Top Ten Famous Accountants

The first true written evidence of accounting come from a man named Luca Pacioli, a Franciscan monk and contemporary of Columbus. His seminal work, Summa de Arithmetica, Geometrica, Propotioni et Proportionalite, published in 1494, contained a section, "Particularis de Computis et Scripturis" (Details of Accounting and Recording) that described "the system used in Venice".

But history aside, there are many famous folks today who started out in accounting. You’ll find a few surprises on this list.

1. John Grisham. While this red-hot novelist is well known for being a lawyer prior to his writing career, what is less well known is the fact that his first degree was in Accounting from Mississippi State University. It wasn’t until later that he went to law school and watched a 12-year-old rape victim testify and inspire his first novel.

2. Kenny G. The famous soprano saxophone player graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Washington with a degree in accounting. Although he’d already been playing semi-professionally since high school, he wasn’t sure he’d make in the music world so accounting seemed like a much safer bet.

3. Bob Newhart. This funny man got his first job out of the army working as an accountant in downtown Chicago. He claims to have invented his own system for balancing the petty cash—when the drawer was short, he replaced any missing money from his own pocket. When his boss accused him of not using sound accounting practices, he decided to try something else. Ironically, it was while he was working as an accountant that he began doing his famous telephone routines.

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Top Five Accounting Careers

Accountants are in higher demand than ever, thanks to a strong economy and changes in tax and business law (those changes are due to a spat of recent corporate scandals), so there are lots of great accounting jobs available today. Good
news--according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the growth and demand for accountants will only increase in the next decade—with some specialized areas of accounting growing as fast as 25%! Accounting is one of the top careers available.

So what are these five top accounting careers?

1. Internal Auditor

This top accounting job is Internal Auditor (particularly those who possess the certified internal auditor designation), and helps improve internal controls and meet the compliance mandates of the new regulations recently passed by the government after the latest corporate scandals. The scope of internal auditing within an organization is broad and may involve internal control topics such as the efficacy of operations, the reliability of financial reporting, deterring and investigating fraud, safeguarding assets, and compliance with laws and regulations. Internal auditors are not responsible for the execution of company activities. Instead, they advise management and the Board of Directors (or similar oversight body) regarding how to better execute their responsibilities.

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12 Advancements That Have Revolutionized The Art of Accounting

Civilization has come a long way since the days of counting fingers. The art of "keeping track" of things with value, today known as "accounting", has evolved with the advancement of technology throughout the ages. As technological innovations have emerged, the methods and functions of accounting have changed as well.

From the historical origin of money to the development of online web apps, here are twelve technological advances that have drastically impacted the practice of accounting.

1. Money. Perhaps this seems more like a concept than a technology, but the truth is without something to physically represent monetary value, there wouldn’t be anything to account for. From clay tokens and tablets to gold, copper, and silver coins to paper money, the technological innovation of physical money is basically the whole point of accounting.

2. Abacus. This innovative beads-on-wire device was the very first calculator. The abacus was invented in Asia, and used there as well as throughout Europe and the Arabic world in the Middle Ages. Today it is still used in the Middle East, Japan and China and is now called the suan-pan.

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When They Ran Out of Fingers and Invented Something Better: How Technology has Impacted Accounting

From the early days of clay tokens to the invention of the abacus, accounting is as old as civilization. It wasn’t until the commercial revolution at the end of the dark ages that double-entry bookkeeping came into existence. (It began in the Venice/Florence area in Italy.) A hundred years later, Luca Pacioli, a Franciscan monk, wrote a math book that suggested merchants needed three things: sufficient cash or credit, an accounting system, and a good bookkeeper. Today accounting is commonly offered as a major of study. What do you, as a prospective accounting major, need to know about accounting technology?

What is commonly known today as “cost accounting” (defined as “The discipline of estimating, tracking and controlling product and service costs”) didn’t start until the late 18th century, and was spawned by an unlikely source—a world famous potter. The history of accounting technology is fascinating. Today, technology advances in accounting in accounting have gone all the way to accounting software--with more to come!

Accounting: The Language of Business

Long ago, the standard image of an accountant was a hunched and bespectacled older man sitting in the dark with stacks and stacks of paper. That image could not be more outdated! Now, an accountant is a savvy business professional who contributes substantially to a company’s bottom line. Learning about accounting is a smart choice—you will be in high demand and have a long and successful career.

What is accounting?

To put it simply, accounting is about keeping track of the money. Accounting is how businesses monitor income, expenses, and assets over a given period of time. Accounting often is referred to as "the language of business" because of its role in maintaining and processing all relevant financial information that an entity or company requires for its managing and reporting purposes. Accounting is a field of specialization critical to the functioning of all types of organizations. Understanding accounting is simple; earn your accounting degree and head toward a stable and rewarding accounting career today!

Where Do I Start?

You’ve made the decision; it’s time to get your accounting degree. But how to begin? We’re here to give you the accounting degree basics. Below you’ll find the Who, Why, What, Where and How of earning your accounting degree and launching your career in accounting.

Who

You, of course, that’s who. What made you choose accounting? Do you have a specialty in mind? Take some time to consider things. What do you do well when it comes to school? Are you a social butterfly or a bookworm? Do you enjoy the classroom, or do you prefer hanging out online? What is important to you? What gave you trouble in school—writing papers, taking notes, or showing up to class prepared? You need to consider all of these things and more before you begin your accounting school research. Take the first step toward your rewarding accounting career today!

Student Financial Aid: Paying For Your Accounting Degree

The decision to earn an accounting degree is an extremely important one. The specialized education and training you receive will provide you with the necessary tools and knowledge to have a great career. But how will you be paying for your accounting degree?

Earning a degree is an investment in your future—and financial Aid can be the stepping-stone to that future. Financial aid exists to assist students with their college expenses, so that financial barriers do not prevent them from achieving their goals. There are also accounting scholarships available, as well as plenty of other accounting degree help.

So don’t worry—with financial aid, you can get that accounting degree!