Wow this sucks...CPA dilemma

I concur.

I am getting both the training and the CPA(future). Lots of door will definitely will be open. It certainly place you in high expectations with some employers due to the high pay you can get to the point that some employers want you to be multi-tasks and hold several positions for the same pay. That can be discouraging at times.

I have kept my self grounded since I started the accounting studies. I know exactly what you mean.

Exactly!

Thanks for the input.

 

What made you pursue two different business valuation certifications? I'm curious.

The CVA has a competitive advantage for those new to the field of business valuation. The certification can be earned through a combination of experience and examination OR through an examination and practical work assignment from NACVA if desired. This makes it the only business valuation certification that you can earn without years of experience in the field.

That option is only open to CPA's however. It's my main reason for thinking about it because I'd like to get into the field.

 

I think companies who do a LOT of M&A might find the certification intriguing if an applicant held it in addition to other things but I doubt a company would look for a CVA specifically.

My best advice for questions like that would be to plug the acronym into Monster and see what comes up. I did and found some $70K - $110K jobs.

 

The first valuation certificate I earned was the CVA because it was the easiest. As I gained more experience, I obtained the CBA. After about 7 more years of fairly heavy involvement, I was awarded the Master Certified Business Appraiser designation.

A friend of mine is teaching a valuation course at the local university and, not being able to find any appropriate college texts in this area, is using NACVA training materials. He did not have anything good to say about the materials and the errors they contain. I'm looking for material to hopefully teach an online valuation course next year, and there aren't any academic texts with course-ware that really discuss all three valuation approaches, the private company transaction data bases and how to properly use them.

I have thought about dropping the CVA many times and know a couple of former CVA's that became disgusted with the lack of quality training and the crap the CVAs were producing, that they no longer wanted to support NACVA and quit.

Several of the appraisal groups I now would not allow a prospective member to join if all they had was a CVA. If they had a CVA and another valuation designation (AM, ASA, CBA), they could be admitted.

As to M&A folks, they usually deal in a different area than the valuation folks.

 

If you want more information, feel free to PM me.

 

This is all mind-blowing to me. I just went to the IBA site and saw this:

Complete a 6 hour, proctored, CBA written examination covering the theory and practice of business appraisal. These exams are given at selected sites in the spring and fall of each year and at the national conference. Applicants may be exempt from the exam if they: hold an ASA designation in business valuation from the American Society of Appraisers, or the ABV designation from the AICPA, or hold the CVA or AVA designation from the National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts.

Given what you said about the CVA, why would the IBA use their exam as equal to their own?

 

Because the critical test for the CBA and AM/ASA designations is not the exam, but the submission of 2 reports that demonstrate you really know what you are doing.

The reports I have reviewed are typically 70-150 pages in length, must comply with all applicable standards, properly employ multiple valuation methods and they almost never pass muster the first time through.

 

Ok, so now I have a few questions.

Are these reports actual reports or 'assignments' for the certification? Upon reading the guidelines, I thought these were reports that had actually been done by the applicant but based on what you just said, I'm unsure.

Would you not recommend the CVA as a resume blurb?

Thanks for your input, by the way.

 

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