CPE Catalog & Events

Numbers and especially the digits within those numbers can conceal a lot of information.  Benford's Law and other digital analysis techniques can be the keys to unlocking that information.  This session will explain what Benford's Law is, how it works, and how it can be used to reveal bogus information and made-up data.  Accountants and auditors should understand how to use this valuable audit tool as well as other digital analysis techniques.  But, if you attend this session, you must promise not to reveal the secret behind these techniques to any fraud perpetrators.

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.  The same theory applies to departmental performance—the overall result is only as strong as its weakest contributor.  Leave our interactive and entertaining session with insight for developing and sustaining the best team you can possibly assemble.  The four elements in this process are (1) development, (2) leadership, (3) hiring and (4) environment.  Discuss how to effectively use these elements in your creation of an outstanding organization. Discover the power of the 10 Attributes for Leadership Success and the negative impact of Leadership’s Fatal 13. Above all, learn how to combine these four elements as a successful catalyst for sustained high-quality output and results.  

Governmental Accounting 101, is a 2 hour webcast that takes the participant of a whirlwind tour of governmental accounting basics, focusing on wetting the participant’s appetite for more.  This session will be the first of a series of webcasts, with each subsequent webcast delving deeper and deeper into the governmental accounting basics. 

An operational audit is a method of examining how an organization conducts business. It identifies areas where an entity can improve to be more effective and efficient. This course will focus on how to plan and perform operational audits, as well as delivering value-added recommendations as a result.

We all make predictions in our personal and professional lives. We base our decisions to marry, buy a house, launch a new product or hire staff on expectations about the future. In the past few years, research into improving predictions has advanced. We will look at this research and current best practices in forecasting to help us prepare better budgets and projections. 

Financial Acumen for the HR Professional is a part of the series "The HR Professional's Guide to Evolving Business Strategy, Finance and Development." This course identifies how HR Professionals can increase their financial understanding to participate more effectively with management as well as understand the financial results and implications for the business.

Network forensics - defined as the investigation of network traffic patterns and data captured in transit between computing devices - can provide insight into the source and extent of an attack. It is used in forensic accounting and with the expansion of information technology it has become a growing field. Network forensics is a relatively new field of forensic science. Computing has become network centric. Data is now available outside of disk-based digital evidence. Network forensics can be performed as a standalone investigation or alongside a computer forensics analysis. When used alongside a computer forensic analysis it is used to reveal links between digital devices or reconstruct how a crime was committed. Network investigations deal with volatile and dynamic information and is a sub-branch of digital forensics. It relates to the monitoring and analysis of computer network traffic for information gathering, legal evidence, or intrusion detection. This course is a complement to our other courses in the series on becoming a forensic accountant.  

This course explores the best practices for hiring remotely while leveraging personality assessments to make more informed decisions. Learn how to effectively integrate personality testing into your recruitment process to identify candidates who are the right fit for your team, even from a distance.

LinkedIn is considered by many to be one of the most impressive growth stories in the history of technology companies in Silicon Valley. In just 16 years it grew from nothing into a game changing company in a new industry and the performance of the company and the stock broke all kinds of records. The untold story of LinkeIn's success is that they grew a world class company and a world class team in the midst of a massive war for talent where their competitors for talent (Google, Facebook, Apple and more) could out pay and out perk and out benefit them. They grew a company when all the leaders had never built a company before. Despite the odds the leadership team succeeded and built a company and a culture that many still consider the gold standard. Steve Cadigan was at the epicenter of this growth as the first Chief HR Officer of LinkeIn and he delivers a front row seat to the wild and crazy and amazing ride that took LinkedIn from an unknown career destination into one of the top places to work in the world! Steve delivers a first hand account of lessons learned, mistakes made and what it was like to be facing a situation he had never faced before - hypergrowth. Wherever you are in your learning journey you will enjoy this class.

This webinar will explore embracing and supporting neurodiversity in the workplace, promoting inclusivity, and creating a more diverse and dynamic environment.

In this introductory course, you'll learn the fundamentals of integrating forensic data analytics into your anti-fraud risk management program. We will cover key definitions, use cases, methodologies and some of the leading innovations and techniques driving this ever-evolving field of "finding hidden money."

A multitude of tax changes have are currently taking place, challenging tax practitioner to stay well-informed. This 4 hour program will cover tax developments specific to business, including new court decisions, recent IRS publications, and the latest tax legislation that will impact individuals.  The remaining time will be spent on IRS procedure and other issues. This course will provide a concise look at the hottest topics affecting every tax practitioner.  **Please Note:  If you need credit reported to the IRS for this IRS approved program, please download the IRS CE request form on the Course Materials Tab and submit to kori.herrera@acpen.com.  

Navigating the complexities of estate and trust administration is a vital skill for professionals, who play an integral role in the administration team. This comprehensive course is designed to equip professionals with a thorough understanding of their responsibilities and the processes involved in estate administration, enhancing their ability to address estate settlement issues effectively. Participants will be provided with a detailed overview of the professional’s role in estate and trust administration, emphasizing practical insights and strategies for managing assets, addressing the legitimacy of debts and creditors, and ensuring the proper distribution of assets. **Please Note:  If you need credit reported to the IRS for this IRS approved program, please download the IRS CE request form on the Course Materials Tab and submit to kori.herrera@acpen.com.

This course provides a high-level overview of the most important issues facing nonprofit entities and their auditors.  The focus of this course is on explaining the theory behind major issues and trends, enabling professionals to understand the most important aspects of relevant professional and regulatory standards related to reliable financial reporting for nonprofit entities.      

The budgeting process can be a time consuming and frustrating process for accountants.  The constraints and pressures can lead to poor decisions in both the technical and human components.  This series will offer solutions to the budgeting woes from both the big picture and in the details.    Budget Mastery: Process, Problems, and Solutions The budgeting process can be a mundane one for accountants. Let’s be realistic and agree that even the word “budget” does not bring excitement to you and your departmental colleagues.  The constraints and pressures can lead to poor decisions in both the technical and human components.  This session is the first part of a four part series and will cover the big picture of keeping the process fresh, pragmatic and useful. We discuss these keys in an engaging manner by discussing both our flaws and strengths, including how to build on these characteristics towards an enjoyable solutions-based method that should deliver effective results for your organization.  Budget Mastery: Walkthroughs and Real World Calculations Towards Tying Budgets to Value This session takes a unique review of the fundamental budget issues faced by all and walks through a detailed modeling process intended to generate discussion and best practices to improve your organization’s financial modeling.  From the beginning of the accounting process – ‘the chart of accounts’ to the end of the process – ‘the valuation of the company’, the budgeting cycle via a live case model to learn best practices common to successful companies.   This course stands on its own but is part two of a four part budget mastery series. Budget Mastery: The Human Side of Budgeting-Navigating People's issues with 360 Insight You have a fantastic budget, but certain players are not pleased. Financial plans have a technical component and human component.  We can resolve some of our budget issues by exploring the process’ human aspect.  Understanding what makes you and others operate can enhance your understanding of the entire organization and build upon the respect and influence needed to navigate and lead the budgeting cycle. This session includes a case study that measures an individual’s personality type and then explores how to use our strengths and weaknesses to create a better budget process and quite frankly maybe a better you.  This is a great and fun course on its own, but is also part three of a four part series on budget mastery. Budget Mastery: From Numbers to Narrative: Effectively Presenting Your Budget and Reporting  Perhaps the most important element of the budget process is its communication.  If management does not understand the budget – there is an issue. Knowing the right ways to communicate at all levels is essential to stakeholders laying an ownership claim to successful budgets.  This session reveals several key guidelines in successful budget presentations and will identify key problems in how people often communicate financial plans. Presenting your budget and reporting is the final part of a four part series, but can easily stand on its own course that is intended to be fun, enjoyable and educational.

This course in part of our series on the Controllership Role. Internal control is relevant to everyone in the workplace. It represents our moral responsibility to understand and comply with organization policies and procedures. It also provides the means to hold individuals accountable for their work. The controller is an impactful position that affects a company's processes including financial, compliance and operational. Controller functions vary across companies often following the size and complexity of the business and the industry. Smaller companies require more versatility for the controller Larger companies are more able to segregate job responsibilities across other employees. The controller should be knowledgeable of the various controls to create a control system that will appropriately safeguard company assets and processes. Internal controls are typically comprised of control activities such as authorization, documentation, reconciliation, security and segregation of duties.

Master the essential skills to build a high-performing team with our online course on interviewing, onboarding, and training. This comprehensive program dives into proven best practices for identifying top talent, creating a seamless onboarding experience, and fostering a culture of continuous development. Whether you’re a seasoned manager or new to hiring, this course equips you with the tools to make confident decisions, engage new hires effectively, and set your team up for success from day one.

This webinar aims to provide HR professionals with a comprehensive understanding of mental illness and depression under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). It will cover key aspects of the law, provide practical advice, and address common challenges.

In this course, we will explore the various types of data - both structured and unstructured - used in conducting fraud risk investigations and proactive monitoring. We will explore the various tools available on the market and techniques to confirm completeness and accuracy of the data before the analysis begins.  The course will cover the process for selecting the right data sources to align with the various risks as well as pitfalls to avoid when preparing the data for analysis. 

This another course in our series on the controllership function. The controller's role encompasses many traditional responsibilities. The breadth and depth of the controller skill set has expanded and will continue to expand as the business world evolves. The controller position will typically lead teams of financial and accounting experts. Recognizing that leadership and team management skills are must-haves; they need to be able to command their team's respect, inspire them to act, and ensure that such actions are aligned with your organization's overall vision. These skills, along with tactical knowledge will ensure the controller's success.