Nebraska Business Insights | Lutz

Lutz adds Cory Hanson and Regan Szatko

Lutz, a Nebraska-based business solutions firm, welcomes Cory Hanson and Regan Szatko to Lutz’s Omaha office. Cory joins the firm as an Operations Lead, and Regan joins as an Administrative Assistant…

5 Accounting Strategies for the Self Employed

Being a business owner is great, but you’ll quickly realize you hold responsibilities in areas that you may not have much experience. Leveraging the expertise of others can allow you to spend your time on…

Lutz Promotes Six to Manager

Lutz, a Nebraska-based business solutions firm, has promoted six professionals to Manager positions. Congratulations to Merrick, Mark, Brandi, Katie, Tracy and Kayla…

July Retirement Plan Newsletter 2019

This month’s newsletter contains insights on how to stay on top of your responsibilities and liabilities this summer and more…

Lutz Announces Director Promotions

Lutz, a Nebraska-based business solutions firm, has promoted seven to Director roles. Congratulations to Joe, Ashley, Sharissa, Kyle, John, Ryan and Curtis…

Everything You Need to Know About the New Farm Bill

Those in farming and various other businesses tied to agriculture may experience some changes due to the 2018 farm bill, depending on their specific operation. The formal name for this bill is the…

M&A Transactions + Seller Equity Roll

The popularity of equity rollovers in M&A transactions has increased in the past decade. Rolling equity is when certain equity holders in the target company are required or elect to roll a portion of their ownership…

Being Mindful of the Social Security Tax Torpedo & Medicare Surcharges

Social Security and Medicare are programs often at the forefront of retirees’ minds. The claiming strategies and rules can be very confusing for the average person. To complicate matters, timing decisions on…

Tax Cuts & Jobs Act + Ag Industry

Jim Honz, Lutz Tax Shareholder, was recently featured on the Nebraska Grain & Feed Association’s (NEGFA) website for an article about the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) relating to the agriculture industry…

Lutz adds Lake and Risinger as Staff Accountants

Lutz, a Nebraska-based business solutions firm, welcomes Alec Lake and Katie Risinger to the team. Alec is working in the Grand Island office, while Katie assists both the Hastings and Grand Island teams remotely…

Provider-Based Departments Update 2019

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) Are Requiring Hospital Provider-Based Departments (PBDs) to be Properly Enrolled in Provider Enrollment, Chain, and Ownership System (PECOS)…

7 Questions You Should Always Ask in an Interview

Job interviews are typically the first step in the job seeking process and it is important to make a great first impression. However, you (as the candidate) shouldn’t be the only one responding to all the questions…

Confused by QuickBooks’ Report Customization

If you’re still doing your accounting on paper, you know how challenging it is to create reports. You might be able to cobble together a simple report using Excel, but even that takes time and skill…

Lutz Financial adds Joe Carlson

Lutz, a Nebraska-based business solutions firm, welcomes Joe Carlson to its Omaha office’s financial division. Joe joins Lutz Financial as a Financial Planner. He is responsible for assisting Lutz Financials’ advisers…

Lutz adds Clites, Goscha and Taylor as Staff Accountants

Lutz, a Nebraska-based business solutions firm, welcomes Michiko Clites, Hannah Goscha and Steven Taylor to the Omaha office…

Net Working Capital: What is it and How is it Used?

A commonly misunderstood topic in M&A transactions is the concept of net working capital (NWC). This is recognized as a predetermined amount of capital that is included in the purchase price in a business sale…

Socially Responsible and Environmentally Sustainable Portfolios

An increasing number of investors are looking for ways to align investment decisions with their own values and philosophies. As a citizen, you can express your political preferences around sustainability and other social…

Lutz adds Obermier and Schultze to Grand Island Office

Lutz, a Nebraska-based business solutions firm, welcomes Alexa Obermier and Jarrett Schultze to its Grand Island office. Alexa and Jarrett join Lutz as staff accountants. They are responsible for the preparation of…

5 Ways to Maximize Your Tax Refund

With each tax season comes the hope of a substantial refund, or at least the chance of not owing too much in taxes. So, how can you be sure you are getting back as much as you should…

Lutz adds Katy Doyle as Lutz Talent Recruiter

Lutz, a Nebraska-based business solutions firm, recently added Katy Doyle to its Lutz Talent division in Omaha. Katy joins Lutz Talent as a Recruiter…

Family Governance + Not an Act

For a family enterprise to sustain its wealth, acting collaboratively is required. This need for cohesion leads to the creation of structures and processes that guide the family’s behavior as it navigates the complexities…

Benchmarking for Medical Practices

Lutz Healthcare Consulting Director, Tara Wisdom, was recently featured in the May/June 2019 Physicians Bulletin, a publication of the Metro Omaha Medical Society. “Our life begins and ends with measurement…

Why You Need a Disaster Recovery Plan

To understand why you need a disaster recovery plan, you need only think about events that have occurred over the past couple of years in the United States. Recent flooding in Nebraska and Iowa, wildfires…

Sales Tax Registration 101

Starting a business can be easy. Knowing how to make sure that you are in compliance with state and federal laws is a little more difficult. You probably already know that you need to register to collect sales tax…

Tax Law Update

In this webinar, Deyna Rouse and John Kampfe discuss updates to the new tax law and how it may affect your business or organization. They also cover the Qualified Business Income Deduction, method changes…

Lutz adds Steve Roberts as Chief Financial Officer

Lutz, a Nebraska-based business solutions firm, recently added Steve Roberts to its Firm Admin Department. Bringing over 30 years of experience in accounting and finance, Steve joins the firm as Chief Financial…

June Retirement Plan Newsletter 2019

This month’s retirement plan newsletter contains insights on the evolving workscape, millennials saving for retirement, and more…

The Benefits of Temporary Staffing

If you have a vacancy at your company, you may choose to fill it with a temporary staff member. Working with a temporary employee can benefit your business in many ways, however, there are pitfalls you should…

5 Ways to Prevent Data Breaches

Large corporations grab the headlines when they’re hit by a cyber attack, but small businesses are far from immune. In fact, hackers count on the fact that organizations with just a handful of, or a few dozen, employees relax their…

Lutz adds Colleen Boyd to Grand Island Office

Lutz, a Nebraska-based business solutions firm, recently added Colleen Boyd to its Grand Island Office. Colleen joins the firm as an Accounting Assistant and brings over five years of experience in the accounting industry…

Lutz adds Kelly Prokupek as Talent Acquisition Assistant

Lutz, a Nebraska-based business solutions firm, recently added Kelly Prokupek to its Talent division in the Omaha Office…

Denial Management: Are You Doing Enough?

“There’s tremendous pressure to reduce denials. According to CMS, 20% of all claims are denied, 60% of lost or denied claims will never be resubmitted, and 18% of claims will never be collected…

CMS Survey & Certification Emergency Preparedness Initiative

Following the devastating experiences by health care facilities during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Survey and Certification (S&C) Group established a series of internal…

Why Do a Chargemaster Review?

How pricing is set for a healthcare organization may have a significant impact on financial performance. In addition, if individual charge items in the chargemaster file contains errors payment for services…

Cash Flow Problems? 5 Ways to Improve It

You can fix some of the problems your small business faces and move on. You change couriers or banks or suppliers if services and fees aren’t acceptable…

2019 Tax Return: Why You Should Prepare Early & How To Do It

Filing your taxes isn’t always simple and enjoyable. For this reason, many people tend to put them off as long as possible. Unfortunately, delaying your tax preparation will only hurt you in the end…

Creating a Product Record in QuickBooks

If you buy and sell items, you need capable inventory management tools to track them. QuickBooks provides a solid base with its product record templates…

May Retirement Plan Newsletter

This month’s newsletter contains insights on ways to increase employee retirement contributions, investment options, reasons to roll into your employer’s plan vs. an IRA, and more…

Family Meetings + Strengthening the Bonds That Bind

We’ve all heard the saying, “The key to a good relationship is communication”. This is especially true for families who want to perpetuate their wealth and values over multiple generations. Research has shown that most…

EBITDA Adjustments + 5 Expense Categories You Should Review

When assessing how to value a business for an M&A deal, buyers will typically focus on adjusted EBITDA as their primary metric. This is simply reported EBITDA, with normalizing adjustments for expenses that are…

Lutz Announces Future Move in Lincoln, Nebraska

Lutz, a Nebraska-based business solutions firm, has announced it will be relocating its Lincoln office to the second floor of the new “Olsson Building South” on 115 Canopy Street in January of 2020…

Everything You Need to Know About the Yield Curve

In recent weeks the financial markets have displayed a traditional warning sign that has garnered significant attention. Widely viewed as one of the most reliable and accurate predictors of an economic slowdown…

Lutz M&A Advises eX² Technology on its Recapitalization by Columbia Capital

Lutz M&A announced that it served as exclusive financial advisor to eX² Technology (eX²) in connection with its recent recapitalization by Columbia Capital (Columbia). Columbia is private equity group based in Virginia…

A Recipe for Job Happiness

For most of us, “work” is a necessary part of life. Some people live to work; dedicating much of their waking effort towards a chosen career path. Others work to live; putting forth just enough effort to generate a stable income…

5 Tips for Effective Business Writing

When Albert Einstein is mentioned, most people think of genius or science, rather than simple and writing. However, Einstein gave us some important advice for business writing when he said, “If you can’t explain something simply…

Lutz Recipient of 2019 Corporate Leadership Award

Lutz, a Nebraska-based business solutions firm, is excited to be named the winner of the 2019 Corporate Leadership Award by the Dean’s Advisory Board at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Business…

What Your IT Helpdesk Technician Wants You to Know

When you need assistance from a professional IT helpdesk technician, you want need the experience to be as short and as productive as possible. If you follow these five basic tips, you’ll give your IT technician a fantastic starting…

Lutz Financial Surpasses $1 Billion in Assets Under Management

Lutz Financial, an SEC Registered Investment Advisor and affiliate of Lutz, has announced that it recently surpassed the $1 billion threshold for assets under management…

Issues During the Due Diligence Process in M&A Transactions

Completing a due diligence analysis is a critical step in the M&A process. Due diligence is conducted to validate value proposition assumptions, evaluate strategic and financial risks, and support deal decision…

What is a Family Office?

Modern family offices have been in existence since the late 19th century when John D. Rockefeller decided he needed a professional team to manage his wealth. The complexity of the financial landscape, coupled with…

April Retirement Plan Newsletter

This month’s newsletter contains insights on rolling over into your retirement plan vs. your IRA, a tax savers credit reminder, and more…

HRM in a Changing Environment + Benefits of Temporary Staffing

On the most basic level, HR is involved in recruiting, hiring, benefits, compensation, training, employee relations, terminations – just about anything that involves employees and their work lives…

Does Your Company Need a Business Valuation?

If you use QuickBooks or you’re a power Excel user, you know you can create reports that provide tremendous insight into your company’s financial status. They can tell you what you own and what you owe down to the tiniest detail…

Say-On-Pay Rule: Study Shows Shareholder Votes May Not Matter

A recent study found that CEO compensation at large public companies has continued to increase despite the “say-on-pay” rule that went into effect in 2011. But corporate research firm Equilar also found that, when a company fails…

Exploring Segment Reporting Alternatives

In February, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) discussed its ongoing project to improve how companies provide information around business segments. This article outlines the status of this project and possible…

Close-Up on Materiality

The Auditing Standards Board (ASB) has been working on a project to amend its definition of “materiality.” This article explains the subtle differences between the international standards and U.S. standards that are currently…

State Income Tax for Businesses and Individuals

Attendees will learn about state income tax issues relevant to Nebraska based businesses and their owners. This presentation, led by Russ Smith, includes a discussion of business income tax topics such as…

Financial Compliance Check-Up

Now that winter is here, what better way to spend some additional time indoors than doing a winter healthcare financial compliance checkup. In this webinar…

Revenue Cycle

As Healthcare institutions, we hear a lot of talk surrounding the Revenue Cycle. This presentation, led by Amy Evanich and Claire Thelen, will discuss helpful hints to help ensure your revenue cycle is operating…

Medicare Cost Report

This presentation, led by Kirk Delperdang and Julianne Kipple, discusses helpful tips to keep in mind as hospitals prepare and review their Medicare cost report…

An Intro to Artificial Intelligence

The market for artificial intelligence (AI) technologies is flourishing. Beyond the hype and the heightened media attention, the numerous startups and the internet giant’s racing to acquire them…

Social Media Strategies for Recruiting

Social media platforms can be used to advertise jobs, attract talent, and communicate with potential candidates. These platforms include Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and even Instagram…

Exit Planning Strategies for Business Owners

Business owners are good at dealing with everyday decisions, but they often forget that a main reason they are in business is to be rewarded for building a valuable business…

Best Practices for Plan Fiduciaries

Are you offering a competitive retirement plan? In this webinar, Chris Wagner of Lutz Financial covers the step by step process for making fiduciary decisions and administering…

Retirement Income + Distribution Planning

Most investment and financial advice has traditionally been focused on the accumulation phase (growing assets before retirement). But with the elimination of traditional pension…

Tax Planning + Updates

This seminar, led by John Kampfe, Joe Donovan, and Steve Nebbia, covers current year law updates that may impact your taxes. This informative course will bring you up-to-speed on the…

Revenue Recognition + Lease Accounting + NFP Update

The first presentation, led by Nate Hagge and Kyle Hofeldt, provides a thorough review of the New Revenue Recognition Standard and how to apply these new rules. The second presentation…

Financial Statements in the Construction Industry

This presentation, led by Ryan Cook and Shawn Wederquist, discusses the basics of Construction Financial Statements. You will gain an understanding of financial statements…

Changes in Nebraska Sales Tax Laws

Do you have questions about sales and use tax laws? You’re not alone. With 7,500 different tax jurisdictions in the United States alone, it’s easy to understand why our sales & use tax laws…

Nebraska Grain and Feed Association + Tax Reform

This webinar presentation, catered to the ag industry, will cover the ins-and-outs of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, a once-in-a-generation tax reform bill…

QuickBooks Techniques Every User Should Know

Getting up to speed on QuickBooks can be challenging if you’re just getting started. This software is popular for ease of use, but it is also one of the most comprehensive accounting software packages on the market…

How to Leave Your Job + The Professional Way

Decades ago, it wasn’t uncommon for people to land their first job, move through the ranks, and retire from the same company 30-40 years later. However, times have changed. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics…

Two-Factor Authentication: The New Standard in Online Security

In an age in which cyber threats are more vast and detrimental than ever, finding ways to keep your network secure is a vital component to every business. Given the prevalence of massive security breaches, as well as…

Lutz Named a 2019 Top 100 Firm, Regional Leader, and Fastest-Growing Firm

Lutz, a Nebraska-based business solutions firm, has been named a 2019 Top 100 Firm by Accounting Today. As one of the four firms making their first debut on the Top 100 list, Lutz came in at number 97…

Lutz adds Jen Walde as Performance Advisor

Lutz, a Nebraska-based business solutions firm, recently added Jen Walde to its Omaha Office. Jen joins the firm as a Performance Advisor with over 13 years of combined human resources and operations experience…

Is the Traditional Bypass Trust Outdated?

Many early-retirement Boomers feel comfortable that their estate plan is in order, having put their estate plan in place when they had younger children. With adult children and the increase in the estate and gift tax exemption amounts…

Lutz M&A Advises Fantasy’s, Inc. on its Acquisition by Casey’s General Stores

Lutz M&A announced that it served as exclusive financial advisor to Fantasy’s, Inc. in connection with its recent acquisition by Casey’s General Stores, Inc. (“Casey’s). Casey’s is a Fortune 500 company (NASDAQ CASY)…

Lutz Launches Family Office Services; Adds Lisa Strutzel

Lutz, a Nebraska-based business solutions firm, recently announced a new service line, Family Office Services. Lutz’s Family Office team assists high-net-worth families manage their family enterprise by helping them determine…

Getting Started with QuickBooks: 5 Must-do’s

Whether or not you make New Year’s resolutions, you may have decided that 2019 is the year you’re going to organize your company’s finances by using QuickBooks…

March Retirement Plan Newsletter

This month’s newsletter contains insights on relief guidance for victims of California wildfires, visualizing retirement, conducting an RFP, and more…

QuickBooks + CRM = Better Customer Relationships

QuickBooks helps you maintain good relationships with your customers. Adding a CRM application can improve on that solid base…

The M&A Process + Timeline & Milestones

Selling your business can be time-consuming and unpredictable. Knowing what to expect will prepare you for what’s ahead and can help get your deal to closing. The M&A process can be broken down into four unique phases…

Personal Branding for Finance Professionals

Although the terms brand and branding don’t mean the same, people use them interchangeably. Your personal brand describes who you are and what you do. It is how people identify, know and remember you…

How XBRL Benefits Companies, Large and Small

Investors and accounting professionals have warned the SEC against exempting small companies from the requirement to add interactive data to their financial statements using eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL)…

Best Practices for Audit Committees

In January 2019, the board of the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) published a report intended to promote audit quality. This article explains the audit committee’s role and key findings from the…

Is Your Finance Team Using AI?

A recent survey of financial professionals found that only 11% of executives are making use of artificial intelligence (AI) and over one-third of companies spend more time collecting data than analyzing it. This article discusses key findings…

Avoid the Profitability Leak + Software Solutions Your Business Needs

We’ve all felt the pain of software outages which virtually paralyze the business. You can imagine people sitting around, waiting for someone to “fix” it so they can go back to work. Management and IT springs into action…

Hiring an Independent Contractor? Your Responsibilities

It’s a gig economy, and that trend isn’t going away. Do you know what the IRS expects of you if your business employs independent contractors?…

Lutz adds Chase Morley to Lincoln Office

Lutz, a Nebraska-based business solutions firm, recently added Chase Morley to its Lincoln office. Bringing over three years of experience in the financial and accounting industries, Chase Morley joins the firm as a Staff Accountant…

Why Investors Should Own International Stocks

There is a tendency for investors to focus their attention and investment dollars on assets located within the United States. This tendency is well documented and is referred to as Home Country Bias. People are generally more…

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