CPE Catalog & Events

Key fraud risks impacting businesses today Examples of fraud and the monetary impact on victims How to create, implement, and assess technology-based internal controls to reduce the probability of becoming a fraud victim

Common challenges associated with implementing appropriate internal controls in small business environments Fraud in small business environments Internal control options in small business accounting software Understanding the need for application controls and general controls

Understanding your QBO subscription and licensing options Recording routine and non-routine transactions in QBO Importing and exporting data to/from QBO Creating effective reports Describing the process for integrating third-party applications with QBO Troubleshooting issues with QBO reports and data

Overview of the Form 990's design and goals behind the Core Form's and Schedules               Address of the key factors that make a third-party organization a "related organization"  Exploration of the key definitions comprising Part VII-A's managers (i.e., "TDOKEs"):  Trustee/Director (TD)/Officer (O)/Key Employee (KE) and "High 5s", two of which categories are based upon the definition (and magnitude) of "reportable compensation" Understanding the definitions of "family member”, "business relationship", "independence" and "35% controlled entity" which are central to both Core Form Part VI and Schedule L                    Sequencing of the form's preparation tasks and appreciating who will likely be the providers of relevant caches of data   Need for 990-filers to engage a filer's Board of Directors in understanding what the completed Form 990 conveys to the public and regulators    

Emerging technologies all business professionals should know Considerations associated with upgrading to Windows 11 Practical options for protecting your data New features in commonly-used applications such as Excel and Adobe Acrobat DC

Module 1: Quality is Free - But How do We Measure the Cost? What do we mean by quality? Why does quality pay off? Total quality management, including lean and six sigma The four elements of the cost of quality Practical prevention activities The necessity of appraisal and why quality cannot be inspected into a process Sources of internal failure and other sources you may not have considered External failure and the hidden costs of 'shortcuts' Creating an effective and actionable cost of quality report Module 2: Understanding and Mitigating External and Internal Risks: How? - 2.00 A&A Credits Defining risk as it impacts organizations Understanding external and internal risks o Examples of these risks o How do we identify and assess? o What can be done about the risks? Developing a risk mitigation strategy and plan Monitoring and mitigating risk Module 3: Insurance - How to Manage Your Insurance Program How are risks managed? - What is risk transfer? What does a broker do, how do we choose a broker, and how should we pay them? What can insurance protect against? Deductibles, self-insurance, and captives Issues affecting different classes of insurance regarding claims and accessibility Actions you need to take in addition to securing insurance Umbrella policies and how they attach above the primary Module 4: Effective Implementation of Enterprise Risk Management What is ERM and why is it important? What is your risk appetite and risk tolerance? The COSO framework for ERM and its recent updates The ERM Steering Committee - what is it for and what does it do? Risk heat maps - evaluating what is hot and what is not Risk owners and the risk control plan Measuring the effectiveness of the implementation The role of leading and lagging indicators - KRIs Making it part of everyday management The need to integrate ERM into strategic planning

Identifying weaknesses in traditional reporting processes Using leading-edge features in Excel to improve reporting practices How to work with Power Query to solve common reporting challenges Adding Slicers and Timelines to your Excel-based reports

Powerful new functions and features in Excel, such as XLOOKUP and Dynamic Arrays How to use "legacy" features and functions such as AGGREGATE Creating effective forecasts in Excel

The benefits of a 501(c)(3) organization being classified as a public charity rather than a private foundation (and how Schedule A, Part I "claims" qualification as such)   The public policy precepts and approach preparers need apply in demonstrating filer has met the predominant "public support test" which is demonstrated at Schedule A's Part II  The overarching needs and preparation tasks of Schedule B and related worksheets, including  which donors are to be listed and with what identifying information required (dependent on the filer's 501(c)-subsection); and what information 501(c)(3) filers may omit from the 990's public inspection copy  

Critical risks in QuickBooks environments Internal control options that can mitigate risk to prudently acceptable levels Enabling alternative control measures to improve internal controls in QuickBooks environments

Relevant sections of SSARS No. 21, Clarification and Recodification SSARS No. 21, Clarification and Recodification, and updates to SSARS No. 21 due to the issuance of SSARS No. 23, Omnibus Statement on Standards for Accounting and Review Services SSARS No. 22, Compilation of Pro Forma Financial Information SSARS No. 24, Omnibus Statement on Standards for Accounting and Review Services - 2018 SSARS No. 26, Quality Management for an Engagement Conducted in Accordance With Statements on Standards for Accounting and Review Services Proposed changes to the SSARS guidance Comprehensive sample engagement work programs for preparation and compilation engagements Prescribed form, specified line item, pro forma, and other engagement variations Complete illustrations of relevant engagement letters, reporting and other required communications for preparation and compilation engagements

Understanding the Cloud-based options available in a Microsoft 365/Office 365 environment How to use tools such as Teams, Planner, and Power Automate Storing data in SharePoint Online and OneDrive for Business

Key technologies that facilitate remote work options Cybersecurity issues impacting remote work environments How to communicate and collaborate when working remotely

Proper documentation as a means of audit quality Factors impacting the nature and extent of documentation Illustrative workpapers and exercises Use of practice aids and other mechanisms as means of audit documentation Checklist for self-review of workpapers

How to find unrelated buyers of a business Maintaining control of the business succession process Turning over the reins to family members: when to give up control Finding the right team to sell a business Options for selling a business to an unrelated party Options for selling a business to family members Options for selling a business to employees Overcoming the emotional attachment to a business Selling to family members for a life annuity Using family partnerships and trusts to transfer a business

Common instances of accounting malpractice Current claim trends Frequent defenses to claims Statute of limitations Damages Claims by practice area

The fraud landscape in the United States Fraud risk procedures as updated by recently issued standards Most likely fraud types found in small to mid-sized entities Internal controls to prevent and detect fraud What to do when fraud is identified or suspected Case studies based on recent frauds

Relevant sections of SSARS No. 21, Clarification and Recodification SSARS No. 21, Clarification and Recodification, and updates to SSARS No. 21 due to the issuance of SSARS No. 23, Omnibus Statement on Standards for Accounting and Review Services SSARS No. 22, Compilation of Pro Forma Financial Information SSARS No. 24, Omnibus Statement on Standards for Accounting and Review Services - 2018 SSARS No. 26, Quality Management for an Engagement Conducted in Accordance with Statements on Standards for Accounting and Review Services Proposed changes to the SSARS guidance Comprehensive sample engagement work programs for preparation and compilation engagements Prescribed form, specified line item, pro forma, and other engagement variations Complete illustrations of relevant engagement letters, reporting and other required communications for preparation and compilation engagements

Objective of financial reporting Interrelationships of financial statements and disclosures Accounting changes Financial statement preparation and review process Best practices for financial statement preparation and review Frequently missed issues in compilation and review engagements as noted by peer reviewers Understand how to comply with AR-C 100 on International Standards and AR-C 120, Compilations of Pro forma Information Introduction to attestation standards (AT) Performing attestation examination engagements Performing attestation review engagements Performing agreed-upon procedures

Module 1: Quality is Free - But How do We Measure the Cost? What do we mean by quality? Why does quality pay off? Total quality management, including lean and six sigma The four elements of the cost of quality Practical prevention activities The necessity of appraisal and why quality cannot be inspected into a process Sources of internal failure and other sources you may not have considered External failure and the hidden costs of 'shortcuts' Creating an effective and actionable cost of quality report Module 2: Understanding and Mitigating External and Internal Risks: How? - 2.00 A&A Credits Defining risk as it impacts organizations Understanding external and internal risks o Examples of these risks o How do we identify and assess? o What can be done about the risks? Developing a risk mitigation strategy and plan Monitoring and mitigating risk Module 3: Insurance - How to Manage Your Insurance Program How are risks managed? - What is risk transfer? What does a broker do, how do we choose a broker, and how should we pay them? What can insurance protect against? Deductibles, self-insurance, and captives Issues affecting different classes of insurance regarding claims and accessibility Actions you need to take in addition to securing insurance Umbrella policies and how they attach above the primary Module 4: Effective Implementation of Enterprise Risk Management What is ERM and why is it important? What is your risk appetite and risk tolerance? The COSO framework for ERM and its recent updates The ERM Steering Committee - what is it for and what does it do? Risk heat maps - evaluating what is hot and what is not Risk owners and the risk control plan Measuring the effectiveness of the implementation The role of leading and lagging indicators - KRIs Making it part of everyday management The need to integrate ERM into strategic planning