CPE & Event Calendar

Want to automatically update the date and time on your spreadsheet? Or pick text strings from other cells to automatically copy and update to a different cell? You will learn how to incorporate text, date and time functions in your spreadsheet that will make data entry a breeze. In this webinar, we will focus on Text functions and Date & Time functions. In the Text function section, you will learn how to use the various Text functions to join and separate text entries as well as formatting the results. In the Date & Time function section, you will learn how to perform various date and time calculations. This session is presented using Excel 2013. Regardless of the version you are using, ALL concepts covered in this course apply to ALL versions of Excel. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Payroll is among the most common tasks an employer undertakes in the course of running their business. At it's most basic level, payroll consists of an agreement between an employer and employee related to compensation for services. However, once you look under the hood, there is so much more to payroll, including various kinds of compensation, payroll taxes and required reporting on government forms. Ethics in payroll is present in every step in the payroll process, from handling employee confidential information and dealing with pay, compensation and fringe benefits, to acting as an intermediary on behalf of federal, state, and local governments in the collection and remittance of payroll taxes. All levels of payroll staff- from payroll processor to payroll manager to CEO - encounter ethical considerations in their conduct when dealing with payroll matters. This course will discuss ethics as it pertains to payroll. Attendees will leave with a comprehensive framework for ethical decision making in the payroll function, as well as some real-life examples of what happens when stakeholders in the payroll process make the decision to decouple ethics from payroll. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Good managers know how to delegate, but it can be a challenge to manage employees who are more interested in passing the buck than being responsible. Lack of ownership and responsibility can bog down processes and shut down projects. This workshop will help you create a game plan for building a culture of accountability with your team.

A common challenge for the controller role is in closing the month-end and period-end books in preparation to issue financial statements. This duty requires precision, timing and efficiency. In today’s digital world, many organizations have access to financial accounting software that will assist with the steps in the financial close. However, even with this aid it is critical the accountant understand the various steps for the close process and how they inter-relate to other accounting processes. This course gives you an insight into the inter-relationships between many processes that impact the financial close. The closing process has traditionally been a slow one with many companies taking two weeks to close its subsidiary’s books and another two to three weeks to roll up and consolidated the results. With the introduction of technology much has been done to help accelerate that process with integrated enterprise resource planning systems and general ledger and consolidate software. Within this segment we will discuss the elements of the financial close and also important concepts to assist the controller in accelerating their close timeline. This includes addressing all functional areas of the close including payroll, invoicing, payables, inventory, cash, and the general ledger. We will also discuss important concepts of ensuring your financial close is accurate by discussing bank reconciliations, overhead allocations, bad debt reserves, unpaid wages and accruals for vacation time, account reconciliations, deprecation and overall financial statement review. Note: This course does not address utilizing technology in the financial close. Its focus is to understand the varied procedures involved in the financial close whether or not technology is utilized.  

Forensic accounting, forensic accountancy or financial forensics is the specialty practice area of accounting that investigates whether firms engage in financial reporting misconduct. Forensic accountants apply a range of skills and methods to determine whether there has been financial reporting misconduct. Financial forensic engagements may fall into several categories. For example: Economic damages calculations, whether suffered through tort or breach of contract. Post-acquisition disputes such as earnouts or breaches of warranties Bankruptcy, insolvency and reorganization Securities and tax fraud Money laundering Business valuation Computer forensics/e-discovery This session is designed to delve into further investigative procedures used including digital forensics. Future sessions will focus on computer forensics, network forensics and mobile forensics.  

Audit Documentation - Creating Workpapers That Pass Review is an important foundational course. Proper documentation is essential to a high-quality audit and other assurance services, as auditors are required to prepare and maintain documentation to demonstrate that sufficient and appropriate audit evidence was obtained to support the auditor's opinion. It is critical for workpapers to provide a clear understanding of the nature, timing and extent of procedures applied, the results of those procedures, source of evidence obtained, and conclusions reached. Both audit effectiveness and efficiency are directly impacted by the nature and extent of audit documentation. Note: This course is a part of a recommended 16-hour audit skills curriculum for beginning staff. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

First, in a four-part series, new and experienced leaders dive deeper into the keys to becoming more effective leaders. In this course, we'll explore the journey as you move from an individual contributor to the role of a supervisor or manager. Explore the mindset shift accompanying your updated role and responsibilities to set you up for success. Determine the type of leader you want to be and identify specific growth areas in your leadership. Be sure to register for each course in this series: New Manager Series: Making the Shift from Individual Contributor to Supervisor 2024 New Manager Series: Balancing Leadership & Likeability 2024 New Manager Series: Making the Shift from Individual Contributor to Supervisor 2024 New Manager Series: The How To's of Leading 2024

Accounting and finance professionals have used different forms of automation over the years to improve the efficiency and accuracy of their work. So far, technology has not been able to replace the knowledge, experience, and decision-making of seasoned professionals. Times are rapidly changing. Today, systems easily exceed humans in accuracy and consistency. Artificial intelligence (AI) brings opportunities for accountants and finance professionals in the short term to improve efficiency and accuracy, while providing more value for businesses and customers alike. In the long term, AI will offer profound changes to how professionals work and process data. This course is designed to review where we are and where we are headed in the world of AI.

This CPE course provides an overview and changes with respect to ASU 2016-14 Presentation of Financial Statements and ASU 2016-18 Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents in Statement of Cash Flows for Not-for-Profit Entities. This course provides common pitfalls and tips on functional expense reporting and, how to manage liquid resources, common peer review findings related to ASU 2016-14, and tips and suggestions on a successful audit. This course also reviews items to consider, given COVID-19, when preparing for an audit and reviewing financial statements. The instructor will explain the key facts and impacts of ASU 2018-08 Clarifying the Scope and Accounting Guidance for Contributions Received and Contributions Made, ASU 2019-03: Updating the Definition of Collections, ASU 2019-06: Extending the Private Company Accounting Alternatives on Goodwill and Certain Identifiable Intangibles to NFP Entities, and ASU 2020-07 Presentation and Disclosures by NFP Entities for Contributed Nonfinancial Assets. Lastly, this course will cover Cybersecurity Issues. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, understanding the interplay between generative AI and data protection is not just an asset, but a necessity. This transformative course is designed to delve deep into the crucial privacy, security, and compliance aspects of working with Generative AI (GenAI) technologies. As accountants increasingly integrate AI tools into their workflows, the stakes for safeguarding sensitive information and ensuring ethical AI practices have never been higher. Our masterclass is tailored to meet the unique needs of modern accountants, providing a thorough and practical exploration of how to navigate the complexities of secure data sharing with GPT models, implement robust AI policies, and master the intricacies of AI copyright compliance. With a focus on real-world applications and emerging threats, such as deepfakes and their implications for fraud and misinformation, this course is your gateway to becoming a trusted expert in the field. Join us to future-proof your career and lead with confidence in the digital age. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

CPA's are responsible for understanding (1) the presence of fraudulent activity, (2) that financial reports are complete and accurate, and (3) applying the going concern principle to a business. Appropriate cybersecurity controls, processes and oversight directly impact these three areas. Fraud Bad actors can exploit systems with weak security controls to perform fraud. The increasing prevalence of hacked systems reflect this. Bad actors are stealing data, intellectual property, financial assets, and other information. Digital fraud is becoming more prevalent and can be substantially more damaging than historical types of fraud. Not only can digital fraud result in financial loss, but it can subject companies to expensive lawsuits, damage reputations and can even put a company out of business. Complete & Accurate Financial Reports Having cybersecurity controls on systems and networks is critical to ensure information reported in financial statements is complete and accurate. Data residing in financial reports is processed, stored and transmitted using IT Systems. It is important for CPA's to understand the required cybersecurity controls to prevent or detect inaccurate data in financial reports. Going Concern With an increasing volume of system hacks (e.g. Target, Experian, Sony, and most recently the US Government), it is no longer "if" you're going to get hacked, it is "When." If organizations do not have appropriate cybersecurity controls in place to protect against an attack, then a malicious hack can put them out of business. An organization's cybersecurity posture should be a factor in evaluating the Principle of Going Concern. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Why do for profit organizations exist??? To make money!!!!! What a great concept. But if the organization does not have the proper collections and credit procedures in place, they may not be able to access that money. Hence the importance of the credit and collection process. Credit and collections are critical areas for the financial statement controllers. Customer credit is a form of payment that allows small business customers to purchase a product or service before paying for it in full. The process works similarly to the way a credit card does - you procure something and pay it back later. Collections is a term used by a business when referring to money owed to that business by a customer. When a customer does not pay within the terms specified, the amount of the bill becomes past due and is sometimes submitted to a collection agency. The sales and collection process includes business activities related to selling products and services, maintaining customer records, billing customers, and recording payments from customers. It also includes activities necessary to manage accounts receivable, such as aging accounts and authorizing credit.  This course delves into the topics that impact the sales, credit and collections process for management. We discuss strategic steps management can take to ensure their processes are efficient and that they are able to actually collect their revenue.  

One of the most significant challenges facing auditors is the prevalence of fraud that exists in today's business environment. All auditors should have a working knowledge of the requirements in professional literature regarding fraud. We will cover the issues that all auditors need to know about fraud and the people who commit fraud. This course will provide horror stories about frauds that have occurred and how they were detected. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

This program analyzes and applies the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct and other sources of ethical guidance to actual scenario-based case studies, providing accounting professionals with ethical standards to integrate into their practices. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Every organization today is facing an onslaught of pressure to master Artificial Intelligence “AI” strategies across their enterprises. Never before have we witnessed such a steep expectation for how a “technology” can transform a business, and never before have we been expected to leverage a technology so quickly and so completely.  There is no denying AI presents perhaps the opportunity of a lifetime to transform and improve operations, but to date few plans or roadmaps on how to unlock the promise of AI exist. In this class, Steve Cadigan, a globally renowned future of work expert, will present a practical plan for how you can build your own AI strategy, and how you can thrive in the AI revolution. Steve will show present a roadmap of how to build your confidence with AI to address this massive change management challenge.

We all know that Fraud Happens. But, why? Why do people we think we can trust let us down? This session will explore the minds of white-collar criminals and examine some recent high-profile fraud cases. Why did they do it? How did they do it? What were the warning signs? If you think that fraud cannot happen to your organization, this session might give you pause.

Leaders have the right to exercise customary management functions.  Employees have the right to be kept free from discrimination.  Neither employer rights nor employee rights are absolute.  The courts are equally protective of the rights of employees and employers.  A courtroom is the wrong place for anyone to find this out.  This course provides practical knowledge on how to effectively balancing these two sets of rights, such that employees and leaders stay out of court. Employers avoid lawsuits, rather than win lawsuits.

Many practitioners dealing with government and not-for-profit issues are asked to serve as expert witnesses in courts of law or other adjudicatory venues.  This session will discuss key issues you need to know when you are asked to serve in this capacity, including: Applicable standards and other engagement acceptance considerations. Preparation requirements and techniques. Dos and don'ts of testifying. Avoiding commons traps and tricks designed to undermine your effectiveness. The session will conclude with a “mock cross-examination” with participants serving as the jury to identify what our witness does right and what he does wrong.

Valuation techniques and cash management activities are two other tool categories that can round out your analytical toolbox. In this course we will initially discuss how to turn your financial plan into a powerful valuation engine.  We then will discuss the formation of an efficient cash management program based on solid banker relationships.  Finally, we will review Ten Steps for keeping your financial toolbox full.

Leading change now ranks in the top three leader skills of the future. As audit, risk management, and governance are relied on more and more in organizational decision-making, the need to lead change is paramount. Leaders and practitioners at all levels must oversee or manage change in today's environment. Whether you are a CEO, small business owner, or individual practitioner, you lead change in your environment. In this session, learn how to lead change BETTER because everyone is a leader of someone. Build alignment with those you lead and work with, motivate and inspire, and model the behaviors that drive change. This session breaks down strategies into manageable steps that anyone can cultivate. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.