WICPA CPE & Special Event Catalog
The Ethics Hour: Dealing With Conflicts of Interest: Members in Business & Industry, featuring Don Minges
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Online
1.00 Credits
Member Price: $39
Often a simple situation may seem innocent, but it can lead to large complications quickly. Conflicts of interest are unavoidable & occur frequently for CPAs in business & industry. What will you do when they happen? Will you take the necessary steps to remain ethical & to protect your license? We will show you how in detail. You & I have a responsibility to our organizations & to the public to be ethical. If you do not follow the prescribed steps, as detailed in the Code of Professional Conduct, there will be problems. Do not forget your duty to the public.Note: This course qualifies to count toward the WICPA membership Ethics CPE requirement.
K2’s Formatting Excel Spreadsheets The Right Way
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Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $89
Did you know that business professionals can spend up to half their time in Excel just formatting? It's time to change that! Join this fast-paced, results-driven session & discover Excel formatting best practices that will save you hours & elevate your spreadsheets to a professional level. From Custom Format Codes & Templates to Styles, Precision as Displayed & powerful date & accounting formats, you'll learn how to streamline your workflow & make your data shine. Whether you're building reports, dashboards, or financial models, these formatting techniques will help you work smarter, not harder. Don't let formatting slow you down. Transform your Excel experience, starting now!
Preparation, Compilation & Review Engagements
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Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $89
This course is an introduction to preparation, compilation & review engagements. During this course, we will compare & contrast these different engagements by reviewing the procedures that should be performed, different reports, as well as the level of assurance specific to each type of engagement.
Preparing to be a Forensic Accountant: Focus on Network Forensics
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Online
1.50 Credits
Member Price: $79
Network forensics: defined as the investigation of network traffic patterns & data captured in transit between computing devices: can provide insight into the source & extent of an attack. It is used in forensic accounting & with the expansion of information technology it has become a growing field. Network forensics is a relatively new field of forensic science. Computing has become network centric. Data is now available outside of disk-based digital evidence. Network forensics can be performed as a standalone investigation or alongside a computer forensics analysis. When used alongside a computer forensic analysis it is used to reveal links between digital devices or reconstruct how a crime was committed. Network investigations deal with volatile & dynamic information & is a sub-branch of digital forensics. It relates to the monitoring & analysis of computer network traffic for information gathering, legal evidence, or intrusion detection. This course is a complement to our other courses in the series on becoming a forensic accountant.
The Controllership Series: Sales, Collections & Customer Credit
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Online
1.50 Credits
Member Price: $79
Why do for profit organizations exist" To make money!!!!! What a great concept. But if the organization does not have the proper collections & credit procedures in place, they may not be able to access that money. Hence the importance of the credit & collection process.Credit & collections are critical areas for the financial statement controllers. Customer credit is a form of payment that allows small business customers to purchase a product or service before paying for it in full. The process works similarly to the way a credit card does: you procure something & pay it back later. Collections is a term used by a business when referring to money owed to that business by a customer. When a customer does not pay within the terms specified, the amount of the bill becomes past due & is sometimes submitted to a collection agency. The sales & collection process includes business activities related to selling products & services, maintaining customer records, billing customers & recording payments From customers. It also includes activities necessary to manage accounts receivable, such as aging accounts & authorizing credit. This course delves into the topics that impact the sales, credit & collections process for management. We discuss strategic steps management can take to ensure their processes are efficient & that they are able to actually collect their revenue.
Forensic & Fraud Interviewing Techniques & Skills
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Online
2.20 Credits
Member Price: $89
In forensic accounting, interviewing is used to obtain important information From witnesses & suspects. An important aspect is the ability of investigators to obtain accurate & reliable information From victims, witnesses & 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 & 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 & not through a standardized model of training. This session focuses on various interview concepts & methods.
It Is Legal, But Is It Really Ethical? featuring Rob Berry & Bob Mims
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Online
1.00 Credits
Member Price: $39
This discussion outlines situations where 'legal' & 'ethical' are not necessarily in alignment. How should you handle these issues? We will detail a better thought process to help you avoid 'crossing the line.'Note: This course qualifies to count toward the WICPA membership Ethics CPE requirement.
The Controllership Series: The Controller's Role in Debt Management
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Online
1.50 Credits
Member Price: $79
Debt Management: Debt management often involves administering loan agreements & ensuring bank compliance. Compliance: Controllers help ensure compliance with federal & local laws, provisions & financial regulations.
Preparing to be a Forensic Accountant: Focus on Computer Forensics: Part III (Steganography)
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Online
1.60 Credits
Member Price: $79
This course is a complement to our series on Becoming a Forensic Accountant & the focus of the course is on steganography techniques. Steganography is the art & science of embedding secret messages in a cover message in such a way that no one, apart From the sender & intended recipient, suspects the existence of the message. The first use of steganography can be traced to 440 BC when ancient Greece, people wrote messages on wood & covered it with wax, that acted as a covering medium Romans used forms of Invisible Inks, to decipher those hidden messages light or heat were used. During World War II the Germans introduced microdots, which were complete documents, pictures & plans reduced in size to the size of a dot & were attached to normal paperwork. Null Ciphers were also used to hide unencrypted secret messages in an innocent looking message. Given the amount of data being generated & transmitted electronically, it's no surprise that numerous methods of protecting that data have evolved. There are various types of steganography: Text Steganography: Hiding information inside the text files. This involves changing format of existing text, changing words in a text, generating random character sequences or using context-free grammars to generate readable texts. Image Steganography: Process of hiding text in an image without distorting the picture. Video Steganography: Technique to hide any kind of files into a cover video file. Audio Steganography: The secret message is embedded into an audio signal which alters the binary sequence of the corresponding audio file. Network Steganography: The process of utilizing active network protocols as carriers to transmit a covert message, undetectable by an uninformed party, From a host to its destination. This session will review these methods & also discuss relevant software.
Failure to Detect Fraud & the Reasons Why
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Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $89
SAS 122, AU 240, Consideration of Fraud in A Financial Audit state that auditors fail to detect fraud for two reasons. One, they haven't been trained to look for it & two, they don't know what it looks like. I would like to add a third reason: they don't want to find fraud because it causes problems for the audit. This session is designed to familiarize auditors with the many faces of fraud; where & how to look for them & what to do if you think you have found fraud. Not everyone is able to recognize fraud. During this program, the attributes a fraud auditor (frauditor) will be discussed. In order to recognize fraud, an auditor must understand their client's operation. What is an indicator in one client's operation may be business as usual in another & you have to know the difference. After viewing this program, chances are you will never look at your client the same way!
Current Fraud Trends: Nonprofit & Government Entities
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Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $89
Nonprofit entities & governmental entities have a high degree of public accountability. This course will examine the most common fraud schemes & provide multiple examples of how to prevent or detect these schemes.
The Controllership Series: The Treasury Function Part I: Cash & Investing
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Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $89
This course corresponds to our Controllership series. This course is dedicated to exploring the traditional controller role & stepping out of the box to identify areas where the controller can continue to add strategic value to their organizations. Within this segment of our controllership series, we discuss the area of cash & investments & explore how the controller can move these responsibilities into more of a strategic role. In today's world, the role of cash management is often a pivotal role in the organization. In economically difficult times, controllers may find that they spend a great deal of their time on understanding & managing the organizations' cash position. This is certainly important and, in some areas, can be seen as a staple of the lifeblood of the organization's ongoing viability. This course takes a look at some of the typical objectives involved in Cash management & then evaluates how those objectives can be further stretched into strategic pillars of the organization.
The Controllership Series: The Controller's Role in Digital Transformation
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Online
1.40 Credits
Member Price: $39
A controller's role in digital transformation is to act as a key facilitator in integrating new technologies within the finance function. This process moves beyond traditional accounting tasks to actively analyze data, provide insights based on financial information. This will ensure the smooth implementation of new systems that streamline financial operations, all while maintaining compliance & financial control within the organization. This course will introduce some of those topics & methods Controllers are beginning to turn to.
Preparing to be a Forensic Accountant: Focus on Digital Forensics
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Online
1.80 Credits
Member Price: $79
Forensic accounting, forensic accountancy or financial forensics is the specialty practice area of accounting that investigates whether firms engage in financial reporting misconduct. Forensic accountants apply a range of skills & methods to determine whether there has been financial reporting misconduct. Financial forensic engagements may fall into several categories. For example: Economic damages calculations, whether suffered through tort or breach of contract. Post-acquisition disputes such as earnouts or breaches of warranties Bankruptcy, insolvency & reorganization Securities & tax fraud Money laundering Business valuation Computer forensics/e-discovery This session is designed to delve into further investigative procedures used including digital forensics. Future sessions will focus on computer forensics, network forensics & mobile forensics.
Understanding the 4 W's in Budgeting: Who, What, When & Which?
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Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $89
This session introduces a structured approach to government budgeting using the four W's: Who, What, When & Which. Participants will explore WHO should be involved in the budgeting process, including internal teams & external stakeholders, while learning effective communication strategies to foster collaboration. The session examines WHAT the budgeting process entails, covering essential phases, components, legal requirements & common challenges. Attendees will also learn WHEN to engage the public through strategic planning, workshops & outreach initiatives. Finally, the session highlights WHICH departments play key roles, From financial planning to managing capital projects. By the end of this session, participants will have a comprehensive understanding of government budgeting & how to align financial planning with community priorities.
Preparing to be a Forensic Accountant: Cloud Forensics
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Online
1.40 Credits
Member Price: $79
Cloud computing has become a source of cyber-crime. "Cloud forensics is the application of digital forensics in cloud computing as a subset of network forensics to gather & preserve evidence in a way that is suitable for presentation in a court of law." Cloud forensics is a combination of the varied types of accounting forensics including:Digital forensics, Network forensics, Hardware forensics. In cloud crime, the cloud is considered the object when the target of the crime is the cloud service provider they are directly affected by the act. It is considered the subject of the crime when the criminal act is committed within the cloud environment. It is considered the tool when it is used to plan or conduct a crime. This course will delve into the many concepts involved in cloud forensics. The course complements other courses in the series of Becoming a Forensic Accountant.
Strategic Government Budgeting: Tools for Long-Term Sustainability
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Online
1.00 Credits
Member Price: $39
This course equips participants with the tools & strategies needed to create sustainable, long-term budgets that align with policy goals & ensure fiscal responsibility. Participants will explore key budgeting frameworks, learn techniques for forecasting revenue & expenditures & analyze scenarios to mitigate financial risks. The course incorporates practical exercises & case studies to provide hands-on experience with scenario planning, enhancing budget transparency & resilience. By the end of the session, attendees will have the knowledge & confidence to design & implement budgets that support long-term governmental priorities & strengthen financial stability.
The Controllership Series: The Controllers role in ESG
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Online
1.50 Credits
Member Price: $79
As ever more jurisdictions move toward mandatory disclosure of ESG metrics, (ex: the European Union's new Corporate Sustainability Reporting directive & impending U.S. SEC requirements) the urgency to get those disclosures right has gone up. This course to as an introduction to the concept of requirements for Controllers & financial personnel to understand ESG disclosures .Whether the role related to ESG disclosures & information falls into the job responsibility of the controller or not is yet to be seen. However, it is clear the Controller must maintain some level of knowledge & expertise around the types & timing of such disclosures.
Preparing to be a Forensic Accountant: Focus on Document Review & Handwriting Analysis
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Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $89
Forensic accounting, forensic accountancy or financial forensics is the specialty practice area of accounting that investigates whether firms engage in financial reporting misconduct. Forensic accountants apply a range of skills & methods to determine whether there has been financial reporting misconduct. Financial forensic engagements may fall into several categories. Economic damages calculations, whether suffered through tort or breach of contract. Post-acquisition disputes such as earnouts or breaches of warranties Bankruptcy, insolvency & reorganization Securities & tax fraud Money laundering Business valuation Computer forensics/e-discovery This session is designed to delve a bit deeper into the world of forensic accounting & identify some of the specific areas of expertise required to become a forensic accountant. We will then first delve deeper into the art of document analysis & handwriting analysis.
Asset Misappropriation You Have It: They Want It
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Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $89
Have you ever thought about stealing? If the answer is NO, then you need to find another profession because you will never be a successful fraud examiner/investigator or a financial auditor. To find fraud, you must first determine, given the opportunity through weak internal controls, how a person would steal. You have to say to yourself, given the opportunity that exists, how many ways could I take advantage of it? In other words, you must be able to think how you could steal & not be caught. So yes, to find fraud, you must first think about stealing. For a fraudster to be successful, they must make you think fraud is a legitimate transaction. They must make you think it is something that it is not. There are so many places where fraud can be hidden. It is up to you to evaluate where the risks of fraud are in an organization, then design effective investigative procedures to determine if someone took advantage of the opportunity. If they did not, how else may they have taken advantage of the opportunity? One must remember that one weakness in internal control may create several ways to take advantage of it & you must examine every such one. During this session, the many ways fraud can be hidden in asset misappropriations will be discussed. Remember, the number of ways is only limited by one's imagination.