2026 grads face tough job market

Do money talks make your family squirm more than politics? In this Thanksgiving mailbag, Blake and David dig into a Bankrate survey on taboo money chats, the grim 2026 grad job market, and the maze of CPA experience sign-offs after NASBA’s program vanished. You’ll hear practical career advice (big firm vs. small, starting bookkeeping), what AI can and can’t do for accountants today, plus news on audit partners’ outlook and tariff shifts hitting grocery bills.

Chapters

• (01:14) - Listener Mailbag: Top Messages of the Year
• (02:05) - Thanksgiving Dinner Conversations: Money vs. Politics
• (06:11) - Listener Questions: CPA Licensing Challenges
• (12:07) - NASBA Data Issues and CPA Exam Pass Rates
• (13:24) - Economic Optimism Among Audit Partners
• (17:22) - Political News: Tariff Rollbacks
• (19:03) - Career Advice for Accounting Students
• (26:47) - AI's Impact on Accounting Careers
• (27:34) - AI's Current Capabilities and Limitations
• (31:10) - Future of AI in Accounting
• (34:49) - Challenges in Accounting Education
• (40:51) - Listener Mail and Feedback
• (46:23) - Accounting News and Stories

Show Notes

Companies Predict 2026 Will Be the Worst College Grad Job Market in Five Years
https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/careers/2026-graduates-job-market-7928bcd7

Survey: Americans would rather discuss politics or religion than what's in their bank accounts 

https://www.bankrate.com/banking/financial-taboos-survey/

Audit partners feel more optimistic about economy
https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/audit-partners-feel-more-optimistic-about-economy

Trump lowers tariffs on coffee, beef and fruits, as Americans' concerns about affordability grow 

https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/14/economy/lower-tariffs-coffee-beef-bananas-produce

Georgia Accountant Arrested After Allegedly Tearing Down Trump Sign, Shooting at North Carolina Man's House

https://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/2025/10/24/georgia-accountant-arrested-after-allegedly-tearing-down-trump-sign-shooting-at-north-carolina-mans-house/171649/

Measuring AI Ability to Complete Long Tasks 

https://metr.org/blog/2025-03-19-measuring-ai-ability-to-complete-long-tasks/

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Transcripts

The full transcript for this episode is available by clicking on the Transcript tab at the top of this page