Staff
The U.S. Department of Labor has stated, ”one of the most common reasons for deficient accountants’ reports is the failure of the auditor to perform tests in areas unique to employee benefit plan audits. The more training and experience that an auditor has with employee benefit plan audits, the more familiar the auditor will be with benefit plan practices and operations, as well as the special auditing standards and rules that apply to such plans.”
You are assured a quality audit since all of our staff is specifically trained in auditing benefit plans. Our resources and research library is extensive and we have established a very comprehensive step by step audit approach. Our audits are subject to peer review and all such reviews have been “clean” or unqualified. Our staff training includes very thorough yet stream-lined testing procedures particularly in the area of participant accounts and participant-initiated transactions. Our staff has learned to assimilate plan document provisions and financial audit procedures to ensure your highest level of plan compliance and value-added consulting.
Peggy Haflinger, CPA
As managing partner of Haflinger & Associates, Peggy provides auditing and consulting services to employee benefit plans especially 401(k) plans. She has served three years on the AICPA national committee on Employee Benefits Taxation, submitting comments on proposed pension legislation to the IRS and congressional committees. Peggy was the primary co-author of the AICPA publication entitled, 401(k) Plan Practice Guide. She has served on conference steering committees for both the AICPA and the Western Pension & Benefits Conference. Her public speaking engagements on pension plan topics were presented at the AICPA National Conference on Employee Benefit Plans, the American Woman’s Society of CPA’s, the California Society of CPA’s, the Western Pension & Benefits Conference and others. Her professional memberships include:
- Employee Benefit Plan Audit Quality Center of the AICPA
- California Society of CPA’s
- Western Pension & Benefits Conference
- Past president of the American Woman’s Society of CPA’s
Peggy graduated magna cum laude from San Diego State University with a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration with an emphasis in Accounting. Peggy’s initial audit training in the early 1980’s was with a “Big 8” CPA firm. She resides with her family in San Diego where they enjoy kayaking, surfing, hiking and skiing.
“The world of accounting and auditing has evolved into an ever-changing and complex body of knowledge that can ‘trap’ auditors that are unfamiliar with a specific industry. Of course the larger CPA firms usually have a practice emphasis on employee benefit plans and that typically varies by location. Oftentimes, a local CPA firm that caters to a wide variety of services may not have the appropriate partner-level dedication to the benefit plan industry. I’m often asked why I specialize in the audits of employee benefit plans and I’m quick to quip, “Its fun and rewarding to be an expert at something!”.
