CPE Catalog & Events

In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, accounting professionals are expected to be more than just number crunchers, they are expected to be insightful interpreters of data. In an era where data is king, this course is your gateway to becoming a savvy data analyst, giving you a competitive edge in your field. We will guide you through the intricacies of making complex data analysis approachable and engaging. You will learn the all important Data Analysis Process Flow that will take you from collecting data all the way to making insightful decisions based upon your data. We will explore the basics of data modeling that will allow you to access data from multiple sources and use sophisticated calculations to create our data metrics. You will learn how to create interactive dashboards, perform sophisticated reporting, and uncover deep insights from your data. Whether you're looking to streamline your reporting process, enhance your data visualization skills, or make more data-driven decisions, this course is tailored to meet those needs. It's not just about learning a tool; it's about enhancing your professional identity as a forward-thinking accounting professional. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

This course is a refresher of the more significant SSARS requirements for preparation, compilation and review engagements. Includes discussion of SSARS 26 and SSARS 27.

Participants will review how to maintain a heightened awareness of fraud with clients and gain a better understanding of how to detect fraud. This interactive workshop, designed for practitioners in small and medium-sized CPA firms, will include a lecture with generous time for questions and case studies to reinforce the concepts.

Internal control issues often arise in QuickBooks Online environments. However, that need not be the case! In this session, you will learn about internal control features that can help you maximize your QBO experience while simultaneously reducing risk.

This course provides an overview of standards for preparation services, accountants' risks, and strategies to minimize risks. The course objective is to furnish current guidance and examples from the AICPA's professional standards for financial statement preparation so that you can apply these to reduce the risk of material misstatements caused by fraud or by error. In addition, this course covers the AICPA's guidance about professional judgments when providing preparation engagements.  Together with the four-hour course "Start-up and Small-Business Financial Statements: Issues and Fraud," these two courses meet the eight-hour accounting CPE requirement for accountants that prepare financial statements for clients but do not perform client audits, reviews or compilations.

We tend to focus on fighting today's fires without spending adequate time on bigger, more important risks inherent in today's inter-connected, competitive world. This seminar drills down into four commonly overlooked business risks, looking at how to anticipate, manage, mitigate or exploit them. We will discuss the professional obligations of the board and executive management to assess risks and the responsibility of internal and external auditors to evaluate the adequacy of these assessments.

With the increasing complexity and ever-changing nature of tax laws and issues, today’s accountant needs a one-day update course focusing on business income tax issues with an emphasis of newly enacted income tax legislation. This comprehensive class will not only review the current Federal business income tax laws but will also update tax return preparers of new tax forms, changes to existing tax forms, as well as tax planning opportunities and pitfalls. This is a “must-attend” course for all tax practitioners who want to be up to speed quickly and have a successful Federal business income tax filing season.   *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 terri.storer@acpen.com    

This course provides a focused analysis of the individual and small business provisions in Pub. L. 119-21 (H.R.1), "One Big Beautiful Bill." Tailored for tax professionals working with Form 1040 filers, the course explores impactful updates, from the no-tax-on-tips provision to enhanced bonus depreciation. Designed to inform planning strategies and compliance for the 2025 tax year and beyond. Participants will gain actionable insight into newly proposed deductions and expanded credits. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Overview: Understanding your company's financial health requires more than just traditional metrics. This webinar is designed to reveal deeper insights through advanced, underutilized financial ratios. In this session, accounting and finance professionals will explore metrics such as operating leverage, free cash flow yield, and margin of safety-tools that go beyond standard ratios to deliver nuanced perspectives on profitability, risk exposure, and operational efficiency. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

This course corresponds to our Controllership series. This course is dedicated to exploring the traditional controller role and stepping out of the box to identify areas where the controller can continue to add strategic value to their organizations. Within this segment of our controllership series, we discuss the area of cash and investments and explore how the controller can move these responsibilities into more of a strategic role. In today’s world, the role of cash management is often a pivotal role in the organization. In economically difficult times, controllers may find that they spend a great deal of their time on understanding and managing the organizations' cash position. This is certainly important and, in some areas, can be seen as a staple of the lifeblood of the organization’s ongoing viability. This course takes a look at some of the typical objectives involved in cash management and then evaluates how those objectives can be further stretched into strategic pillars of the organization.  

Did you know that business professionals can spend up to half their time in Excel just formatting? It’s time to change that! Join this fast-paced, results-driven session and discover Excel formatting best practices that will save you hours and elevate your spreadsheets to a professional level. From Custom Format Codes and Templates to Styles, Precision as Displayed, and powerful date and accounting formats, you'll learn how to streamline your workflow and make your data shine. Whether you're building reports, dashboards, or financial models, these formatting techniques will help you work smarter, not harder. Don't let formatting slow you down. Transform your Excel experience, starting now!

Are you intrigued by the buzz around Artificial Intelligence (AI) but unsure how to dive in? You're not alone! Many professionals find AI tools like Gemini, ChatGPT, and Copilot to be a mystery. But don't worry, we're here to help you unlock the potential of these powerful tools! Join K2's "Getting Started With Artificial Intelligence" session and discover how to harness the power of today's AI tools to boost your efficiency and productivity. This session will guide you through accessing and using multiple popular AI tools, making it easier than ever to integrate AI into your daily workflow. If you're new to AI, this is the perfect opportunity to get started and transform the way you work!

This course is an introduction to preparation, compilation, & review engagements. During this course, we will compare and contrast these different engagements by reviewing the procedures that should be performed, different reports, as well as the level of assurance specific to each type of engagement. 

This course explores the increasingly complex features of Excel that facilitate efficient data analysis.  We will introduce numerous analytical methods and techniques by using practical examples to illustrate how to unleash the power of Excel when manipulating, analyzing and reporting information.

As reported by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners 2024 Report to the Nations on Occupational Fraud and Abuse, organizations lose an average of 5% of their revenues to fraud. Yet, the report disclosed that only 3% of all frauds are detected by the external auditor. However, the thing that management depends on the detect fraud is the external audit. To detect fraud an auditor must: Know what fraud looks like; be able to think like a thief; always maintain healthy professional skepticism; be able to recognize the risk of fraud; and build your audit program to look for fraud. Auditing For Fraud addresses each of these areas as well as several others.    During this presentation, I will discuss how to distinguish between an error and a fraud; how to recognize the indicators of fraud; develop and refine a hypothec as to how a fraud was committed; who steals (the basic honest person) and why and lastly; how to prove intent. If you cannot prove intent, all you have is a dumb mistake! Chances are that after this presentation, you will never look at an audit the same way you do now.

In this cutting-edge course, participants will gain a deep understanding of how to leverage ChatGPT, OpenAI's powerful language model, to innovate and enhance business advisory services in the accounting sector. The course integrates theory and practice, demonstrating how various enterprise evaluation methodologies can be applied in conjunction with ChatGPT for increased business analysis efficiency, profitability, and growth. It also provides hands-on training for implementing these techniques in real-world scenarios. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

This webinar presents a variety of time-saving ideas, shortcuts, and tips that are sure to boost personal productivity. We discuss better summing, address one of the biggest pitfalls that Excel users have faced over the past 25 years, present the most important keyboard shortcuts, demonstrate a better alternative to hiding rows or columns, illustrate how to quickly navigate to other workbooks and files, and demonstrate using Excel with styles.

Are you ready to expand your practice and offer comprehensive retirement planning services? Look no further! Delve deeper into the realm of IRAs and qualified retirement plans with this comprehensive eight-hour course tailored for financial practitioners. Understanding the intricate tax implications, design options, and strategic considerations of these plans is essential for meeting your clients' diverse retirement needs effectively. By the end of the program, practitioners will emerge equipped to confidently advise clients on a myriad of retirement planning strategies, enhancing their expertise and credibility in the field. Explore the intricacies of different IRAs, ranging from traditional to Roth, and gain valuable insights into SEPs, qualified plans, and contribution plans. Navigate through the complexities of 401(k) plans, including Roth 401(k)s, and master the art of seamlessly navigating minimum distribution rules. Through practical highlights, case studies, and real-world scenarios, this course empowers practitioners to not only select the optimal retirement plans for their clients' unique financial goals but also to provide personalized retirement solutions tailored to individual needs. Don't miss out on this opportunity to elevate your practice and establish yourself as a trusted advisor in retirement planning. Enroll today and embark on a journey towards maximizing your clients' financial future! *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 terri.storer@acpen.com  

The path from CPA to CFO has evolved dramatically in recent years, with only 43% of S&P 1000 CFOs holding CPA licenses in 2022, down from 55% a decade earlier. This comprehensive course, based on groundbreaking research from the Pennsylvania Institute of CPAs surveying over 320 CEOs and hiring executives, reveals what today's leaders truly seek in CFO candidates and provides a roadmap for CPAs to secure their seat at the executive table. Participants will discover the five critical competencies that distinguish successful CFO candidates: forward-looking financial acumen that goes beyond traditional reporting, strategic leadership skills including critical thinking and strategy creation, the evolving role of emotional intelligence, industry-specific expertise requirements, and the balance between technical proficiency and visionary leadership. Through practical frameworks, real-world examples, and actionable strategies, attendees will learn how to transform their CPA foundation into a comprehensive skill set that meets the dynamic demands of modern CFO roles, whether in high-growth companies, nonprofits, or traditional corporations. 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 fast-paced and interconnected workplace, success depends as much on how we show up as what we know. Business Etiquette and Mindfulness is a training designed to help professionals strengthen their communication, presence, and emotional intelligence. Participants will learn practical strategies to demonstrate professionalism, navigate workplace relationships with respect, and stay composed under pressure. Through engaging discussions, real-world scenarios, and mindfulness exercises, this course helps individuals build the awareness and confidence needed to lead with empathy, manage stress effectively, and represent their organization with excellence. Whether you're an emerging professional or an experienced leader, this session provides actionable tools to enhance focus, foster collaboration, and create a more mindful, inclusive workplace culture.