CPE Catalog & Events

How well do you understand your organization’s cash flow? Good cash management techniques can provide a competitive advantage! This session shows you how to effectively measure and manage your cash conversion cycle. With a more complete understanding of how cash flows through your organization, you can eliminate impediments. Better cash management lowers your borrowing costs, reduces financing needs, and creates financial flexibility in your organization.

The AICPA has identified risk assessment as an area of focus for its Enhancing Audit Quality Initiative as deficiencies in auditor's risk assessment procedures continue to be a common issue identified in peer review. SAS No. 145, Understanding the Entity and Its Environment and Assessing the Risks of Material Misstatement, was written to improve the quality of risk-based audits. While key concepts do not fundamentally change, the standard works to clarify and enhance certain aspects of the identification and assessment of the risks of material misstatement to drive better risk assessments and hopefully overall enhance audit quality. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

For roughly 90% of American retirees, Social Security income will be the foundation of their retirement income. Yet, many are ill-prepared and lack understanding of the critical aspects of making an informed claiming decision. Further challenged to separate fact from fiction, consumers crave accurate information from knowledgeable professionals to make the most out of these coveted monthly benefits. This course dispels common myths about Social Security that lead to confusion and replaces them with the truth to an empowered retirement. Help your clients navigate their claiming age decisions with greater confidence, equipped with the essential truths they should consider before pushing the Social Security "on" button.

Stop struggling with PDFs! Adobe Acrobat and other PDF tools provide access to features that make working with PDF files a breeze. In this course, you will learn how to use tools and features such as PDF forms, redaction, converting PDFs to Word and Excel files, and electronic signatures. You will also learn how to create and apply tick marks, build indices, catalogs, and portfolios, and secure PDF documents to their fullest. The popularity and usefulness of PDFs increase daily, but most PDF users have not learned how to manipulate PDF documents effectively. Accordingly, they struggle and strain with these standard files. You do not need to let this be the case. Join us in this very timely session where you will learn the top features necessary to optimize your work with PDF documents.

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.  

Retaining Talent in a Competitive Marketplace -Creating a Benefits Program Employees Care About In today's competitive marketplace, retaining talented employees is becoming increasingly difficult. A solid benefits program can make a difference in the fight for talent - but only if those benefits matter to the employees you are trying to hire! Through statistics and case studies, this course will explore what benefits are most valuable to employees. We will also explore the basic types of retirement and health insurance plans and discuss what financial leaders should consider before adopting a benefits package. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

You don’t need an accounting degree to harness the power of Microsoft Excel. This course shows how Excel makes sense beyond dollars and cents. We will focus on fundamental concepts for creating, editing, and utilizing Excel content. Participants will learn how to use Excel’s menus and other functions to craft Excel workbooks. Because this course is designed for newer users, we intentionally offer a broad overview of Excel’s numerous capabilities with in-depth coverage of selected resources tailored for non-accounting applications.

This course offers a comprehensive exploration of the cannabis industry, delving into essential topics such as cannabis regulations, business models, financial management, and ethical considerations. A key focus is on distinguishing between Marijuana and Industrial Hemp, including their respective tax treatments. Participants will gain a thorough understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities within the cannabis sector, covering federal and state tax implications, licensing requirements, and market trends. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Effective governance is the cornerstone of any nonprofit organization. This course delves into the foundational elements of nonprofit governance, emphasizing fiduciary duties, board responsibilities, and best practices for board operations. Participants will explore key compliance requirements, risk management strategies, policy development, and regulatory obligations. By the end of the session, you'll be equipped with practical tools and insights to confidently navigate the complexities of nonprofit governance.

This course corresponds to our Controllership series. Within this course, we specifically address the Controllers role and pro-active potentials in organization Strategic and Annual Planning. This series of courses is dedicated to exploring the traditional controller role and stepping out of the box to identify areas where the Controller can add strategic value to their organizations. Controllers are essential to the day-to-day accounting for organizations. Yet, the role is not often readily understood. In today’s world of acronyms such as CFO, CEO, COO, CAO, etc. the Controller function may get lost in the shuffle. However, they are a critical group of professionals who ensure the adequacy and transparency of accounting and financial reporting information. When it comes to the task of strategic planning, many feel this role is primarily the responsibility of the executive team and board. However, in this course, we delve into the various steps of the strategic plan and explore where the Controller can add strategic value through providing functional input and insight. Strategic planning is a process used to identify goals, the strategies necessary to accomplish those goals, and the internal performance management system that will be used to monitor and evaluate progress.  

The difference between star performers and average ones in leadership roles is attributable largely to emotional intelligence (EQ). It’s surprising, then, that EQ is underrated as an essential ingredient for success in life and leadership. This presentation highlights the importance of EQ and provides participants with actionable tools to develop better relationships within and outside of the workplace, build healthy teams, and navigate constant change.

Discover how Microsoft 365 Copilot can revolutionize your daily tasks as a CPA. Dive into the specific features and functionalities of this AI-powered assistant. Learn how to leverage Copilot to enhance productivity, automate routine tasks, and improve collaboration within your team. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Tax planning is more than an estimated tax calculation, it's a process.  Where are we now and what can we change?  This timely program will highlight significant 2022-23 tax developments and discuss key tax planning ideas for your clients as you prepare for the upcoming tax season. Don’t wait until late December to start planning for your clients! **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.

Many team members now work remotely, whether by choice or necessity. As a result, questions abound about remote access to desktops and data, security, communications, collaboration, and other considerations in this new normal. When implemented correctly, remote work strategies can be a “win-win” for all involved; however, failed implementations may lead to inefficiencies, security issues, and dissatisfied team members. This session will teach you today’s best practices for working remotely. Specifically, you will learn about various remote access tools, communication and collaboration options, and security best practices. You will also learn about managing and monitoring workflows in remote work environments and tools you can use. After completing this session, you can implement a remote work strategy that yields efficiency, security, and satisfaction to all involved.

In this five part master series, class participants will gain a comprehensive view into the world of forensic data analytics (FDA). From understanding practical use cases of FDA in the audit, internal audit, investigations and proactive monitoring to understanding necessary data sources, validation proceudres, success factors and pitfalls to avoid. We will also explore hundreds of leading anti-fraud tests around corruption, conflicts of interest, fake vendor schemes, segregation of duties, revenue recognition and sales abuse, among dozens of other schemes.  Participants will develop their own library of anti-fraud tests from various open source locations and apply them in relevant contexts such as the COSO Fraud Risk Management Guide. Finally, participants will also peek into future innovations in FDA and how technologies such as ChatGPT, data visualization, machine learning, AI and cryptocurrencies are all impacting the discipline.  We can't promise you'll be a programmer after this course, but you will certainly be armed with the information needed to project manage an FDA project and "direct" the programmers to accomplish your fraud risk / FDA objectives.  

The IRS recently released the new Form 7217 for 2024, designed for a partner to report distributions of property received from a partnership. This course dives into the complexity of the partnership distribution rules and their application to the new form, as well as discuss liquidating a partner's interest, Section 751 and the Section 754 election. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Technology adoption often comes with resistance, but it's possible to transform this challenge into an opportunity for growth. This course explores the journey from resistance to resilience in embracing new technologies, focusing on overcoming barriers and ensuring successful implementation. Participants will examine cutting-edge audit technologies, including AI, data analytics, and automation, and learn how to align these innovations with both organizational and personal goals. Through case studies, insights into the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), and practical discussions, participants will gain the tools and strategies to foster acceptance, driving seamless integration of new technology into both individual tasks and team workflows.

Financial forecasting is an important part of any successful business. It enables businesses to plan for the future and anticipate scenarios based on strategy. The controller helps forecast financials by calculating future revenue and income streams. In recent years, corporate finance has undergone many dramatic changes due to the growth of a number of high-tech tools. The responsibilities/competencies of the Financial Controller position (FC) has changed in recent years To maximize performance, Controllers must be aware of how the FC position is changing, and how they must adjust to these changes. There are many types and methods of financial forecasting. This course will review the most prevalent forecasts and relative methods being used.

Gear up for tax season with Steve Dilley's annual update! This program provides an update to the latest tax developments, rules and regulations affecting both business and individual taxpayers, including a review and integration of 2024-25 legislation.   *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

What do people say about you when you leave the room? Is it what you want them to say? How you show up in the room, get listened to, build trust, and are known amongst your colleagues are all critical components of your future success. In this workshop Michelle Tillis Lederman, CEO and Founder of Executive Essentials, will discuss how to determine you brand attributes, demonstrate the nuances of body language on your professional presence, and discuss how to strengthen trust and the lasting impressions you make on your network, expanding upon lessons from her books The Connectors; Advantage and The 11 Laws of Likability.