WICPA CPE & Special Event Catalog
Tactical Budgeting: Moving Beyond Traditional Budgets to Manage Performance
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Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $89
Traditional budgets often consume significant time while delivering limited operational value. This session reframes budgeting as a tactical management tool rather than a once-a-year accounting exercise. Participants will explore how to redesign the budget process to improve communication, accountability & decision-making across the organization. The session emphasizes output-based metrics, flexible budgeting approaches, benchmarking & educating non-financial managers so budgets become a tool for managing performance, not just controlling spending.
Fiduciary Accounting for Estates & Trusts
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Online
4.00 Credits
Member Price: $149
Financial accounting for trusts & estates is one of the least understood branches of accounting. It is not particularly concerned with recording income & expenses but is obsessed with determining whether receipts & expenditures are assigned to income or principal/corpus. This course will dive into this tricky area & provide a reporting guide for fiduciary accounting.
Retirement Planning Issues: Where We Stand Now
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Online
4.00 Credits
Member Price: $149
This course is designed to equip CPAs, EAs, attorneys & tax professionals with the essential knowledge & strategies needed to navigate the latest developments. Explore innovative approaches to maximize retirement savings, discuss tax- efficient retirement plan options & align estate planning techniques with current trends. Gain a thorough understanding of altered rules for Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) & discover how to optimize estate plans in response to changing regulations. This update is tailored for professionals seeking practical insights in the realm of contemporary retirement planning. 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 & submit to kori.herrera@acpen.com.
Ethics: Giving Thanks: How to Master the Art of Gratitude
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Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $89
How grateful are you? In this critically important webinar, we will explore exactly what gratitude is and why it is a crucial component of your work as a CPA. Even if you believe you're already a deeply grateful person, you'll still learn some new strategies for expressing gratitude effectively. Forbes Contributor Bruce Weinstein, The Ethics Guy, will show you how to use LinkedIn in a novel way to say "thank you." You'll also find better and worse ways of letting clients, team members, family members and friends know that you care about them. You'll understand why gratitude is a matter of ethics and not merely etiquette. Finally, you'll discover how to use questions about gratitude in job interviews and performance reviews. Why not hire and promote people who are not only knowledgeable and skilled but also grateful? You will be thankful for having taken this valuable webinar! This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.Note: This course qualifies to count toward the WICPA membership Ethics CPE requirement.
Retaining Top Talent: Strategies for CPA Firms
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Online
1.00 Credits
Member Price: $55
In today's challenging talent market, accounting firms face unprecedented pressure to retain their best performers. This course provides actionable, research-backed strategies to help firms keep their top talent from leaving. Based on comprehensive surveys of both current accounting professionals and those who have recently left the profession, participants will learn the real reasons employees stay or go-and what firms can do about it. The course goes beyond simple solutions like "pay more, expect less" to explore comprehensive retention strategies including whole-person compensation, work-life balance improvements, career development pathways and necessary business model transformations. Participants will discover why 73% of surveyed professionals want to stay with their current firm, yet many still leave-and how to bridge that gap. Key topics include understanding the true cost of turnover versus retention, implementing flexible work arrangements that actually work, creating meaningful career paths for non-partner track professionals and transforming firm operations to support both profitability and employee satisfaction. Special attention is given to retaining diverse talent and adapting to the expectations of younger professionals who will comprise 27% of the workforce by 2025. Whether you're a firm leader, HR professional, or manager responsible for team retention, this course provides the insights and tools needed to build a sustainable talent strategy in an evolving profession. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.
Can You Really Do That With AI?
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Online
1.00 Credits
Member Price: $39
Artificial Intelligence has taken the world by storm. In just three short years, AI platforms such as ChatGPT, Gemini & Copilot have revolutionized how business professionals approach everyday tasks. In this session, you will learn how you can use AI to help you solve specific problems & work more efficiently, effectively & accurately. Throughout this session, we will focus on real-world scenarios & how AI can help you realize better results in less time. This is a must-see session for all who want to improve efficiency & effectiveness.
The Controllership Series: The Controller's Role in Pro Forma Financial Statements
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Online
1.00 Credits
Member Price: $39
Pro forma statements are used by businesses to make decisions on planning & control, as well as for external reporting to owners, investors & creditors. For example, giving financial estimates for a given period in a standardized manner is known as "presenting pro forma," a Latin phrase that means "as a matter of form." Pro forma statements can be helpful tools for business owners, investors, creditors, or decision-makers to analyze various scenarios of future events based on certain financial assumptions. It might aid in making predictions performance of the company. A pro forma income statement displays a firm's anticipated sales & revenue. It also highlights anticipated fixed or variable operational expenses and, in the end, displays the potential profits & retained earnings for a future financial quarter. There are various types of pro-forma statements & methods to develop them. The responsibilities/competencies of the Financial Controller position (FC) has changed in recent years. However, the creation of pro forma financial statements is still a core part of their responsibility.
Topic 842: FASB's Lease Accounting Standard Update
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Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $89
It's a whole new world for lessees under ASC topic 842. Soon nearly all leases will need to be disclosed as a liability on the balance sheet: From buildings right down to autos & copiers. Although the greatest impact will be on large entities, this will affect the financial statements of small & mid-size entities as well. This program will dive into the new standard on leases, effective dates & address what you need to know now.
AI 101 for CPAs: Core Concepts & Practical Applications
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Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $89
New to AI? Start here. This beginner-friendly course explains how generative AI works, what terms like "LLM" and "agentic AI" really mean and how CPAs can safely put these tools to use. You'll leave with a solid understanding of AI fundamentals and how they apply to accounting, tax and finance. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.
Surgent's Client Advisory Services: A Guide to the Variety of Offerings Professionals Can Provide
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Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $99
According to a 2020 AICPA survey, advisory and consulting services were considered the greatest unmet needs of clients. The recent growth in Client Advisory Services (CAS) has led many to ask what is included in this broad category as well as how to develop the services for clients. With so much focus on the recent success of CAS offerings, now is the time to learn how the services differ from what you currently offer, which of your clients would benefit most and what you need in place to add a quality CAS program to your firm's menu of services.
Surgent's Preparation & Compilation Engagements Under the SSARS
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Online
4.00 Credits
Member Price: $159
Be the go-to person on financial statement compilation and preparation engagements. Specifically designed for those performing preparation and compilation engagements, this course will provide you with a hands-on application for performing preparation and compilation engagements under AR-C Section 70 and 80, respectively. You will learn the ins and outs of relevant sections of the SSARS related to preparation and compilation engagements with a focus on how recently issued updates to SSARS No. 21 impact these engagements. More importantly, you will be provided practical examples and illustrations to help you effectively and efficiently perform those engagements, including a detailed discussion of the reporting requirements under AR-C 80 related to compilation engagement. Lastly, the course will review recent peer review feedback on these types of engagements, highlighting areas where you can improve engagement quality.
Mastering Rapport Skills for Fun & Profit
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Online
4.00 Credits
Member Price: $149
You only have one chance to make a good first impression. In the fast paced world we live in, being able to create immediate rapport & a sense of trust with people is more important than ever. Fortunately, this is an easily learnable skill that can serve you in both business & in life. People who can master the one minute relationship end up making more money, being better liked & enjoying their clients more.
2024 Revision to Government Auditing Standards Impact
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Online
4.00 Credits
Member Price: $149
This course will provide an update of Government Auditing Standards as a result of the GAO's issuance of the 2024 Revision to Government Auditing Standards. The course will focus on the Revisions impact on financial statement audits. The course will also focus on the impact of Quality Management Standards as well as clarify as to when the concept of reporting key audit matters might apply for financial audits. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.
Power Skills: Professionalism & Client Interactions
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Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $89
Client interactions and professionalism are at the core of what we do as accountants. However, communication with clients is not always as straightforward as it may seem. Sometimes there will be difficult conversations and disagreements that can be tough to navigate. During this course, we will discuss best practices when communicating with the client and also walk through complicated scenarios to practice what we learn. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.
How AI Is Automating Internal Control
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Online
4.00 Credits
Member Price: $149
The term "artificial intelligence" (AI) has become mainstream and while most have a layperson's understanding of AI, few know the depth and breadth of this technology's capability. AI is affecting just about everything in business and in people's personal lives. The operation of an internal control system is also changing because of this incredible advancement. This session explains what AI is and how it works and then goes into detail about how it can be applied to a system of internal control. The material speaks about changes occurring in today's world as well as what's coming in the not-too-distant future. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.
Written Information Security Plans
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Online
1.00 Credits
Member Price: $55
This course provides a comprehensive overview of Written Information Security Plans (WISP), focusing on their purpose, requirements and implementation. All PTIN holders must certify they have a WISP prior to renewal, along with certifying the training of employees, staff and contractors as necessary. Participants will explore the history and legal foundation of WISP under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act and how compliances is enforced through IRS Circular 230, AICPA Statements of Standards, The American Bar Associations and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.
Coaching Leaders to Handle Sensitive Employee Relations Situations
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Online
1.20 Credits
Member Price: $39
This session provides HR Professionals with scripts for & tactics for coaching leaders in handling an array of employee relations situations with sensitivity, good judgment & high confidence. Topics include employee complaints, personality & attitude problems, performance counseling, personal hygiene problems, disability-related performance issues, misconduct due to mental conditions. You will learn how to use a unique process, "Reset the Clock," that prevents attorneys From taking something leaders did wrong or did not do in the past & using it to support legal challenges in the future. Liability is replaced with credibility. Lawsuits are then avoided rather than won. Financial assets are protected, morale stays high & bad publicity is averted. HR Professionals avoid hearing From senior leaders: "You should have anticipated this" after an avoidable legal claim.
Sarbanes-Oxley Update: Accounting Risk Assessment considerations: 20 years later
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Online
1.80 Credits
Member Price: $79
It's been 20 years & counting since the Sarbanes-Oxley legislation was passed. In theory the legislative requirements outlined are still in place. Although the requirements haven't changed, time has changed & as a result, execution of the processes has most likely changed.
Introduction to Governmental Accounting
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Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $89
Governmental accounting differs significantly From other forms of accounting & requires a distinct approach to financial reporting. This course introduces the foundational principles of governmental accounting, including fund accounting concepts & the modified accrual basis of accounting. Participants will explore the structure & purpose of governmental fund financial statements & government-wide financial statements, gaining clarity on their objectives, layouts & key elements. The course also addresses essential topics such as component units, the role & structure of Management's Discussion & Analysis (MD&A) & the preparation & significance of the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR). Designed for those new to governmental accounting-- or those seeking a refresher-this course provides a solid foundation for understanding & applying governmental financial reporting principles. The course has been updated to reflect recent guidance issued by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board, including GASB Statements 101-105.
Making Effective Decisions When You Can't Get What You Want
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Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $89
Even if managers have incomplete information or constraints, they still must make choices. This session provides advice for navigating rocky decision-making terrain encountered by managers who must make choices despite imperfect information and/or constrained resources. We explore ways to leverage available information to make effective decisions when seemingly critical details cannot be obtained. We also illustrate managerial accounting techniques for optimizing profitability when inputs or resources are constrained by supply chain disruptions or other limitations. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.
