CPE Catalog & Events

What is fiduciary duty, and how does it apply to a trustee or personal representative? What are the state statutory accounting rules, and where can you find them? What is fiduciary accounting income? What is fiduciary account principal? How does fiduciary accounting impact fiduciary taxation?

The major topics covered in this course include:Types of external fraudConsiderations as organizations work to reduce fraud riskExternal fraud and known parties/External fraud unknown perpetrators

Forecasting as a valuation tool Bank/banker selection Ten hints for toolbox success Seven cases

The major topics covered in this course include:Examination of actual fraudsDiscussion of internal controls that could have prevented fraudsContemplation of epiphanies for your own professional scenarios.The AICPA Code of Professional ConductOther elements of professional conduct and compliance with professional standards

All times listed are Eastern Time ZoneWeek 1: CFO Series: Tactics to Reduce Risk: 3rd Strategy to Help ROI CPE: 2Field of Study: AuditingDiscussion Leader: Brian Maturi, MBA, FCADate: Friday, November 01, 11:00 amDescription: What do investors want?They actively pursue three key strategies:1) improve profit (most over used strategy)2) reduce investment (an under used strategy)3) reduce risk (a much-neglected strategy)In this third of three sessions, see 3) above, we will explore strategies to reduce risk. When risks are exhibited on the income statement - it is too late. Risk is silent and insidious. We must plan, as we have seen what happens when risk becomes real and reduces net income. We will discuss proven techniques to help your organization plan for risk before the next miscalculation. Be prepared!Week 2: CFO Series: Re-invigorating Your Career: Planning Your PathCPE: 2Field of Study: Business Management & OrganizationDiscussion Leader: Bob Mims, CPADate: Friday, November 08, 11:00 amDescription: A career is a long time and yet looking back it appears to have been in the blink of an eye. If you have ever engaged in discussions with mentors or peer groups you may have heard the, "I wish I had ___". This course is a review of keeping you individually prepared and ready for all the various changes that will make your career. We start with where you are today and where you want to be? We discuss practical tips for professionals to be more prepared for changes that will certainly come over the course of your career. What are my career possibilities? The goal is that some of these ideas discussed will avoid more of the "I wish I had ____", and will convert them to, "I'm so glad I ____". We all have heard the maxim, "Failure to plan is planning to fail." We are planners by nature, let's plan our career and the career of those who report to us.Week 3: CFO Series: Successful System Implementations: Planning!CPE: 2Field of Study: Information Technology Discussion Leader: Tracy Cooper, CPADate: Friday, November 15, 11:00 amDescription: System changes are common, so why does seemingly every new system update or installation have multiple, new problems? We will review the causes and effects, including a short-term outlook. We will focus on the best practices of successful organizations, specifically the one key task for success - proper planning. What are the steps to take? Which functions need to be involved? How can you reduce risk? These actions can be applied to small system changes, system upgrades, or large ERP systems. Do not make the same mistake over and over - learn from others who have paid the hefty price.Week 4: CFO Series: Enhancing Sales: Work with Sales to Drive ResultCPE: 2Field of Study: Business Management & OrganizationDiscussion Leader: Jane Mims, Ph.D.Date: Friday, November 22, 11:00 amDescription: Sales and Accounting are not alike. In many organizations the two functions are at odds with each other, causing wasteful infighting. Often sales will undercut the accountants and vice versa. Sometimes this is inadvertent and sometimes not. Both functions should work together to achieve superior financial performance. We must take the lead and develop a better relationship with the sales function and the sales team. Oftentimes the sales incentive plans cause friction and result in counterproductive behaviors. If Accounting and Finance were to work together effectively, then net income, revenue and sales incentives would all increase. Thinking differently about how to work together will dramatically enhance financial performance. Imagine at least a five percent increase in the bottom line - we will discuss how. Working together yields superior results.

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:Review legal and care giving options that are available to individuals and their families for when the individual can no longer live alone and needs some assistance.Review caring for the individual at home by family caregivers, outside agencies and other, including household employee and homeowner's insurance issues, family caregiver respite care and adult day care.When care is no longer feasible in the home, we go through various living arrangement and financing options, including assisted living facilities, adult foster care homes and nursing homes and review how to protect family assets in such situations.

Major topics covered in this course include:The AICPA Code of Professional ConductThe Conceptual Framework for IndependenceSafeguarding independence when performing both attest and non-attest servicesReal-life difficult scenarios and ethical dilemmas commonly faced by new professionals

Classification of workers as employees or independent contractors

Relationships

Types of trusts Trustee powers Recognition and realization of income Elements of an estate Taxation of trusts and estates Basic concepts of estate planning

Emotional Intelligence Communication Teamwork

Communication Technology AI Synthetic Media Strategy Leadership Management Time Management/Productivity  

The major topics that will be covered in this class include:How accountant liability is a very real threat in today's litigious society.A discussion of scenarios in which accounting professionals can find themselves inadvertently involved in a lawsuit.Pitfalls in which the accountant may find him- or her- self while dealing with clients.Real-life examples from the speaker's extensive experience as a practitioner and as an expert witness in accounting malpractice cases.

Common data sets How to visualize data sets and interpret results How to replace manual audit procedures with technology

Setting up a chart of accounts Reviewing the estate plan Distinguishing between "income" and "principal" Understanding the relationship of fiduciary accounting to fiduciary taxation

Pledges and contributions Restrictions and conditions Special concerns with governmental funding Donated goods and services Special events Revenues earned through sales and services to customers

Office of Professional Responsibility – Authority and Procedures Current status of the regulations governing tax practice before the IRS (Circular 230 Rev. 6/2014) In depth coverage of the various Due Diligence obligations of tax professionals Overview of other key Circular 230 provisions Practitioner responsibilities to their clients and to the Tax Administration System Best Practices for all tax professionals

Communications 

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:Review common deficiencies identified by the AICPA and state boards of accountancy.Feature discussion on a variety of topics, including analytical procedures, sampling, group audits and risk assessment.Review of the areas of concern and how you can overcome them by employing best practices.