Sage Intacct vs. QuickBooks Online: Choosing the Right Accounting Software for Your Family Office

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Selecting the right accounting software for your Family Office is a crucial decision that can significantly impact your financial operations and reporting capabilities. Two popular options are Sage Intacct and QuickBooks Online (QBO). Here at Plumb, we are experts in both platforms. In this blog post, we’ll compare these two accounting software solutions, focusing on key factors such as scalability, real-time reporting, financial complexity, security, automation, integrations, collaboration, ease of use, and budget considerations.

 

Scalability and Flexibility

When it comes to scalability and flexibility, Sage Intacct shines. It offers multiple different dimension capabilities, allowing you to track classes, locations, investments, self-identified categories, members, customers, and household employees – to name a few. This expansive range of dimensions simplifies consolidation processes and reduces manual errors. Sage Intacct also enables a cleaner and more streamlined chart of accounts, making reporting more straightforward.

On the other hand, QuickBooks Online doesn’t have the same consolidation capabilities, which requires more manual work and complex setups outside of the platform itself for tracking various aspects of your finances.

 

Real-time Reports/Insights

Sage Intacct provides real-time insights by automatically closing P&L accounts to retained earnings on an ongoing basis. Its highly customizable reports and dashboards allow you to target specific areas of focus, making the closing period and reporting process more efficient.

QuickBooks Online offers real-time data as well, but its reporting options are less customizable. You may find limitations in creating specialized reports tailored to your needs, as it provides only a basic set of templates with limited filtering and customization abilities.

 

Financial Complexity/Multiple Entities

Sage Intacct’s robust capabilities make it an excellent choice for high-net-worth individuals and families with complex organizational structures, multiple entities, and intricate financial needs. It can handle the intricacies of multi-member LLCs and automates various financial processes through a top-down approach.

QuickBooks Online is better suited for simpler financial structures and may require additional manual effort and workarounds for handling complex financial scenarios.

 

Security and Compliance

Sage Intacct offers a function that enables GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) compliance, which is essential for maintaining financial accuracy and compliance with accounting standards. QuickBooks Online also provides security features but may not offer the same level of compliance functionalities.

 

Automation

Sage Intacct excels in automation, offering features like memorized journal entries, automatic posting, and customizable automated reporting. This automation streamlines repetitive tasks and ensures data accuracy.

QuickBooks Online also provides automation features but may have limitations compared to Sage Intacct.

 

Integrations

Both Sage Intacct and QuickBooks Online offer hundreds of integrations with various third-party applications.

 

Collaboration/Multiple User Access

Both software solutions support multiple users working on the same file, but a big difference is that with Sage Intacct you can set user-based permissions for more customized access control. This is especially useful when there are people with different roles accessing the software. These permissions can prevent people from accidentally making changes or updates to files they should not make or seeing confidential information outside of their scope.

Additionally, Sage Intacct’s cloud-based nature enables clients to access their data easily and collaboratively. Clients can have their own separate dashboard to quickly review reports and other real-time data. This access and ability to create different customized dashboards is a time-saver for both the accountants and the clients.

 

Ease of Use

QuickBooks Online is known for its user-friendly interface and ease of use. It’s a great choice for those looking for straightforward accounting software. In contrast, Sage Intacct may have a steeper learning curve due to its advanced capabilities, but the investment in learning pays off in the long run.

 

Budget

Budget considerations can vary depending on the complexity of your financial operations, but generally speaking, QBO requires a smaller investment. However, for businesses and organizations with complex books and multiple entities, Sage Intacct can be a cost-effective solution due to its ability to handle intricate organizational mapping and streamlined automation processes.

 

Choosing between Sage Intacct and QuickBooks Online depends on your specific needs and goals. Sage Intacct excels in scalability, automation, and handling complex financial scenarios, making it an ideal choice for families and organizations with multifaceted requirements. QuickBooks Online, on the other hand, offers ease of use and is well-suited for smaller businesses with simpler financial structures.

Ultimately, the right choice comes down to a careful evaluation of your financial needs, budget, and long-term growth strategy. Consulting with accounting professionals or software experts like those at Plumb can help you make an informed decision and ensure you select the accounting software that best aligns with your business goals.

Plumb Placements for 2024 Citywealth Magic Circle Awards

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Plumb is proud to announce that we’ve placed in two categories for the 2024 Citywealth Magic Circle Awards:

  • Technology Innovators of the Year (Winner)
  • UNHW Private Client Services of the Year (Runner Up)

The Magic Circle Awards recognize the accomplishments of professionals and firms working with high-net-worth individuals and families. The awards are presented in London in front of an esteemed audience comprised of over 400 professionals representing over 140 diverse organizations.

Following a rigorous submission process, the submissions are assessed and judged by a panel of private wealth advisors. Online voting is also open to the public, and counts for 10% of the final award vote.

Our proprietary Plumb Bill Pay App is a big reason we have been included in these awards. To learn more about our services and our Plumb Bill Pay App, please watch this brief overview video and reach out to schedule a personal demo.

Plumb delivers financial peace of mind by assisting high-net-worth individuals and family offices know where their money is going, so their trusted advisors can effectively manage it. We work in partnership with their team — including wealth, CPA, and other advisors — to provide the highest quality of data and financial reporting to establish a holistic view of their assets and financial holdings. We’d love to help answer any questions you may have. Feel free to schedule time to speak with Anneke Stender, our EVP, at your convenience.

Expense Tracking for Wealthy Individuals: Tools and Strategies for Comprehensive Financial Oversight

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For high-net-worth individuals, managing finances extends beyond simply tracking income and expenses. It’s about gaining comprehensive oversight of a complex financial landscape that may include investments, trusts, real estate, and more. In this context, meticulous expense tracking becomes an essential tool for informed decision-making, optimizing wealth preservation, and achieving financial goals.

 

Let’s start with the basics. Why track expenses?

 

Expense tracking for wealthy individuals offers several unique advantages:

 

  • Identify spending patterns. Track where your money goes, from regular bills to occasional indulgences. This reveals areas for potential cost-cutting or strategic reallocation of funds.
  • Monitor asset performance. Track the specific expenses related to various assets like vacation homes, yachts, or art collections.
  • Inform investment decisions. Understanding spending habits can help to guide investment strategies. If you know how – and how much – is being spent, you can better determine the types of investments you should be making.
  • Catch mistakes before they happen. With exact and itemized expenses, it’s easy to spot something that doesn’t look right.
  • Ensure tax compliance. Accurate expense records are crucial for tax preparation and audits, especially for charitable giving. When expense tracking is set up properly it can help save both time and money with tax preparation.
  • Achieve financial goals. Tracking expenses against set goals, like saving for a second home or philanthropy, keeps you on track.

 

There are also a few effective expense tracking strategies that we suggest to all our high-net-worth clients.

 

  • Set clear goals. Define your financial objectives and tailor your expense tracking to monitor progress towards them.
  • Choose the right tools. Select a tool that aligns with your needs, preferences, and level of financial complexity. For example, the Plumb Bill Pay app is a great tool for providing clarity into finances.
  • Categorize meticulously. Create custom categories to accurately reflect your spending patterns and identify areas for improvement. At Plumb, we create the categories that best suit our clients’ needs so they can see their expenses exactly how they want to see them.
  • Review regularly. Schedule regular time to analyze your spending data and identify trends or areas for adjustments. Plumb provides customized reporting to our clients, as frequently as they need, with as much detail as they want.
  • Seek professional guidance. Consult a financial advisor or wealth manager for personalized recommendations and strategies, and seek outsourced bill payment and accounting support – like the experts at Plumb – to ensure effective management of your expenses.

 

Remember, expense tracking is about gaining valuable insights into your financial behavior, making informed decisions, and ultimately, achieving your long-term financial goals. By embracing effective tracking strategies and utilizing the right tools, wealthy individuals can transform expense management from a chore into a powerful tool for financial empowerment.

 

Take the Next Step Towards Financial Ease and Clarity: Experience the benefits of secure and streamlined expense management. Contact us at sales@thinkplumb.com to discuss how our outsourced bill payment services can enhance accuracy, save time, simplify record-keeping, and reduce stress, and fortify the security of your financial transactions. Your peace of mind is our priority.

Family Office Services | FAQ | Plumb Family Office Accounting

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Family Office Services from Plumb Family Office Accounting

Frequently Asked Questions…

The family office services of Plumb Family Office Accounting were developed to help clients navigate through their complex financial life.  By providing personal financial management with consolidated reports and timely bill pay, it gives a clear picture of our client’s wealth and the analysis needed to implement financial, estate and tax planning strategies.

Q:  Is there a minimum net-worth to become a Plumb Family Office Accounting client?

Answer: No. We believe that comprehensive, timely and accurate information gives our clients true control of their wealth, regardless of net-worth.  By getting into the habit of tracking income and expenses, it helps our clients in their wealth creation stage by following a financial plan to accumulate long-term savings and retirement goals.

A typical Plumb client has a net-worth ranging from $10 million to $150 million and sees the value in our service if they have a complex financial life, complete with multifaceted undertakings, such as alternative investments, corporate entities, private equity, international exposure, and collective properties.

Success Stories: Plumb Family Office Accounting Clients

Q:  What is the difference between Plumb Family Office Accounting and a single-family office?

Answer: Plumb Family Office Accounting creates a virtual family office by providing family office services to include personal accounting, bookkeeping and reporting with controller-level insight on a part-time basis or as-needed.

Single-family offices are typically set-up with full-time accounting staff, including a CFO, staff accountants, CPA and a team of attorneys.

By having a virtual or remote family office with Plumb, clients receive the financial data and organizational structure they need without having to hire a full team of advisors on their payroll.  Plumb Family Office Accounting works in conjunction with the trusted advisors of each client and provides financial data to the team to make better estate, tax and financial planning decisions.

Read: Top Ways that Plumb Family Office Accounting works with Trusted Advisors

 

Q:  Does Plumb Family Office Accounting manage their client’s wealth or recommend financial strategies?

Answer:  No. We do not advise or manage wealth, do taxes, or financial planning. We prepare comprehensive reports for clients and their advisors to see a holistic view of assets, including the performance of all investments, statement of cash flow, and net-worth statement.

View samples of personal financial reports created by Plumb

Q: What is the pricing structure of family office services by Plumb Family Office Accounting?

Answer: The price varies depending on the complexity of the family’s wealth and reporting needs.  For most clients, we charge a fixed-fee engagement on transaction-based pricing. In order to come up with a pricing structure, we calculate how many bills to be paid, accounts reconciled and the frequency of their reporting needs (monthly, quarterly or annually).

Typically, our clients pay between $2,000 and $4,000 per month for family office services with the minimum engagement being $1,000 per month.  Every client undergoes an annual fee review to see if there have been any changes in the scope of work throughout the year.

Family Bill Pay – Request a Quote

Download: New Client Questionnaire

Q:  Do you provide any other family office services besides personal reporting, accounting and bill pay?

Answer:  Since the majority of our clients lead busy lives, we’ve added outsourced concierge and personal assistant services.  These are customizable based on the family’s need and can range from property management services to booking travel and restaurant reservations, household employee payroll and basic mail pick-up and distribution.  Another example of outsourced concierge is relocation assistance, a project-based engagement in order to help manage and organize a personal move.

See list of outsourced personal assistant services

Q:  Does a client need to be located in Southern California to work with Plumb?

Answer: No, all the financial reporting and bill pay engagements are handled electronically with cloud-based assistance.  Plumb Family Office Accounting uses technology to facilitate bill pay and A/P work flow with a client login system to access reports and status updates.

We offer complete account protection and robust security measures to protect your information from unauthorized access. All confidential information is stored in a data center with multiple levels of security and can only be accessed by Plumb and you or your designated representative. All sensitive information is encrypted and uploaded to your private portal. Two-factor authentication to login to portal further safeguards your accounts and information

Plumb has staff located on both the west coast and east coast time zones to accommodate nationwide and international clients.

Q:  Who is handling the relationship with Plumb Family Office Accounting clients?

Answer:  Plumb takes a team approach for each engagement.  Every client has a main point of contact, a Client Relationship Manager, who oversees a team of junior and senior staff accountants.  The team approach is more cost-effective for the client, as each transaction is mapped in our task management software, and is broken down on a weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual basis.

There is a centralized client communication portal set up via email, so the team has access to client-specific information and requests.  This ensures dependability and consistency if an accountant is out of the office, needs approval or controller-level insight.

Q:  How can I be assured that my financial information is kept confidential and secure?

Answer: Plumb has been in business since 1996 and has a long history of continuity and confidentiality. We are fully bonded and all employees have to pass a background check before they are hired. With every engagement and task, it is handled with the utmost discretion and attention to detail.

We respect the privacy of our Plumb Family Office Accounting clients and take great measures to protect it.  We ensure compliance with best practices and internal control procedures, different levels of approval and password protection.  Our solid system of checks and balances gives our clients reassurance in the integrity and security of their private information and financial data.

Q:  I have a special project that requires assistance on a one-time basis.  Can Plumb Family Office Accounting help?

Answer:  Yes, we can accommodate short-term engagements and project work.  For example, Plumb Family Office Accounting works with divorce attorneys and their clients who are going through a divorce settlement and need help analyzing and tracking expenses to finalize child and alimony support.

Case Study: Divorce Client

Q:  How is the family bill pay set-up?

Answer: We have created a 4-step bill pay process with segregation of duties and different levels of approval.

  1. Client Associate pays bills
  2. Vice President reviews and signs checks
  3. Client Associate reconciles bank account
  4. Client Relationship Manager reviews bank statements

The family bill pay process is first established with the creation of a financial calendar of due dates and vendor information sheet.

View: Family Bill Pay Services: Organize your Financial Life.

Success Stories – Family Bill Pay 

How can you help with organizing for year-end and tax planning purposes?

Answer: We assist our clients to compile the annual tax organizer for their CPA.  Creating this comprehensive, audit-proof package allows to maximize standard deductions, as well as, allows for the CPA to be more cost effective.

Additionally, we provide the CPA with quarterly reports to adjust estimated tax payments as needed to avoid annual penalties and interest charges with the IRS or Franchise Tax Board.

Learn More: Plumb Family Office Accounting Annual Tax Organizer

Are you ready to simplify your financial life and take true control of your wealth?   



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Prioritizing Family Life & Business: An Interview with Anneke Stender

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Top Ways to Handle Family Life and Business with a Busy Lifestyle

Several responsibilities can cause stress and anxiety in family life and business.  It can be hard to find the right balance between organizing family life events and getting year-end ready with clients and other commitments at work.

Here is a list of reminders and quick tips to keep things in perspective in your busy life:

  • Schedule: Plan smaller tasks and meetings than normal.  Time management is key and keeping a clear overview of due dates on your calendar.
  • Disconnect: When spending time with your family, make it a priority to unplug from work emails and calls.  Keep everyone informed ahead of time about your unavailability or absence, and let them know when you’ll be reconnecting.
  • Plan time for yourself: It can be exhausting to keep everything going, so taking time for yourself will rejuvenate you later.
  • Avoid talking business with family or friends when they do not ask.  However, it can be helpful to discuss certain topics and events with the most important people in your life to let them know what’s going on.
  • Clear communication: Set fixed times for family and work, so both sides can count on you.  Be fully present during those time blocks, so you’re focusing on one thing at a time.
  • Work when everyone is sleeping: getting up before the family wakes up or staying up after they go to sleep, so it doesn’t conflict with family time.
  • Delegate and trust others: bring in additional resources who can help you avoid stress.

An Interview with Anneke Stender

 

With all your responsibilities at Plumb, how do you deal with upcoming family events and all the organization and planning?

Planning ahead and calendaring everything is essential for me.  I plan out the weeks and month very detailed in my corporate calendar, so nothing gets lost and everyone knows if I’m free or not. I always mark events or tasks that are not negotiable in red, so my assistant can plan and schedule meetings around those times.

Overall, the less time I have available, the more efficient I can be.  I focus on the really important things and delegate the rest to others.  I am thankful to have a great team at Plumb behind me that I count on, so I have enough time for my family.

How do you handle work during the days you are spending time with your family?  Are there any rules you set?

When I spend time with my family, I turn off my email notifications.  I want to avoid pop-up messages on my phone, so I am fully present to focus that time with my girls and my husband. I dedicate 100% to one thing at a time.

When I visit my family in Germany, I am totally unplugged from work for the duration of the trip.  Sometimes I feel that going overseas makes it easier to enjoy the time off, because I am distancing myself from work with different time zones.

Clear communication upfront towards everyone at work and from my family is the key for making this work. By setting fixed times, my availability for family and work is clear, so both sides can count on me.

What is your favorite time and place for getting work done?

My most productive time is early in the morning.  I usually wake up at 4:30AM and start checking and responding to emails in bed, then I start getting ready for work.  When the children are sleeping, I have time to work without distraction.  However, I mostly spend working time in the office in La Jolla or Orange County.

What do you do to avoid stress and how do you boost your energy levels this time of year?

Even if I only have an hour a day, I block it off in my calendar.  Pilates helps me to relax from time to time, however, I still struggle on getting better to take time for myself.  In addition, it’s always helpful to seek outside help, such as a nanny on special occasions or counting on someone to help with recurring tasks.

As a successful business leader and mother, who inspires you?

Sheryl Sandberg.  I just finished reading her second book, “Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy. I have so much respect and admiration for her and how she handles her life.

How Plumb Family Office Accounting Can Help with your Family Life + Business Throughout the Year

Recurring tasks like bill payment or handling with taxes at the end of the year, and general organization and planning take an immense amount of valuable time. Save this time and effort with the help from additional resources to spend it with your family and friends or use to refueling your energy.

Plumb Family Office Accounting excels at high-net-worth accounting and financial consulting by applying a controller-level’s financial insight to managing personal finances.

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Plumb Family CFO Asks: Who’s Managing your Wealth?

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A top priority for affluent families is managing wealth.

To make things clear, Plumb Family CFO does not provide services that manage wealth or advise on investment strategies. Plumb Family CFO works with their client’s personal financial team to provide an accurate view of wealth through consolidated reports and financial statements.  Consistent communication with the family’s professional advisers leverages their total expertise and provides a backdrop to make better financial decisions to sustain wealth.

family office services

In this article, written by Tony Robbins for MarketWatch, he gives his opinion on how to take charge of your money and managing wealth by knowing the difference between a financial adviser, broker-dealer and an independent registered investment adviser.  Go to Tony Robbins person website >> here

Managing Wealth: Considerations for Choosing a Financial Adviser

These statements are taken from a series of articles written by Tony Robbins who explains how to improve investment and personal-finance skills. Managing wealth is a complex topic and by knowing the answers to these questions it will help you learn the financial system better.

  1. What’s the difference between a Financial Adviser, Wealth Manager, or Investment Consultant vs. Registered Investment Adviser?
  2. Does the investment firm have an affiliation with a Broker-Dealer?
  3. Does the firm offer proprietary mutual funds or separately managed accounts?
  4. Does the firm receive any third-party compensation for recommending particular investments?
  5. Where is the money held?
  6. Does the firm offer any financial planning services beyond investment strategy or portfolio management?

Managing wealth can include various tasks outside of financial planning and investment.  This is where Plumb Family CFO can help by handling personal accounting services not provided by the client’s CPA or family office.  Read: “Top Ways that Plumb Family CFO Works with Trusted Advisers”

Plumb Family CFO Provides:

Gain Financial Peace of Mind with Plumb Family CFO.  For more information…

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