What We Do

We are a team of highly-dedicated experienced professionals and staff committed to serving the financial and consulting needs of our clients. We represent many years of experience and expertise in the areas of taxation, accounting services, and outsourcing as well as specialized knowledge in the credit union industry. We work closely with our clients on an individualized basis as each client and their needs are different from the rest. We work and communicate as peers and partners, knowing it's your business and we are supporting you to solve problems and achieve success.

THE FIRM OF CBS CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS, LLC

Our staff at CBS Certified Public Accountants, LLC, represents over 85 years of combined experience in the credit union industry. We have responded to the needs and concerns of credit union boards, management, and supervisory committees, as well as members and staff with a strong commitment to asset-liability management, improving internal controls and providing guidance.  In addition to audits, we have provided an array of services to credit unions over the years from reconciling bank accounts to implementing internal controls. CBS is located in Cleveland, Ohio.

Our firm is educationally minded and we have spoken throughout the country on issues of board governance, financial understanding, and topics of importance to the board. We have been keynote speakers at CUSA Technologies user conferences and regional conferences.  We have also published several articles in the Credit Union Journal.

CBS is a member of the Ohio Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.  As a member of these organizations, the firm subjects its working papers to a peer review (available upon request) and provides its professional staff with continuing professional education, equal to or greater than levels established by the organizations.  A copy of our latest peer review report is enclosed.

CORE VALUES

Many years ago a good friend and mentor posed a question to me asking, “Why would you ever want to work with a credit union that doesn’t want to be better?”  That question encapsulates our firm’s philosophy in how we approach our relations with our credit union clients. For instance, learning from the mistakes of the Savings & Loan industry from the late 70s and early 80s we encouraged all of our clients to embrace Asset Liability Management over twenty years ago before it was mandated by NCUA.   And now interest rate risk is at the top of NCUA’s list of risks to credit unions.  That friend and mentor is Dr. Jack Brick of Brick & Associates, a major provider of interest rate risk solutions to the industry.  Our firm not only provides independent review services for his 700 credit union clients but audits the software that drives the analysis.

In addition, we go beyond the numbers and technical side to see where we may play a role in enhancing a credit union for its members and employees.  In focusing on the people side we spoke in 2014 across the country on the topic Facing Ethics: How Behaviors Affect the Workplace while publishing articles on ethics for both Credit Union Journal and CUToday. SEE ARTICLES. The relationships we have formed for the betterment of credit unions reinforce what we have to offer and separates our relationship-oriented firm from the other run-of-the-mill transaction firms.

PRESENTATIONS AND TRAINING

As an added value for our credit unions, we conduct training sessions for boards of directors on a variety of subject matters pertinent to credit union operations, which are presented by our staff.

UNDERSTANDING OF RELATIONSHIPS

The audit firm is engaged by the supervisory committee with the approval of the board of directors to perform an audit of the financial reporting of the credit union.  The audit firm’s end-user is the credit union members who want assurance of the credit union’s soundness.  The firm reports its finding to both the supervisory committee and the board of directors.  The focus of the report is to encourage the credit union to be a better financial institution for its members

PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY INSURANCE

CBS is insured by Travelers for commercial general liability for $2 million.

AUDIT WORKPAPERS

We will retain the audit documentation for this engagement for five years from the date of our report.  This audit documentation is the property of CBS Certified Public Accountants, LLC, and constitutes confidential information, as required by Section ET301 of the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct.  However, we may be requested to make audit documentation available Ohio Division of Financial Institutions (ODFI) and to the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) pursuant to authority given to it by law or regulation.  If requested, access to such audit documentation will be provided under the supervision of CBS Certified Public Accountants, LLC personnel.  Furthermore, upon request, we may provide copies of audit documentation ODFI and to the NCUA.  ODFI and the NCUA may intend or decide, to distribute the copies of information contained therein to others, including other governmental agencies.

CONSULTATION POLICY

CBS has always freely given consultation to management, audit committee, and board at no charge.  This includes assistance via telephone and e-mail and periodic meetings.  Consultations of more extensive nature (e.g. specific projects) are billed at a separate daily fee or as a separate engagement.

REGULATIONS AND EDUCATION

CBS has a 25+ year history of providing educational sessions to boards, audit committees, and management.  Our firm has published a wealth of articles in Credit Union Journal and more recently a 5 part series on ethics. Ron Schmidt is a frequent speaker in the industry along with his book How Am I Treating You? Living With Civility & Dignity, which can teach us a lot about human relationships.  The firm’s workshop session Partnership for Success is directed at strengthening communication among boards and management.

LITIGATION HISTORY

CBS has never been litigated against nor have any of our clients cost the NCUA insurance fund one dime.

ASSET-LIABILITY MANAGEMENT ASSISTANCE

  • Assist in the implementation of an ALM program.
  • Prepare monthly ALM reports for presentation to the Board of Directors.
  • Validation audits – ALM / IRR review

Accounting Services

We provide a variety of accounting services to both businesses and individuals, to fit their needs and budgets including Accounting, Credit Union Services, Forecasting and Budgeting, Outsourcing, Quickbooks, and Tax Planning and Preparation.

  • Accounting
  • Forecasting and budgeting
  • Outsourcing
  • QuickBooks
  • Tax planning and preparation

Credit Union Services

CBS Certified Public Accountants, LLC has made decisive and significant contributions to assist management in improving the services and operations of their credit unions. As an advisor and confidant providing technical support and knowledgeable guidance, we help credit unions attain the most professional form of management and provide meaningful member services.

  • ALM Independent Review
  • Financial audits
  • Operational audits and assessments
  • BSA and ACH audits
  • Educational services for board members, committee members, and management
  • Internal auditing program formatted in conjunction with supervisory committee
  • Risk analysis and implementation of internal controls
  • Controller and back-office support
  • Due diligence in mergers and acquisitions
  • Cost analysis
  • Professional experiences in training and coaching management teams
  • Planning facilitation
  • Operational assessment and process mapping

Our Special Clients