#fraud-prevention
Fraud Prevention
Proactive strategies and controls to prevent financial fraud in your business
Bank Reconciliation Done Right: The Monthly Process That Catches Errors and Fraud Early
A monthly bank reconciliation done in 30 to 90 minutes is the cheapest fraud control a small business has. This guide walks through the two-column worksheet, how to handle outstanding checks and deposits in transit, the recurring items that trip people up, and the internal controls that turn the exercise into real protection.
Segregation of Duties When You Only Have Three Employees: A Practical Internal Controls Playbook for Small Businesses
A working blueprint for splitting authorization, custody, recording, and reconciliation across a three-person business — including the compensating controls that stop the $141,000 median fraud loss that hits small companies hardest.
The $141,000 Wound: How Small Businesses Catch Occupational Fraud Before It Ends Them
How small businesses can detect and deter occupational fraud — using the ACFE fraud triangle, segregation of duties, surprise audits, management review, and proactive data monitoring — with a 90-day plan tailored to a 20-person organization.
Section 170(h) Conservation Easements: 40% Penalties, the 2.5x Partnership Limit, and the 6% Court Allowance Rate
Section 170(h) lets landowners deduct the diminution in fair market value caused by a perpetual conservation easement, but syndicated versions now face a 2.5x partnership-basis cap under SECURE 2.0, a 40% gross valuation misstatement penalty, and an average 6% Tax Court allowance rate at trial.
FedNow and RTP in 2026: How Small Businesses Replace Slow ACH With Instant 24/7 Bank Transfers
FedNow and RTP now reach over 1,700 and 1,200 U.S. financial institutions, settling credit pushes in under 20 seconds, 24/7/365. A practical guide for small businesses on when instant rails replace ACH, how the two networks differ, and how to defend against the fraud patterns that irrevocable settlement creates.
Accounts Payable Automation in 2026: How AI Invoice Capture, Three-Way Matching, and Touchless Approvals Cut Processing Costs and Eliminate Duplicate Payments
AP automation in 2026 takes invoice processing from roughly $18 and 10 days down to $3 and 1 day by combining AI invoice capture, three-way matching, and rule-based touchless approvals—while cutting duplicate-payment losses 80 to 95 percent.
IOLTA Trust Accounting for Law Firms: How Three-Way Reconciliation Prevents Disbarment in 2026
IOLTA violations triggered 1,247 attorney discipline cases in 2025. As twelve states adopt a 30-day reconciliation deadline on July 1, 2026, this guide walks through how three-way reconciliation works, the workflow that keeps individual client ledgers tied to the bank balance, and the mistakes that most often end legal careers.
Tax Resolution Demystified: How to Settle IRS Debt Without Falling for Scams
A 2026 guide to the five legitimate IRS resolution programs—installment agreements, Offer in Compromise, Currently Not Collectible status, penalty abatement, and innocent spouse relief—plus the warning signs of OIC mill scams and the step-by-step process from a CP14 notice to a working agreement.
Tax Relief Companies: How to Tell Legitimate Help From Scams in 2026
How to distinguish legitimate tax resolution firms from Offer in Compromise mills—what services should cost in 2026, the IRS-flagged red flags that should end a sales call, and the free alternatives most callers never hear about.
ACH Authorization Forms: How to Collect, Store, and Stay NACHA-Compliant in 2026
ACH authorization forms must include identifying information, bank account details, payment terms, revocation language, and a dated signature to meet NACHA rules. The 2026 NACHA update requires covered originators to implement risk-based fraud monitoring by June 22, 2026, with records retained for at least two years after termination.
Invoice Reconciliation: A Complete Guide to the Process, Pitfalls, and Best Practices
Invoice reconciliation matches every vendor bill against its purchase order, receiving record, and payment to catch overpayments, duplicates, and fraud before they hit the ledger. This guide walks through two-way vs. three-way matching, the six-step process, common pitfalls, and the metrics that separate finance teams who close in five days from those still chasing variances on day fifteen.
Credit Card Authorization Forms: A Guide to Recurring Billing, PCI Compliance, and Chargeback Defense
A credit card authorization form documents cardholder consent for charges and is required by card networks for card-not-present and recurring billing. Covers the required fields, PCI DSS storage rules, and how a signed form shifts the burden in chargeback disputes.