CPE Catalog
Note
AICPA On-Demand & Self-Study courses take up to 24 hours to process.
From Numbers to Narrative: Effectively Presenting Your Budget and Reporting
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Online
2.00 Credits
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.
Mission-Critical Leadership: How Smart Managers Lead Well in All Directions
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Online
2.00 Credits
Most leadership development focuses on a single direction within the organizational hierarchy: downstream to subordinates. While it is important to be a good boss, leadership is much more than that. The best leaders learn to lead well in all directions. They lead upward to superiors and across among peers throughout the organization. And it all starts with self-leadership. This often overlooked or misunderstood leadership principle is essential to build a thriving and productive culture. This topic is based on Jon’s book, Mission-Critical Leadership: How Smart Managers Lead Well in All Directions.
Fringe Benefits & Compensation Planning - Today and Beyond
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Online
8.00 Credits
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.
Thrive Amidst the Chaos - 3 Steps to Increase Your Energy and Learn to Dance in the Rain
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Online
1.20 Credits
Are you running around with a fire extinguisher permanently strapped to your back? Do everyday crises run your life, both at work and at home? Do you find yourself consistently taking care of everyone else with no time left to take care of you? In this session, we dive into controlling your chaos and managing your energy. Make no mistake, this isn't your father's time management class. It’s an energy management class developed on behalf of and with tired, frustrated, and burned out HR professionals like yourselves! If you find yourself drained and drinking far too much coffee, this is the session for you!
Budget Mastery: The Human Side of Budgeting-Navigating People's Issues with 360 Insight
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Online
2.00 Credits
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.
Critical Thinking Skills: Prevent Mistakes Now
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Online
2.00 Credits
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.
K2's Top PDF Features You Should Know
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Online
4.00 Credits
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.
Sticky Ethical Choices, featuring Bob Mims and Don Minges
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Online
1.00 Credits
If ethics were easy, then why do so many professionals have a Code of Conduct? Some Ethical decisions are easy, others are not. We will discuss several thorny ethical issues and the ramifications. What are the considerations and evaluation criteria to use? The need to carefully deliberate alternatives – is paramount. Be aware.
Applying the New Expected Credit Loss Model
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Online
2.00 Credits
All entities are subject to the new expected credit loss model established by recent GAAP. This course will provide highlights of the latest requirements for measurement, presentation, and disclosure.
Thinking Like an Auditor When Preparing Your Financial Statements
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Online
2.00 Credits
External auditors understand concepts like materiality, reasonableness, and risk of material misstatement. This course will explain how to think like an auditor when preparing and fairly presenting your financial statements and related disclosures.
Leading Up: The Superpower Every Ascending Leader Needs
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Online
2.00 Credits
Most leadership training focuses on leading downstream, with the goal of eventually advancing to an executive role. Few people get to be “top dog” in their organization. So, nearly every worker will spend their entire career leading up, even while serving in a leadership role. Learn the skills and tactics needed to develop an effective working relationship with your boss and other superiors. Gain the credibility and support necessary to get things done and advance professionally.
Mastering Charitable Remainder Trusts and Form 5227 ComplianceCompliance
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Online
2.00 Credits
Join us for an in-depth webcast on Charitable Remainder Trusts (CRTs) and the essential aspects of preparing Form 5227. This course will provide a comprehensive overview of CRTs, including their purpose, benefits, and practical considerations. Moreover, we will delve into the intricacies of Form 5227, the informational return for charitable remainder trusts, ensuring you have the necessary knowledge to accurately complete and file this crucial document. During this webcast, Art Werner will guide you through the fundamental concepts of Charitable Remainder Trusts, illustrating how they can be utilized as a strategic tool for tax planning. We will explore various types of CRTs, their formation, and the different scenarios in which they are most beneficial. A significant portion of the webcast will be dedicated to Form 5227, the reporting requirement for charitable remainder trusts. We will provide an in-depth analysis of the form's components, line by line, ensuring you gain a comprehensive understanding of the information it requires. From trust assets and income to distributions and charitable beneficiaries, we will cover each section, discussing common pitfalls and best practices for accurate reporting. Mr. Werner will address the recent updates and changes to Form 5227, enabling you to stay up to date with the latest compliance requirements. **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.
The Competent Accountant - Mastering the Role of the Controller/ CFO
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Online
4.00 Credits
How do you raise your skills to the next level to master the Controller or CFO role? Welcome to a course that provides insights that align the CGMA Competency Framework. The course will examine each of the areas: Technical, Business, Leadership and People to increase your competency. How are your technical skills? Are you a traditional accountant or have you learned to expand your technical skills to go beyond “what are the financial numbers?” to “why did these financial results occur?” Are you able to use ratios to understand the business dynamics and the implications to change course or take corrective action? Are the systems that you implement and operate best practices or merely stop-gap solutions? How are your business skills? Can you set a vision? Can you develop a strategy? Do you understand the macroeconomic environment of your organization? Can you lead a major project to a successful conclusion? This session will explore the role of business as opposed to tracking the results of the business. How are your people skills? How good is your ability to influence others? How are successful are your negotiation skills? How well can you communicate? Are you a collaborator or a partner? This section will help accountants understand that it is people skills that drive the overall success of the accounting operations. Finally, how are your Leadership skills? Do you inspire staff or make them angry? Do you know why your staff work for your company and you? Do you understand what employees want from their position? Do you know how to deal with a difficult staff person? Can you lead difficult change? This session will help you recognize what leadership truly is as opposed to what passes for day to day management.
New Mergers & Acquisitions: Tricks, Traps, & Terrors
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Online
4.20 Credits
Welcome to a course that makes the process of M&A easy to understand and easy to implement within your organization or your clients' organization. The course will provide an intensive overview of the M&A process. Focus will be on practical techniques to guide you through the M&A jungle and avoid the traps that have befallen many organizations.
K2's Better Productivity Through Artificial Intelligence
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Online
4.00 Credits
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation tools offer incredible opportunities for all business professionals to improve productivity and accuracy. For example, generative AI tools such as ChatGPT and Bard can be beneficial when conducting research or drafting reports and correspondence. Likewise, Microsoft’s Power Automate platform and similar tools such as Zapier can help you elevate efficiency to levels you may have thought unattainable. If this sounds appealing, plan to participate in this session to modernize your workflows and take advantage of these tools. This session will teach you practical applications of today’s AI and automation tools. Moving beyond fundamental discussions, you will learn how to use AI and automation to streamline workflows, improve internal control, maximize productivity, and even improve team member morale. In addition, you will learn about some potential pitfalls associated with these technologies and how to avoid making mistakes when using these tools. In sum, this session is “must-see CPE,” and you should plan to participate in this class today.
GASB 96 -SBITA, GASB 94 P3, and GASB 87 Leases (Year 2)
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Online
2.00 Credits
This is a 2 hour webcast that will focus on the similarities between all three of these GASB accounting standards that deal with contractual arrangements such as leases, Subscription-Based Information Technology Arrangements (SBITA) and P3s. Compare and contrast these standards as you prepare for implementation this year of GASB 94 and GASB 96, and review the implementation efforts of Leases in Year 2.
Advanced Cost Accounting: Eliminate Calculation Distortions
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Online
2.00 Credits
Organizations that use primitive costing methods make predictable mistakes, allocating too much cost to easy, high-volume "gravy" products and too little cost to difficult, low-volume "dog" jobs, putting an organization with inferior information at a significant competitive disadvantage. The secret to being the “smart competitor” is learning how to deal with overhead. This session will show you how to assign 16 key overhead categories. Whether you work in a wholesale, retail, healthcare, service or manufacturing business, you will find this session invaluable. Get your cost right, and you will be able to give the "dogs" to your competitors and keep the "gravy" for yourself.
K2's Improving Productivity With Microsoft 365/Office 365 Cloud Applications
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Online
4.00 Credits
Many Microsoft 365/Office 365 subscriptions include robust Cloud services for improving productivity. Foundational services, such as SharePoint Online, OneDrive for Business, and Exchange Online, join with other powerful tools such as Teams, Planner, Power Automate, Forms, and Power Apps to provide a productivity platform second to none. Unfortunately, most users will never benefit from working with these tools simply because they remain unaware of these features. Plan to attend this session to learn about the “rest of 365” and how these Cloud-based applications can enhance personal and team productivity while simultaneously facilitating remote working arrangements. Don’t miss this opportunity to get all the knowledge and guidance necessary to leverage your investment in Microsoft 365/Office 365 fully.
The Ethical Side of Trust, featuring Richard A. Karwic and Don Minges
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Online
1.00 Credits
You and I have a responsibility to our organizations and to the public to be ethical. We cannot forget this responsibility and this responsibility is constant. One lapse can cause profound issues that last. Ethics and trust are intertwined, no one follows a ‘leader’ who is not trusted. We will not focus on the negative and show the problems caused – rather, we focus on what and how to set the example for others to follow. This seminar outlines the seven components of trust, and how we should use these components daily.
K2's Time To Advance Automation - Strategies And Tools For Efficiency
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Online
2.00 Credits
Increasingly, automating business processes is a necessity. In this session, you will learn about real-world examples of automating business processes. Remember, the survival of your business might depend upon successful automation!