CPE Catalog & Events

Here's a more detailed look at the controller's role in AI: 1. Data Integrity and Quality: •    Controllers are responsible for ensuring the quality and integrity of data used to train and inform AI models.  •    They work to establish data governance frameworks, implement data quality initiatives, and ensure data lineage (tracking data from source to downstream systems).  2. Risk Management: •    Controllers assess potential risks associated with AI implementation, including inaccuracies, vulnerabilities, and ethical considerations.  •    They help define and implement risk management frameworks for AI, ensuring that AI systems are used responsibly and ethically.  3. Compliance:  •    Controllers stay informed about relevant regulations and ensure AI systems are compliant with those regulations. •    They monitor AI systems to ensure they are not violating any laws or policies. 4. Transparency and Auditability:  •    Controllers work to ensure that AI decisions are transparent and auditable. •    They establish processes to review AI decisions and identify potential biases or errors. 5. Collaboration and Training:  •    Controllers work with IT and business teams to understand AI's capabilities and limitations. •    They provide training to teams on how to use and manage AI tools effectively. 6. Value Creation: •    Controllers can leverage AI to identify areas for automation, improve efficiency, and gain real-time insights into financial operations.  •    They can use AI to make more informed decisions and create more strategic recommendations for action.  7. Emerging Role: •    The role of the controller is evolving with the rise of AI, with controllers becoming more hands-on throughout the implementation process.  •    They are increasingly seen as catalysts for AI-enabled transformation, helping to identify potential use cases and build confidence in the technology This course will explore many of these topics.

The controller has several broad areas to stay up to date on regarding compliance initiatives: Financial compliance Regulatory compliance Operational Compliance IT Compliance

In today’s environment of constant volatility and complexity, organizations are inundated with data yet often lack meaningful insights. The finance and accounting function has a unique opportunity to harness Big Data and the full spectrum of analytics—descriptive, diagnostic, predictive, and prescriptive—to enhance decision-making. However, collecting and reporting data is not the same as analyzing it to extract actionable intelligence. Compared to fields like marketing, sales, and supply chain management, finance has been slower to adopt advanced analytics. This course explores how CFOs and finance leaders can close that gap and transform their function into a true driver of strategic insight.

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 and 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 and reorganization Securities and 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 and 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 and handwriting analysis.  

This course focuses on the individual taking ownership for their career.  It provides tools and methods to assist and guide the individual to develop the collateral necessary in navigating their career.  It provides a Personal Marketing Plan that can be customized to fit the career objectives and goals of the individual. It also focuses on character self-awareness, crucial for long-tern career success.

Quality management represents a significant shift in how CPA firms design, implement, and evaluate audit and attestation quality. This course provides a focused, practical deep dive into the quality management standards and related engagement-level requirements that firms are now operating under. The course covers SQMS 1 and SQMS 2, along with related engagement-level standards, including SAS 146, SAS 145, SSARS 26, and SSAE 23. Emphasis is placed on post-implementation responsibilities, including evaluating the effectiveness of quality management systems and addressing monitoring and remediation requirements. Participants will also examine engagement-level quality management responsibilities, including the auditor’s responsibilities under SAS 146 and the engagement partner's responsibilities in SSARS engagements. The course is designed to help firms navigate the second phase of implementation, moving beyond design and rollout to ongoing evaluation, monitoring, and continuous improvement.

The Uniform Guidance requirements for subrecipient monitoring and management were updated effective October 1, 2024, introducing new expectations for pass through entities overseeing federal awards. This session will provide practical guidance on implementing compliant subaward agreements, performing risk based monitoring, and managing subrecipient financial performance in accordance with 2 CFR SS200.331-200.333. Attendees will also gain insight into indirect cost rate requirements, fixed amount, and subaward agreements to strengthen oversight and prepare for federal agency or Single Audit reviews. Using fixed amount awards to solve an out-of-the-box solution.

If there is a potential error, the IRS will assess a tax and add a hefty penalty, without even knowing the facts. As a tax professional, you will be exposed to the IRS and their methods of penalizing taxpayers for the smallest of violations. This presentation will focus on the rules and regulations that create the penalty, and the reasons that exist that the IRS will consider to remove those penalties. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

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.

Those charged with governance, with the assistance of internal audit,  are responsible for overseeing the strategic direction of the organization, and ensuring value is delivered to the entity's stakeholders. This course will provide guidance on fulfilling the responsibility for challenging how much risk and uncertainty to accept through the application of COSO's Enterprise Risk Management Framework.

This course is designed to equip CPAs, EAs, attorneys, and tax professionals with the essential knowledge and strategies needed to navigate the latest developments. Explore innovative approaches to maximize retirement savings, discuss tax- efficient retirement plan options, and align estate planning techniques with current trends. Gain a thorough understanding of altered rules for Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) and 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 and submit to kori.herrera@acpen.com.

As a small business owner, would you be interested if I could tell you how to increase your profit each year by an average of 5%? If you were a practicing CPA, do you think your small business clients would be interested if you could tell them how to increase their profits by an average of 5% each year? That is the amount of revenue lost to fraud as reported by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners’ (ACFE) in their 2024 Report to the Nations on Occupational Fraud.  It is no secret as to how to prevent fraud from occurring.  But we must first convince the small business owner that fraud is occurring in their organization. During this presentation we will discuss the many ways fraud can occur; how fraud occurs; who commits fraud; how to recognize the indicators of fraud; what to do if you suspect fraud; and lastly, how to prevent fraud from occurring in the first place. Most small businesses owners are very reluctant to admit that fraud might occur in their business because they know and trust their employees. Know this: Under the right circumstances (which we will discuss) most individuals will steal, and I will prove it. If you view this program, chances are as a small business owner, you will never look at your operation the same way. As an auditor, chances are you will never conduct an audit of a small business the same way.

Professional credibility is communicated, not assumed. In this 1-CPE session (Professional Development), participants examine structured approaches to articulating their professional identity. Drawing directly from the course framework, the session covers development of an elevator pitch, a professional value proposition, and a concise executive biography. Participants will analyze how credibility is established through clarity, relevance, and alignment with audience needs. The course emphasizes service-centered communication rather than self-promotion and provides structured guidance for refining professional messaging in leadership and client-facing contexts. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

With new accounting standards, the economic landscape and evolving technology, accounting, financial reporting and finance continue to grow in complexity. FASB has tried to address the growing complexity, by working towards making GAAP less convoluted.  The struggle to stay on top of accounting financial reporting requirements and finance changes due to the economy continues for several reasons. Lack of in-house SMEs, managing high volumes of transactions, and data and evolving information technology systems. In the future, executives must consider the challenges they will face in future years that will bring their own nuances and complexities. Budgeting is certainly one of those processes that must be evaluated and re-evaluated for efficiency. This session delves into the corporate budgeting process and discusses methods used and which methods may or may not allow for the organization’s to properly plan for a volatile future.

This course is a continuation of our series on preparing to become a forensic accountant. Within this segment we focus on elements of computer forensics. This session is designed to delve into further investigative procedures used in computer forensics.  

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 and copiers. Although the greatest impact will be on large entities, this will affect the financial statements of small and mid-size entities as well. This program will dive into the new standard on leases, effective dates, and address what you need to know now.

Many organizations struggle to keep budgets current in an ever-changing business climate.  Twenty-first century performance metrics focus on determining what budgets should be rather than what they were in the past.  Using performance metrics effectively reduces work, reduces politics, provides flexibility and substantially improves the performance management process.  This session will show you powerful techniques to drive your organization’s performance.

Portable Document Format (PDF) documents are everywhere! Yet few know how to work effectively with these documents. If you are interested in working more effectively and efficiently with PDFs, this session is for you. In this session, you will learn valuable tips you can use to assist you with creating, editing, and securing PDFs. You will also learn how to convert PDFs to fillable forms and secure PDFs, among other features. Don't miss this chance to learn ten PDF tips you need to know to increase your ROI on PDFs.

If you have been a practitioner for any length of time, you know that there is often a difference between what clients should do and what they actually do. Have you ever wondered why that is? In this course, we will explore how we make decisions with less-than-perfect information. Through real-life examples and case studies, we will examine common behavioral biases and how to deal with them. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

ProActive Response Group's Active Shooter Response Training course educates participants in current trends of active shooter incidents, how to recognize early warning signs of violence, appropriate actions to increase chances of survival in an active shooter event, and how to use basic medical equipment to save the lives of victims.   *****(Warning: This video contains simulated graphic scenes that some viewers may find disturbing)*****