun. The new laws mean we must re-evaluate our financial situations. Where do you start? I’d recommend this book. Here’s why:

Harold Apolinsky is the single person most responsible for getting the estate tax repealed. Stewart Welch III handles the financial porfolios of the nation’s wealthiest individuals. These two are a financial dynamic duo!

You’ll be getting the best information that’s out there in a remarkably easy-to-read, logical, organized fashion. You don’t have the read every page. Just skip to the topic you’re interested in and Viola! begin digesting the contents. You’ll appreciate the bullet points and short paragraphs. Though the subject is dry, the book is anything but.

In my opinion, the best aspect of this book is that it focuses on the important stuff. Stewart and Harold tell parables or stories about what happens when one fails to plan. Then they take the time to walk you through all the questions you should ask yourself. I appreciated the way topics were discussed, followed by case examples to illustrate the point.

The book is sold as a paperback–so you can easily read snippets of it while you take the commuter train to work, or while waiting at Johnny’s baseball practice. The bottom line is that professional advice from these men would ordinarily cost hundreds of dollars. By reading this book, you can pick their brains for less than 20 bucks.

This book would make a great gift to baby-boomers and young people alike.

If you are not a do-it-yourselfer, Welch and Apolinsky supply a list of professional advisors. (Name, firm, phone number and E-mail).

While the book is not a thriller, you’ll be thrilled you read the wisdom contained in its pages.
Rating: 5 / 5

Comment on JK Lasser’s New Rules for Estate and Tax Planning by Larry Waschka

Larry Waschka — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 19:22:53 +0000

I would encourage every taxpayer in America to read this book. It examines what the new tax law means, not just what it says. Stewart Welch III and Harold Apolinsky have addressed the questions all of us are asking, and a few we may not have thought of yet. Who would have ever thought a book on tax law would be so enjoyable to read and easy to understand? I am grateful for these two experts’ wonderful resource and guide. Read it!
Rating: 5 / 5

Comment on JK Lasser’s New Rules for Estate and Tax Planning by Keith Cohn

Keith Cohn — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 17:16:37 +0000

If you’re at all like me, you’re hanging on by your finger tips trying to understand and/or keep up with the multiple nuances of estate and tax planning. This book is easily readable, and is written through the eyes of both a financial planner, and an estate planning attorney. There’s no reason with a book like this why anyone can’t keep a responsible eye on these personal matters. I strongly recommend this book.
Rating: 5 / 5

Comment on JK Lasser’s New Rules for Estate and Tax Planning by Jeanne Robinson, CFP

Jeanne Robinson, CFP — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 16:53:04 +0000

In guiding my clientele through the ever-changing maze of estate tax planning law, I have found JK Lasser’s New Rules for Estate Planning and Tax to be an invaluable body of knowledge that I have referenced again and again. The easy-to-read layout allows quick focus on particular issues and topics that are presented in clear and concise laymen’s terms.
Rating: 5 / 5

Comment on JK Lasser’s New Rules for Estate and Tax Planning by Ann Dunn

Ann Dunn — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 16:41:30 +0000

What a great book! Everything you need to know about estate and tax planning in one easy to read book. This book is all you need! You can find what your looking for right away!
Rating: 5 / 5