CPE Catalog & Events
Fringe Benefits & Compensation Planning - Today and Beyond
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Online
8.00 Credits
Member Price: $250
In today's dynamic economic landscape, staying ahead with effective fringe benefit planning is more critical than ever for both businesses and individual clients. With evolving tax laws and shifting market dynamics, understanding the intricacies of fringe benefit planning is essential to ensure financial well-being and compliance. This course offers a comprehensive overview of essential tools and techniques tailored for financial professionals, allowing them to navigate the complexities of fringe benefit planning with confidence and precision. By attending this course, practitioners will gain invaluable insights into various planning tools and techniques essential for meeting fringe benefit planning objectives. From mastering the subtleties of employee benefit planning, including ERISA reporting and disclosure requirements, to unraveling the complexities of IRC §132 fringe benefit options, attendees will enhance their expertise to deliver superior advisory services. The curriculum also delves into the practical aspects of cafeteria plans, flexible spending accounts, group term life insurance plans, and strategies for financing retiree medical benefits, among others. With a focus on practical application and real-world scenarios, this course equips participants to tackle fringe benefit planning challenges head-on, providing them with the tools and knowledge needed to optimize benefits for both business and personal needs, now and in the future. **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 and submit to kori.herrera@acpen.com. Delivery Method: Individual webcast CPE Credit: 8Program Level: Basic
Metrics Management Series
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Online
8.00 Credits
Member Price: $250
Metrics Management is a four-part series that answers the measurement, accountability, and performance of our strategies and financials. The titles include: Metrics Management – Linking Strategy to Performance Description – Organizations often fail not because strategy is flawed, but because performance is measured poorly. This session focuses on the critical link between strategy, measurement, and execution. Participants will explore why there is no “perfect” metric, how strategy fails due to weak measurement, and how financial and non-financial metrics work together to drive performance. The session emphasizes aligning metrics with mission, strategy, and organizational priorities using practical frameworks such as the Balanced Scorecard. Humorous videos will be incorporated to drive home some key points and keep things entertaining. Metrics Management – Selecting the Right KPIs Description – Choosing the wrong metrics can create noise, confusion, and unintended behavior. This session helps CPAs and CFOs identify and select meaningful KPIs that align with strategy and are understood by users. Participants will learn how to balance financial and operational metrics, tailor KPIs to responsibility centers, and think like customers when designing performance measures. The session emphasizes simplicity, relevance, and usability over volume and complexity. Humorous videos will be incorporated to drive home some key points and keep things entertaining. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Metrics Management – Measuring Performance in the Real World Description – Designing metrics is only half the challenge—making them work in practice is where most organizations struggle. This session focuses on applying metrics in real-world environments, including responsibility centers, profit centers, and service organizations. Participants will explore output measurements, controllable versus non-controllable costs, cost allocation challenges, and benchmarking. Case discussions illustrate how better information leads to better decisions and improved performance. Humorous videos will be incorporated to drive home some key points and keep things entertaining. Metrics Management – Dashboards, Performance Tools, and Open-Book Management Description – Metrics only add value when they are communicated clearly and used consistently. This session focuses on dashboards, performance management tools, and open-book management as ways to turn metrics into action. Participants will learn how dashboards support decision-making, why many reporting projects fail, and how transparency and trust improve performance. The session emphasizes visualization, communication, and using metrics to answer the most important management questions. Humorous videos will be incorporated to drive home some key points and keep things entertaining. Delivery Method: Individual webcast CPE Credit: 8Program Level: Intermediate
Strategies for Guiding Clients Through Challenging Situations: Tax Insights
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Online
8.00 Credits
Member Price: $250
This course equips practitioners with the knowledge needed to help clients navigate complex tax and financial challenges. It addresses difficult client situations including divorce, bankruptcy, debt issues, and other personal and business matters that create significant tax consequences. The course provides key insights into the tax implications associated with these situations and highlights planning considerations practitioners should evaluate when advising clients. Participants will explore the tax treatment of divorce-related matters, including filing status, support obligations, and property division. The course also examines bankruptcy, debt cancellation, business dissolution, and other financial hardships that may affect a taxpayer’s reporting and obligations. Through practical discussion and analysis, participants will gain strategies to help clients make informed decisions while understanding the related tax implications. 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 and submit to terri.storer@acpen.com Delivery Method: Individual webcast CPE Credit: 8Program Level: Intermediate
Unlocking Deep Secrets: Case Studies in Financial Analysis
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Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $89
Unlock the secrets to understanding a company's financial health and management performance through comprehensive financial analysis. This seminar will guide you through essential tools such as vertical analysis, horizontal analysis, and ratio analysis to gain deep insights into business performance. - Vertical Analysis: Learn how to express each line item of financial statements as a percentage, making it easier to compare companies of different sizes and identify key trends. - Horizontal Analysis: Discover how to compare financial information over multiple periods to spot significant changes and trends, providing a clearer picture of a company's growth and performance. - Ratio Analysis: Dive into calculating and interpreting financial ratios to assess profitability, liquidity, and solvency. Understand how these ratios reveal the effectiveness of management and the potential of the business. This seminar goes beyond just teaching terms and formulas. We will apply these analytical tools to real-world financial data, demonstrating how to derive meaningful insights and make informed decisions. Join us to enhance your financial analysis skills and gain a competitive edge in evaluating business performance. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.This course is being offered by a learning partner and will not be accessible on your My CPE page. Access information will be emailed directly to you by CPA Crossings.
The Controllership Series - The Controllers Role in Strategic Thinking and Advising - Part 1
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Online
1.80 Credits
Member Price: $89
The strategic controller helps leadership decide what should happen, not just explain what has already been done. The controller often acts as the enterprise translator between strategy, operations, and financial outcomes. This can sometimes appear to be accuracy-focused and not necessarily decision useful insight. Controllers must move away from just variance explanation and include performance interpretation. To do this, the controller must understand business models and value drivers, be able to translate strategy into financial growth and align KPIs with strategic priorities. Part of this process includes understanding concepts of root-cause analysis vs. surface-level variance analysis. It also includes understanding correlation vs. causation in financial data. Within this segment we will review all of these concepts and controllers will come away with insightful ideas regarding how to elevate their roles. Delivery Method: Individual webcast CPE Credit: 1.8Program Level: Basic
Change Management: Your Leadership Role for Aligning Profits & Culture
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Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $89
This is a dynamic course tailored for seasoned accountants who are looking to elevate their skills in navigating and leading through organizational change. This advanced program focuses on enhancing agility by providing the tools and techniques necessary to manage and adapt to rapid shifts in the accounting landscape. Participants will explore theoretical frameworks alongside practical strategies that support effective change management for diverse business environments. Delivery Method: Individual webcast CPE Credit: 2Program Level: Advanced
Analyzing Financial Statements
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Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $89
This course provides tools and insights into financial statement analysis - both quantitative and qualitative. We'll look not only at the three main financial statements but also dive into the MD&A and footnotes. We'll also discuss the affect of industry nuances on comparability of different analysis tools. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.This course is being offered by a learning partner and will not be accessible on your My CPE page. Access information will be emailed directly to you by CPA Crossings.
Surgent's Adapting to OBBBA Changes: A Strategic Review
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Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $119
Accounting and finance practitioners are continually asked for strategic planning advice. In this course, we will cover topics that will make clients, and their advisors, tax smart and tax prepared for the coming year and beyond. This program is a two-hour review and analysis of what we consider some of the most important changes from the OBBBA impacting both individual and business clients.Delivery Method: Individual webcastCPE Credit: 2Program Level: BasicThis course is being offered by a learning partner. You may access the Surgent platform through the My CPE page on vscpa.com after purchase.
Surgent's Employee Stock Options: What Financial Professionals Should Know When Advising Their Clients
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Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $99
Companies often offer stock options as an additional form of compensation to attract and retain the best talent. Used appropriately, stock options can generate significant wealth, yet many employees are unfamiliar with how stock options work and why options serve as a valuable opportunity for employees to establish and grow their wealth. Unfortunately, employees who receive stock options are often unaware of their inherent risks. Research has shown that over 76% of employees have never exercised their stock options. Almost half of these individuals (48%), say they held off on selling their options due to fear of making a mistake. This course provides accounting and finance professionals with a broad overview of employee stock options. The webinar is designed to help participants better understand the fundamentals behind these investments and, in turn, better advise their clients.Delivery Method: Individual webcastCPE Credit: 2Program Level: BasicThis course is being offered by a learning partner. You may access the Surgent platform through the My CPE page on vscpa.com after purchase.
Surgent's Excel: Mastering PivotTables
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Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $99
PivotTable is a fancy term for an Excel report that summarizes data. If you have not yet had the good fortune of exploring PivotTables, it is about time. In this session, we'll dig into PivotTables, understand the report layout options, and examine PivotTable formulas.Delivery Method: Individual webcastCPE Credit: 2Program Level: BasicThis course is being offered by a learning partner. You may access the Surgent platform through the My CPE page on vscpa.com after purchase.
Fundamentals of Form 1040 -- Business
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Online
4.00 Credits
Member Price: $149
This course builds on the foundational knowledge from Part 1, Fundamentals of the 1040 - Core Concepts. It expands into business income taxation and additional reporting requirements. Participants will learn how to accurately report self-employment income, income from pass-through entities on Form 1040. This course covers Schedule C, Schedule E, and essential forms such as Form 7203 and Form 7217 to ensure accurate tax preparation for clients with business activities. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.This course is being offered by a learning partner and will not be accessible on your My CPE page. Access information will be emailed directly to you by CPA Crossings.
Mining Your Firm Client Database for Revenue
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Online
1.00 Credits
Member Price: $55
Your client database is more than a record of past engagements-it's a goldmine of untapped opportunity. In this practical and forward-thinking session, accounting professionals will learn how to strategically analyze and segment their existing client data to uncover new service opportunities, deepen relationships, and drive sustainable revenue growth. From identifying cross-selling potential to leveraging automation tools for proactive outreach, this webinar will equip firm leaders and client managers with actionable strategies to turn dormant data into dynamic business development. Whether you're a solo practitioner or part of a larger firm, you'll walk away with a roadmap for transforming your client list into a revenue-generating engine. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.This course is being offered by a learning partner and will not be accessible on your My CPE page. Access information will be emailed directly to you by CPA Crossings.
Coping With the Growth of Online Fraud
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Online
4.00 Credits
Member Price: $149
Just about every company, no matter its size or the types of activities it undertakes, is at greater risk because of all the types of fraud that can be be carried out electronically. Potential perpetrators can be operating internally or externally and the scope of the damage that occurs is almost never limited to cyber-assets. While threat awareness is improving, there are still too many owners or top level executives that underestimate the scale of the issue. In this session, we delve into the types and the nature of many electronic defalcation schemes. The material then explores measures that organizations can implement to help stop these activities and add additional layers of security. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.This course is being offered by a learning partner and will not be accessible on your My CPE page. Access information will be emailed directly to you by CPA Crossings.
Revenue Recognition - Topic 606 Overview
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Online
1.80 Credits
Member Price: $79
This session is the beginning in a series on the new revenue recognition standard. The standard outlines five steps for proper compliance. At the surface, these steps seem simplistic. However, there are many considerations that should be considered within each step based on your process and industry. This course is designed to provide an overview of the technical guidance and outline the five steps involved in the revenue recognition model. We also explore some concepts to consider within each step and then evaluate some challenges that specific industry's may have when complying with the standard. Future courses will further delve into each step and provide example and scenarios that should be considered to properly apply the step. Delivery Method: Individual webcast CPE Credit: 1.8Program Level: Intermediate
From Numbers to Narrative: Effectively Presenting Your Budget and Reporting
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Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $89
Perhaps the most important element of the budget process is its communication. If management does not understand the budget – there is an issue. Knowing the right ways to communicate at all levels is essential to stakeholders laying an ownership claim to successful budgets. This session reveals several key guidelines in successful budget presentations and will identify key problems in how people often communicate financial plans. Presenting your budget and reporting is the final part of a four part series, but can easily stand on its own course that is intended to be fun, enjoyable and educational. Delivery Method: Individual webcast CPE Credit: 2Program Level: Intermediate
Travel/Entertainment Expenses and Taxes: What You Need to Know for Compliance
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Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $89
This program reviews the statutory and regulatory guidance as they relate to fringe benefits. There will be an emphasis on entertainment, meals and business transportation expenses, including qualified employer-provided parking, with a focus on planning opportunities. An OBBBA of 2025 update, cases and rulings will also be addressed. *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 and submit to terri.storer@acpen.com Delivery Method: Individual webcast CPE Credit: 2Program Level: Intermediate
K2’s Excel Tips – Today’s Best Features
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Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $89
Wow! So many new Excel features and so little time! Microsoft continues to add tremendous functionality to Excel - the business professional's tool of choice. Yet most Excel users have not discovered these new tools and remain mired in yesterday's practices for working in Excel. In this session, you will learn how to use many of Excel's latest features to work more efficiently and effectively with your spreadsheets. Participate in this session to learn about recently released features such as PIVOTBY, GROUPBY, Office Scripts, integration with Copilot, new ways to share and collaborate in Excel, and data entry and formula improvements. If you work with Excel - and who doesn't - this session is necessary to help you improve your efficiency and effectiveness when using Excel. Delivery Method: Individual webcast CPE Credit: 2Program Level: Intermediate
Introverts Have Real Power, Why Quiet Leaders are So Successful
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Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $89
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. Delivery Method: Individual webcast CPE Credit: 2Program Level: Intermediate
Practical Excel Topics for Today’s Accountant
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Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $89
This course introduces practical ways that public accountants can use Excel to enhance both the efficiency and effectiveness of client engagements. We will reinforce core concepts by illustrating ways that Excel is a tool for analysis and reporting. We will introduce numerous analytical methods and techniques by using practical examples to illustrate how to unleash the power of Excel when obtaining, analyzing, and reporting information. Delivery Method: Individual webcast CPE Credit: 2Program Level: Intermediate
Cash Flow Clarity: Effectively Communicate Cash Flows for your Board and C-Suite
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Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $89
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. Delivery Method: Individual webcast CPE Credit: 2Program Level: Intermediate