CPE & Event Calendar

This course introduces CPAs, financial auditors as well as technology auditors to the foundational concepts of IT auditing. Participants will learn how IT systems support financial reporting, how to assess risk in IT environments, and how IT General Controls (ITGCs) and application controls impact audit procedures. The course also introduces IT audit planning and scoping to help auditors determine what systems and controls to evaluate.

In forensic accounting, interviewing is used to obtain important information from witnesses and suspects. An important aspect is the ability of investigators to obtain accurate and reliable information from victims, witnesses and the suspects or any interviewee. The interview process is an essential part of information gathering for any investigation. The importance of improving the quality of the interviewing with the potential for visual recording of all interviews should be placed high on the agenda of all organizations across the globe. A properly conducted forensic interview can result in an extreme benefit regarding collection of information. The interviewer’s role is to develop a full understanding of the facts. There is a distinct difference between a forensic interview and a criminal interrogation. Typically, forensic auditors will not be involved in interrogations. The Canadian or U.S. forensic accounting profession does not have a standardized interview model to truly equip its professionals with the interview tools required to elicit confessions ethically. Majority of their skills are developed through experience, and not through a standardized model of training.  This session focuses on various interview concepts and methods.  

Technology has given us many new writing tools, but they may just allow an inexperienced novice to turn out poor communications more quickly.  Whatever your expertise level, this webinar will help you take your writing skills to another level, saving your time and making it far more likely your reader will read and understand your message.  

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. 

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.

If a great leader is someone we are willing to sacrifice for – what do those leaders do that makes us want to do more? Many of us work in dysfunctional organizations that want followers, but have no leaders that lead. What makes a leader effective? True leaders sacrifice, they are trustworthy and they empathize. We discuss the steps to take so you can become a true leader: including, integrity, humility, communication, self-control and self-awareness. With diligence, you can become a better leader and we will discuss how.  

The new Global Internal Audit Standards were released on January 9, 2024, and will become effective January 9, 2025. The previous version, the International Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing, released in 2017, remains approved for use during a one-year transition period. The Global Internal Audit Standards guide the worldwide professional practice of internal audit. They serve as a basis for evaluating and elevating the quality of the internal audit function. The Standards use 15 guiding principles with five separate domains that enable effective internal audit implementation and examples of evidence of conformance. The Global Standards are organized into five domains. Domain I: Purpose of Internal Auditing Domain II: Ethics and Professionalism Domain III: Governing the Internal Audit Function Domain IV: Managing the Internal Audit Function Domain V: Performing Internal Audit Service

Are you tired of struggling with PDFs? Unlock the full potential of Adobe Acrobat and other PDF tools to make working with PDF files a breeze. Join our course and discover how to use powerful features such as PDF forms, redaction, converting PDFs to Word and Excel files, and electronic signatures. You'll also learn how to create and apply tick marks, build indices, catalogs, and portfolios, and secure your PDF documents to the fullest. As the popularity and usefulness of PDFs continue to grow, many users still haven't learned how to manipulate these documents effectively. Don't let this be you! Join us for this timely session and learn the top features necessary to optimize your work with PDF documents. Say goodbye to frustration and hello to efficiency!

Leaders were once chosen for their character, but today we live in an age where loudmouthed extroverts seem to take center stage in everything, including business, politics and entertainment.  While the talkative, charismatic leader makes the front page of business magazines, recent research shows that successful business leaders tend to be more reserved, pensive and sometimes outright shy.  Learn why your desire to spend significant time inside your own head may be your greatest asset. Whether you are introverted or not, you likely work with, manage or are a related to an introvert.  We will discuss proven methods to better understand introverts, how to manage them, and how to get the most out of their amazing talents.  If you want to enhance your leadership skills, this seminar is for you. 

The cash flow statement is one of the most confusing financial reports—yet it has the potential to deliver the essential keys to understand business performance. After all, cash is still both king and queen! This session explores how to present, interpret, and communicate cash flows effectively to help CEOs, boards, and decision makers drive smarter results. By using the Sources and Uses format, professionals can make the statement more intuitive and actionable. Learn how to simplify cash flow information and focus discussions on what matters most: how cash is generated and deployed? We will demonstrate how to confidently present this powerful financial statement to non-financial leaders. The cash flow statement is misunderstood, and we will show you how to fix that, and include some amusing videos to drive the points home. We will use the Apple Corporation as an example company in presenting.

Go in-depth to understand the three main components of self-funded plans: Stop Loss, Third Party Administrators (TPA), and Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBM). This section will review both Specific and Aggregate Stop Loss as a concept while also providing in-depth knowledge of contract terms and risk management. It will discuss the key components of a TPAs/PBMS and show examples of admin agreements. The instructor will also use real world examples to show how to avoid common pitfalls and use cost savings tools to ensure that waste, fraud, and abuse are eliminated from your plan structures. The end of this unit will also introduce point solutions and how they can be used to ensure peak plan performance and claims savings.

Many organizations struggle to keep budgets current in an ever-changing business climate.  Twenty-first century performance metrics focus on determining what budgets should be rather than what they were in the past.  Using performance metrics effectively reduces work, reduces politics, provides flexibility and substantially improves the performance management process.  This session will show you powerful techniques to drive your organization’s performance.

Effective CFOs and CPAs play a critical role in shaping and executing organizational strategy. This session focuses on how strategy is developed, why many strategic plans fail, and how finance leaders can help organizations create focus in an increasingly complex and fast-changing environment. Participants will explore competitive advantage, the use of financial and non-financial metrics, and the importance of aligning strategy with mission, culture, and resources. Through discussion and real-world case examples, attendees will gain practical tools to evaluate, measure, and support successful strategies across for-profit and nonprofit organizations. Use of some video reels will add levity to some of the key points.

Mergers, acquisitions and alliances have been and continue to be major avenues to organizational growth and increased competitive advantage. Despite the great initial promise of many mergers and alliances, few seem to yield the anticipated results. Numerous studies indicate that between 55% and 77% of mergers fail to accomplish their intended purpose. This course helps financial professionals, and their advisors identify, execute, and consummate mergers and acquisitions that create shareholder value while avoiding the many traps that can cause post-acquisition failure.

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.

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.

What does fraud look like? It depends. What may appear to be an indicator of fraud in one client’s operation could be normal in another, making it critical to understand your client and the transactions you expect to see. Look for what should be present but isn’t—and for what is present but shouldn’t be. This course emphasizes the importance of professional skepticism, which has no on/off switch—it must be applied continuously. As auditors, our role is to independently verify, yet too often we rely on client representations without sufficient validation, increasing the risk of missing fraud. Many auditors recognize, in hindsight, that they have encountered fraud indicators but failed to identify them at the time. This session will provide you with the tools to recognize those indicators and strengthen your ability to detect fraud—so you are better prepared for what you may find.

Client Accounting Services (CAS) have become a cornerstone of modern CPA firms, offering opportunities for enhanced client relationships, recurring revenue streams, and streamlined operations. This course provides accounting professionals with practical guidance on implementing and optimizing CAS within their firms. Participants will explore the foundational elements of CAS, including service offerings, pricing models, and client communication strategies. The course delves into the technology tools essential for CAS, including accounting software, workflow automation, and reporting platforms. It offers insights into best practices for managing client expectations and delivering consistent, high-value services. In addition, participants will examine case studies of successful CAS implementations, review current trends impacting CAS, and identify critical steps to build a scalable CAS practice that aligns with their firm's goals. The course also addresses the importance of data security, governance, and compliance in providing CAS to ensure ethical and professional service delivery.

This course provides a practical overview of business valuation, guiding participants through the key concepts, methodologies, and considerations involved. You will explore the types of valuation reports, the standards governing their preparation, and the step-by-step process of transforming raw data into actionable insights. The course also examines how the intended purpose of a report can influence its conclusions and offers strategies for valuing minority interests. By the end of the course, participants will gain a clear understanding of how to read, interpret, and apply business valuation reports effectively.

It would be amiss to not recognize that the passage of time has changed our world. Think of various events such as economic change, technological evolution, the pandemic etc. These are just a few of the changes that may have impacted the manner in which we execute some of the processes outlined in the SOX legislation. In this segment we will focus on sourcing of emerging risks by utilizing to COSO principles.