In a recent post, I talked about the importance of verifying your sources, and, in response, many of you have asked me this: “How do I know if I can trust the information I find?” The short answer? You really can’t. Fake news and bad information are not new. Librarians have been curating collections for […]
You’re looking for a financial planner, a trusted adviser and professional. Where do you go? Maybe you try LetsMakeAPlan.org, a directory operated by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards. But, can you trust that your searches there will lead you to the right individual? According to a July 30th Wall Street Journal article, the […]
Due diligence background investigations and compliance background checks. It’s easy to get them confused. Both processes verify that people and companies are who they say they are, and they’re both used for risk reduction. They help you decide – Do you want to, can you, do business with these people or entities? But due diligence […]
Lately I’ve been reading a lot about M&A and other deal-making processes. I’m learning who’s involved, what steps need to be taken before signing on the dotted line, and the risks involved at each step. What I find most interesting, though, is that due diligence is usually listed as the step taken just before signing […]
As you can see, I’ve been away from blogging. In addition to taking care of our regular clients and working on an exciting new project, I’ve taken an actual vacation – one that didn’t involve firing up my laptop to do “just one thing.” Just some rest and relaxation at our favorite cottage in North […]
Checklists are a handy tool, especially in investigations. I use them a lot. They help me remember all the steps that need to be covered, and they’re great for getting back on track after going off script to follow an unexpected lead. But checklists need to be used with caution. As this news story highlights, […]
When I talk with clients about conducting an asset search on an individual or a company, whether it’s for due diligence purposes, litigation, or identifying fraud, I frequently come across several misconceptions about how these types of investigations work. Over time, I’ve noticed that these myths tend to fall into six general categories: 1. I […]
I recently attended the annual conference of the Association of Independent Information Professionals in Philadelphia. This is my 19th consecutive AIIP conference, and I make it my primary conference for the year. While I attend several others, this one is in my calendar, and everything fits in around that. It’s in my budget, too, so […]
I’m currently reading One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way by Robert Maurer, a book about taking small actions to ease into new habits. When we make any sort of change, we tend to aim for a major overhaul, which can be daunting – often preventing us from getting started. Instead, says, […]
As a researcher and investigator – and a former librarian – I’ve done a lot of online database searching. I’ve searched news, market research, public records, engineering documents, you name it. I’ve searched for information on any topic you can imagine, from silicon photonics to Jeff Zucker‘s career. I also teach other researchers and investigators […]
Confirming what you know and finding what you don't
Buyer beware: Can you trust your information sources?
September 3, 2019 / by Marcy Phelps / Information skills, Information sources / 0 comments
In a recent post, I talked about the importance of verifying your sources, and, in response, many of you have asked me this: “How do I know if I can trust the information I find?” The short answer? You really can’t. Fake news and bad information are not new. Librarians have been curating collections for […]
Read more
Due Diligence Hall of Shame: Trusting just one source
August 19, 2019 / by Marcy Phelps / Due diligence, Due diligence hall of shame, Information sources / 4 comments
You’re looking for a financial planner, a trusted adviser and professional. Where do you go? Maybe you try LetsMakeAPlan.org, a directory operated by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards. But, can you trust that your searches there will lead you to the right individual? According to a July 30th Wall Street Journal article, the […]
Read more
Five differences between compliance and due diligence
August 5, 2019 / by Marcy Phelps / Due diligence / 0 comments
Due diligence background investigations and compliance background checks. It’s easy to get them confused. Both processes verify that people and companies are who they say they are, and they’re both used for risk reduction. They help you decide – Do you want to, can you, do business with these people or entities? But due diligence […]
Read more
When to conduct a due diligence background investigation
July 22, 2019 / by Marcy Phelps / Due diligence / 2 comments
Lately I’ve been reading a lot about M&A and other deal-making processes. I’m learning who’s involved, what steps need to be taken before signing on the dotted line, and the risks involved at each step. What I find most interesting, though, is that due diligence is usually listed as the step taken just before signing […]
Read more
What I’m reading
July 8, 2019 / by Marcy Phelps / Odds & Ends / 0 comments
As you can see, I’ve been away from blogging. In addition to taking care of our regular clients and working on an exciting new project, I’ve taken an actual vacation – one that didn’t involve firing up my laptop to do “just one thing.” Just some rest and relaxation at our favorite cottage in North […]
Read more
The problem with checklists
May 29, 2019 / by Marcy Phelps / Investigative business / 10 comments
Checklists are a handy tool, especially in investigations. I use them a lot. They help me remember all the steps that need to be covered, and they’re great for getting back on track after going off script to follow an unexpected lead. But checklists need to be used with caution. As this news story highlights, […]
Read more
Six myths about asset investigations
May 6, 2019 / by Marcy Phelps / Investigations / 0 comments
When I talk with clients about conducting an asset search on an individual or a company, whether it’s for due diligence purposes, litigation, or identifying fraud, I frequently come across several misconceptions about how these types of investigations work. Over time, I’ve noticed that these myths tend to fall into six general categories: 1. I […]
Read more
Key takeaways from #AIIP19
April 22, 2019 / by Marcy Phelps / Investigative business / 0 comments
I recently attended the annual conference of the Association of Independent Information Professionals in Philadelphia. This is my 19th consecutive AIIP conference, and I make it my primary conference for the year. While I attend several others, this one is in my calendar, and everything fits in around that. It’s in my budget, too, so […]
Read more
10 small changes for transforming your client reports
April 1, 2019 / by Marcy Phelps / Reports / 4 comments
I’m currently reading One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way by Robert Maurer, a book about taking small actions to ease into new habits. When we make any sort of change, we tend to aim for a major overhaul, which can be daunting – often preventing us from getting started. Instead, says, […]
Read more
Online database searching: More than just finding
March 20, 2019 / by Marcy Phelps / Tips/Techniques / 2 comments
As a researcher and investigator – and a former librarian – I’ve done a lot of online database searching. I’ve searched news, market research, public records, engineering documents, you name it. I’ve searched for information on any topic you can imagine, from silicon photonics to Jeff Zucker‘s career. I also teach other researchers and investigators […]
Read more