CPE Catalog & Events

Regardless of size, all organizations must be aware of the risks associated with intentionally fraudulent acts. Fraud can be executed from within an organization, by external parties, or both. Therefore, a primary method to thwart fraud is understanding how and why it occurs. First, understand why internal and external intentional defalcations take place. Discuss the difficulty in understanding the motives driving those who undertake fraud. Finally, review measures organizations can implement to stop fraud and add security to the enterprise.

Disclosure has never been more critical. This course covers the most commonly encountered U.S. GAAP disclosure requirements. The course is an overview of the FASB Accounting Standards Codification and its more significant disclosure requirements applicable to non-public entities. In addition to U.S. GAAP, the course includes discussion of disclosure requirements for financial statements prepared using a special purpose framework, e.g., tax basis.

We all want to be successful and deeply fulfilled, but most of us have not learned what really leads to a life of abundance, happiness, purpose, and great relationships.  In this seminar, you will learn the most effective methods for creating the life you really want.  In his interviews with such people as Oprah, the Dalai Lama, Deepak Chopra, Tony Robbins, Ted Turner, and dozens of others, Jonathan has learned what really works and what does not.  In this seminar you’ll learn the best personal and professional growth techniques he’s acquired over his career.  Once you know these great ideas and methods, you'll be able to take your life and career to a whole new level. 

This two-day, interactive workshop reviews the hottest accounting topics and recent changes in areas such as private company accounting, revenue recognition, going concern and other specialized subjects. Refresh your research skills and practice using the Codification. Case studies and real-life examples will help attendees readily apply the information covered.

It is imperative that audit staff understand the fundamentals of expenses & payables. This course will cover the basics of auditing expenses, accrued liabilities, and other payables, including the related audit assertions, risks, & threats to the expenses & payables balances. During this course, we will also highlight the various substantive auditing procedures that staff should perform, and also walk through some real-world examples. 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 dynamic economic landscape, staying ahead with effective fringe benefit planning is more critical than ever for both businesses and individual clients. With evolving tax laws and shifting market dynamics, understanding the intricacies of fringe benefit planning is essential to ensure financial well-being and compliance. This course offers a comprehensive overview of essential tools and techniques tailored for financial professionals, allowing them to navigate the complexities of fringe benefit planning with confidence and precision. By attending this course, practitioners will gain invaluable insights into various planning tools and techniques essential for meeting fringe benefit planning objectives. From mastering the subtleties of employee benefit planning, including ERISA reporting and disclosure requirements, to unraveling the complexities of IRC §132 fringe benefit options, attendees will enhance their expertise to deliver superior advisory services. The curriculum also delves into the practical aspects of cafeteria plans, flexible spending accounts, group term life insurance plans, and strategies for financing retiree medical benefits, among others. With a focus on practical application and real-world scenarios, this course equips participants to tackle fringe benefit planning challenges head-on, providing them with the tools and knowledge needed to optimize benefits for both business and personal needs, now and in the 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 kori.herrera@acpen.com.

With increasing competition for finding the best qualified candidates and retaining today’s workforce, it’s more important than ever to consider flexible work options in the workplace. We will review the most popular flexible work options your company could consider implementing: telecommuting, compressed work weeks, flexible hours, phased return from leave of absence, job sharing, early release days, and more! We’ll discuss the benefits of this talent management strategy, including increased productivity, decreased costs, better work-life “integration”, and increased employee engagement and satisfaction. You’ll learn how to propose flexible scheduling to your executive team, including how to logistically roll out this program. Whether you’re in a manufacturing plant, corporate headquarters, or retail industry, you can apply any of these flexible work options to your organization. 

This session explores managerial accounting techniques with an emphasis on internal decision-making tools. You will appreciate a reminder regarding concepts you may not have considered since your college days. We will revisit managerial accounting concepts by illustrating practical examples that you can immediately bring back to the office!

What were they thinking?  Why do some people make horrible decisions that severely damage themselves and their organizations?  It is tempting to assume that a poor choice must be due to a leader’s incompetence, inexperience, bad character, or low intelligence – but such easily attributed factors generally aren’t the true cause when leaders blunder.  In such situations, many turn to finance and accounting professionals for evaluation, answers, remedies, and solutions for improved decision-making.

This program examines the critical issues, rules, and special opportunities when preparing your clients' Form 1041 US Income Tax Return for Estates and Trusts. Learn what is considered taxable income; filing requirements and deadlines; impact of the 3.8 percent Medicare surtax on net investment income; and the 10 principles of tax accounting for trust income. **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 program provides an update to the latest tax developments, rules and regulations impacting individual taxpayers, with a review and integration of the numerous 2024/25 legislation. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

The budget and the forecast are two common tools used by controllers and CFOs across almost every industry. However, are we really getting the most out of these tools? Or are we merely replicating whatever was done last year? In this course, we will use examples and illustrations to demonstrate various budgeting and forecasting techniques. We will discuss traditional approaches, as well as newer approaches such as flexible budgeting, in an effort to show how companies can gain more value. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Trust is essential, because without trust, there can be no teamwork.  Trust is like oxygen, when it is gone - we suffocate.  This session provides a 15-step action plan to gain commitment from your team members, build trust, hold each person accountable and create results for your organization. 

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.

Peer review deficiencies commonly relate to the design, documentation, and evaluation of the results of analytical procedures.  This course will provide examples of how to strengthen evidence resulting from preliminary, substantive, and final analytics. It will reinforce the elements of strong analytical procedures that may enhance the quality of audits.

This course investigates actual real-world fraud schemes and discusses what controls could have prevented the fraud from occurring, and what controls could detect and curtail the fraud scheme. The instructor speaks from experience, finding multiple frauds very early in her career leading to a career-long focus on fraud prevention and detection. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

This session is designed as a primer to introduce artificial intelligence (AI) and to discuss how it will impact accountants as they work. The material will briefly explain what AI is and then focus on ways that it is already serving those in the accounting realm. It will close with a look at future AI-centric developments that will have great potential to positively impact the accounting profession. Those wishing to gain an understanding of what artificial intelligence is and how it will be used by accountants should consider attending this session. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and SECURE Act 2.0 both contained tax law changes that impact many individuals in 2025 and in later years. This program covers many of these changes as well as other tax topics that continue to impact individual income taxpayers.

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.

Audit Risk Assessment in Plain English, is a 2 hour webcast highlighting the AICPA’s clarified risk assessment standards, along with a new Statement on Auditing Standard (SAS 145) related to understanding the entity, the entity’s environment, the entity’s internal controls, and assessing the risks of material misstatement.  This session will attempt to simplify the requirements using common sense examples and language.