What Verdica's 656 score means for Jeffery Stegenga
Jeffery Stegenga's composite score of 656 out of 850 places him in the "elevated risk" band (580–669), one notch above high risk but noticeably below the acceptable threshold of 670. This grade B score suggests that while Stegenga operates within regulatory requirements, there are meaningful gaps or concerns that warrant scrutiny before engaging his services.
A score in the elevated range does not mean an accounting provider is unsafe or non-compliant across the board. Rather, it reflects a profile with unresolved friction points—whether in licensing alignment, audit quality findings, or regulatory history—that create measurable uncertainty. For a business owner or organization considering Stegenga, this score is a caution flag, not a stop sign. It means doing additional due diligence is prudent: asking specific questions about his practice scope, checking references directly, and understanding what regulatory concerns underlie the score.
The absence of independent customer reviews in Verdica's index means you cannot yet cross-reference this score against real client experiences. This absence itself carries weight: newer providers, smaller practices, or those with limited public visibility often lack review data. That does not explain the score, but it does mean the regulatory findings carry proportionally more interpretive weight in forming a complete picture.
How the sub-scores break down
License & Credentials (340/850): This is Stegenga's weakest dimension. A score of 340 suggests material gaps or irregularities in his state licensure or professional credentials as tracked by the Texas state accounting board. This could reflect incomplete renewal, credential lapses, restricted licenses, or misalignment between his stated scope of practice and his active registrations. In the accounting field, credentials are a baseline gate—they signal legal authority to perform specific work. A low score here is the primary driver of his elevated overall risk profile.
PCAOB Record (810/850): This score is strong and is Stegenga's relative strength. The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board publishes audit inspection findings for firms and practitioners involved in public company audits. A PCAOB score of 810 indicates that his audit work—as measured against PCAOB standards—has not surfaced systemic quality failures or repeated deficiencies. This suggests his technical audit work and documentation practices are reasonably sound.
Disciplinary (850/850): A perfect score here means no formal disciplinary actions are recorded in the state or PCAOB databases. Stegenga has no public sanctions, censures, or enforcement actions on file. This is a favorable indicator and reflects compliance with professional conduct standards at the regulatory level.
What regulators in TX track for accounting providers
Texas state accounting boards and the PCAOB monitor several compliance dimensions:
State Licensure: Texas requires CPAs and accounting firms to maintain active registrations and meet continuing education standards. Lapses, restrictions, or misalignments between a provider's license and their advertised services are tracked and flagged.
PCAOB Audit Inspections: For practitioners involved in public company audits, the PCAOB conducts annual or triennial inspections, reviewing audit files, quality control processes, and compliance with auditing standards. Repeated findings (particularly "deficiencies") can degrade scores over time.
Disciplinary Records: State boards and PCAOB maintain public records of complaints, investigations, and enforcement actions—censures, fines, suspensions, or revocations.
These data sources do not capture client satisfaction, pricing, turnaround time, or service scope breadth. They focus purely on regulatory compliance and audit quality—a necessary but incomplete picture.
Bottom line
Stegenga's 656 score indicates a provider operating in a regulated space but with noted compliance friction, primarily in credentials or licensure standing. Before engaging, verify his current licenses directly with the Texas state board, clarify his permitted scope of work, and ask for client references. The strong PCAOB and disciplinary scores suggest his audit work quality is sound, but the low credentials score needs explanation.