| Forensic accounting is one of the fastest | | | | forensic accountants on staff, and more firms |
| growing areas of accounting jobs in the | | | | are specializing in forensic accounting to |
| market today. This specialized area is | | | | assist with shareholder and partnership |
| interesting and dynamic, and provides | | | | disputes, business loss, fraud or employee |
| unlimited opportunities for the next few | | | | theft investigations and professional |
| decades. | | | | negligence issues. Other forensic |
| | | | accountants work for or with insurance |
| Forensic accountants work in two primary | | | | companies to investigate business |
| areas, investigative accounting and | | | | interruption and other types of claims. |
| litigation support. Investigative accounting | | | | Forensic accountants routinely work for or |
| encompasses not just the numbers and | | | | with law enforcement agencies, lawyers, |
| documents of a company, but the business | | | | insurance companies, business owners and |
| environment as well. Forensic accountants | | | | government agencies. |
| investigate the financial operations of an | | | | |
| enterprise and prepare information that may | | | | About 40% of the top 100 accounting firms in |
| be used in a criminal or civil court case. | | | | the United States now have a forensic |
| Forensic accountants provide investigative | | | | accounting department, and the field is |
| services or provide support for litigation. | | | | expected to be one of the top 20 job markets |
| | | | in the next few years. How do you become a |
| Forensic accountants will often spend time at | | | | forensic accountant? A bachelor's degree in |
| the business they are investigating, | | | | accounting is required, and most are already |
| collecting and analyzing financial data. | | | | certified public accountants (CPA's). |
| Most of this analysis is done on the | | | | Additional coursework in areas like law |
| computer, so good computer skills and | | | | enforcement and criminal justice is usually |
| knowledge of software is essential to this | | | | required, and some legal training is helpful. |
| position. The forensic accountant will | | | | You may want to pursue a accreditation as a |
| collect evidence and documentation that may | | | | certified fraud examiner (CFE) from the |
| be used in a courtroom proceeding, and will | | | | Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. |
| prepare reports to be used the management of | | | | This is a nationally recognized accreditation |
| the company being investigated, parties to | | | | similar to the CPA designation. |
| the litigation or law enforcement agencies. | | | | |
| Often, the forensic accountant will be | | | | Entry salaries in this field range from |
| required to testify in court or provide | | | | upwards of $30,000 to $60,000, but |
| depositions as to their findings. | | | | experienced forensic accountants often exceed |
| | | | $100,000 per year and more. |
| Forensic accountants are employed by a | | | | |
| variety of companies and agencies. Many law | | | | So, if you are looking for a lucrative, |
| enforcement agencies have forensic | | | | interesting job with plenty of upward |
| accountants on staff to assist with criminal | | | | mobility, consider forensic accounting. With |
| investigations. Often, these accountants | | | | almost unlimited growth for the next few |
| follow the money trail to help track and | | | | decades, it's an accounting job with great |
| prosecute a criminal. Many CPA firms have | | | | potential. |