The Monday Lowdown ⬇️

If you're new around here, every day or so I share the 4-5 best accounting insights I saw in the past 24 hours.

I scroll. so you don't have to.

Happy New Year. Hope you all had a great one.
This is the first real workday of the year.

🤯 WTF of the Day

Whitley Penn Keeps Buying Firms

Another accounting firm just got bigger.

Whitley Penn, a Top 50 firm, bought Toombs, Hall & Foster, a 28 person Texas firm focused on real estate, construction, oil and gas, and nonprofits.

This is part of a clear pattern. Regional firms are bulking up to compete on advisory, not just tax and audit.

This isn’t new. Whitley Penn bought at least one firm last year and has done multiple deals over the past few years across accounting, analytics, and consulting.

 🤝 Dream Economy

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We want to empower people to work for themselves. To live out their true passion.

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🍿 What’s poppin in accounting

FASB Is Still Fixing Crypto Accounting

Crypto accounting isn’t settled yet.

The Financial Accounting Standards Board just put crypto back at the top of its 2026 agenda.

They want clearer rules on crypto transfers (when moving assets actually creates a gain vs. when it doesn’t) and are revisiting whether some crypto like stablecoins should be treated more like cash.

They’re also looking at intangibles like software and IP, which drive company value but barely show up on balance sheets.

2026 is round two of crypto accounting, so expect to hear a lot more about this all year.

🕵️‍♂️ The Audit

Are you an outlier or the industry standard? Vote in our new weekly pulse check, and we’ll share the results next issue.

Last poll results:

Everyone thinks overspending comes from one big dumb purchase. It doesn’t. It’s lifestyle creep, kids, and convenience. The boring stuff adds up way faster than the flashy stuff.

New Poll ⬇️

 📊 Weekly Trend Chart

College isn’t a golden ticket anymore.

Nearly 43 million Americans make under $20 an hour.
And here’s the surprising part: over 7 million of them have a college or advanced degree.

Education helps, but it doesn’t guarantee good pay.
Skills, leverage, and where you work matter way more than people admit.

#😂 Meme of the Day

Can I??😂