An accomplished accountant with nearly three decades of experience in his field, Keith Towns serves as owner and principal of Emerge Financial Group, specializing in providing wealth management services as well as nonprofit and small business support. In an effort to stay abreast of current trends in his industry and build relationships with his fellow accountants, Keith Towns maintains membership in the National Society of Accountants. The National Society of Accountants (NSA) will hold its annual convention on August 23-25, 2018, at the Marriott Hotel City Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The meeting will feature keynote addresses from leading names in the industry and offers attendees the opportunity to earn continuing education credits as well as network with their peers in the field. The organization has secured a special block of rooms at a discounted rate of $159 per night, but the cut-off date for reserving the rooms for the special price is July 30, 2018. To learn more about the NSA convention and how to register, visit nsaannualmeeting.org.
Maintaining offices in Suisun City and Oakland, California, Keith Towns guides the Emerge Financial Group and emphasizes a client focused approach. Experienced in small business consulting, Keith Towns assists with various elements of operations, such as setting in place financial accounting policies and completing a timely month-end close.A monthly close involves an accurate recording and reconciliation of the full range of transactions that took place throughout the month. This provides information that can be compiled throughout the year in a way that generates financial statements that reflect the overall health and results of the company. Setting up an effective system starts by choosing a date that is consistent from month to month. Review all balance sheet changes and double check the cash amounts of transactions to make sure they match bank statements. Carefully assess accounts payable and receivable against invoices, and check debt balances against payments over the period being examined.With this accomplished, attention is turned to expenses, with a focus on ensuring that they are properly categorized. The primary categories include prepaid expenses, such as rent, material, legal, and overhead, as well as those tied to specific recorded sales. Additionally, there are benefits accruals and payroll to consider. Once these are in place, make adjustments through reconciling projected revenues with actual expenses accrued so that accounting entries balance.
