CPE Catalog & Events

Have you ever opened a blank workbook in Excel and just stared at it, wondering where to begin? Or, do you spend most of your time just formatting cells to make your spreadsheet look pretty? Or, do you just wonder if there is a better way to creating your spreadsheets? This course is designed to take you from a blank worksheet to a completed report. Our example will be a financial statement but you can use the knowledge gained in the course and apply it to your specific job function. You will learn to import data instead of manually entering it. Learn that you can use functions and formulas to build calculations that will eliminate the need to manually manipulate your data. Our goal is to make sure you have all the information needed to build reports without having to manually enter it every month. You will learn techniques to use your data to build your reports. This will include building formulas that are flexible with your changing data. You will learn techniques to validate your report calculations so you can improve the accuracy of your reports. You will also learn how to quickly format reports and techniques that allow you to efficiently change the format. Lastly, you will learn how PivotTables can provide a more dynamic reporting option instead of using pre-defined report formats. Obviously, we will be covering a lot of ground, so to enhance your learning experience all examples will be provided to each participant along with instructions. This will allow you to follow along and use as you apply your new knowledge to your spreadsheets. This session is presented using Excel 2019/Office 365. Regardless of the version you are using, most concepts covered in this course apply to all versions of Excel.Speaker - Bryan L. Smith, CPA.CITP, CISA

Are you aware there are 470+ formula functions in Excel? Do you realize that they add new functions in every major version of Excel? Did you know that Microsoft adds new functions throughout the year in the Office 365 version of Excel? Are you stuck using old or simple functions like SUM or ROUND? Do you want to expand your knowledge of the extensive function library in Excel? If these questions perk your interest in becoming an Excel function expert, this course is right up your alley. This past-paced course digs into some of the most powerful functions in Excel. Although, we cannot cover 470 functions, we will look at over 20 functions that will allow you to create advanced calculations in your spreadsheets. Functions like: VLOOKUP, IF, IFS, FORECAST, RAND, SWITCH, TEXTJOIN, UNIQUE, SUBTOTAL, IS, TEXT and more! We will also provide examples files that will include all the functions used during the class. It's time to take your Excel spreadsheets to the next level. This session is presented using Excel 2019/Office 365. Regardless of the version you are using, most concepts covered in this course apply to all versions of Excel.Speaker - Bryan L. Smith, CPA.CITP, CISA

Are you self-taught on Excel?Have you ever wondered if you really know how to use Excel?Do you want to build a great foundation for using Excel?Are you new to using Excel?If you answered YES to any of these questions, this is for you.This course is designed to start with the basics of using Excel from the interface to the structure to data entry to formula basics. Whether you're a beginner or an intermediate user, you will gain valuable foundational knowledge for using Excel.This session is presented using Excel 2019/Office 365. Regardless of the version you are using, most concepts covered in this course apply to all versions of Excel.Speaker - Bryan L. Smith, CPA.CITP, CISA

Over the years, Excel has added MANY new features and functionality, yet most people still use it in the same way they first learned. Part of the reason is new features were added when the newest version was announced approximately every 3 years. The list was so extensive, making it difficult to learn what was new. Microsoft attempted to solve this for Office 365 customers by releasing new features more often, making it difficult to pinpoint the latest update.This class focuses on the specific added elements to Excel 2019 plus new functionality available to Office 365 users. Not only is this a great class to learn about what's new, it provides those who have not upgraded an opportunity to determine the value of upgrading or purchasing an Office 365 license.Speaker - Bryan L. Smith, CPA.CITP, CISA

This course is designed to build the foundation to becoming an Excel formula expert. Our focus will be on design techniques that should be used when creating formulas. Excel has over 500 functions and among those, Defined Names is one of the top choices in creating formulas that make your spreadsheets work better for you.After understanding what they are and how to properly create Defined Names, you will wonder how you managed without them for so long. You will learn how to use Defined Names and Excel Tables as an important and fundamental part of EVERY spreadsheet. You will learn techniques that most advanced users don't implement in their spreadsheets but should.This session is presented using Excel 2013. Regardless of the version you are using, ALL concepts covered in this course apply to ALL versions of Excel.Speaker - Bryan L. Smith, CPA.CITP, CISA

This course will show you how to use Excel's charting and formatting features to present financial data to a non-financial audience. As the saying goes, "A picture is worth a thousand words." People tend to better understand the point when visuals are used. We will explore the many capabilities of presenting data without showing rows and rows or columns and columns of data. Help your audience visualize the meaning of the data, whether it is a trend, an exception, a distribution or a good vs. a bad relationship.This session is presented using Excel 2013. Regardless of the version you are using, ALL concepts covered in this course apply to ALL versions of Excel.Speaker - Bryan L. Smith, CPA.CITP, CISA

Excel is the #1 data analysis tool for accountants, yet many accountants have never learned the basics of data analysis using Excel or the tools that Excel offers to help with data analysis.This session is designed to teach participants the importance of PivotTables for analyzing data. We will demonstrate how PivotTables can make analyzing data an easy task for all accountants. Participants will learn the step-by-step process to create PivotTables and PivotCharts. We will also cover all the setup options and features.This session is presented using Excel 2013. Regardless of the version you are using, ALL concepts covered in this course apply to ALL versions of Excel.Speaker - Bryan L. Smith, CPA.CITP, CISA

In this course, we will focus on Text functions and Date and Time functions. Want to automatically update the date and time on your spreadsheet? Or pick text strings from other cells to automatically copy and update to a different cell? You will learn how to incorporate text, date and time functions in your spreadsheet that will make data entry a breeze. In the Text function section, you will learn how to use the various Text functions to join and separate text entries as well as formatting the results. In the Date and Time function section, you will learn how to perform various date and time calculations. This session is presented using Excel 2013. Regardless of the version you are using, ALL concepts covered in this course apply to ALL versions of Excel.Speaker - Bryan L. Smith, CPA.CITP, CISA

This course examines actual fraud circumstances through the lens of potential prevention. We will examine how selected frauds were accomplished and consider what internal controls may have prevented fraudsters' ability to accomplish their nefarious acts.Speaker - Chris Harper, CPA

It's a whole new world for lessees under ASC topic 842. This program will dive into the new standard on leases and its impact on every size entity, review effective dates, and address what you need to know now.Speaker - Chris Harper, CPA

This course explores the FASB codification provisions and AICPA financial reporting framework for transaction with related parties, including business owners and special purpose entities. Real-life examples are used to illustrate the various authoritative standards and discuss the consequences of failing to comply.Speaker - Steven C. Dilley, CPA, JD, PhD

Senior management yearns to report positive news and impressive financial results that will please investors, bankers and drive value higher. While most companies act ethically and follow prescribed accounting rules, some take advantage of gray areas in the rules or ignore them altogether in order to portray their financial results in a misleading way. This session will discuss some common financial statement shenanigans to help prevent them from fooling you.Speaker - Jay Giannantonio

A well-organized chart of accounts supports robust responsibility reporting, makes it easy to answer "what if?" questions and helps eliminate data entry errors. However, many organizations cling to the primitive practices of a half-century ago that impose barriers to developing budgets, holding people accountable, gathering useful data and keeping errors from creeping into their financial statements. Best practices today look little like the examples you may have seen in business school. If you sense that your general ledger could do far more, this session will show you how to fix your problemsSpeaker - John L. Daly, MBA, CPA, CMA, CPIM

Fraud Trends - Applying Real-life Lessons to Small- and Mid-Size Entities will focus on real-life and practical examples of fraud in smaller- and mid-size environments, including nonprofits. Fraud involves an intentional act to deceive, which may result in material misstatement in the financial statements due to fraudulent financial reporting or misappropriation of assets. Management's responsibility is to design, implement, maintain and monitor a system of internal control to prevent, or detect and correct, fraud.Speaker - Jennifer F. Louis, CPA

Please join us for a introductory course on the fundamentals of preparing and filing an individual federal income tax return. We will cover topics such as what the federal income tax is and how it is computed. This course is ideal for CPAs, CFPs, EAs and other tax preparers.Speaker - Allison M. McLeod, LL.M., CPA

Companies operating in today's business climate are weathering a storm of major FASB updates. Companies and their advisors may want to consider non-GAAP options as they develop strategies involving revenue recognition, leasing, credit losses, and other FASB pronouncements. This session will provide an overview of special purpose frameworks that may present salient alternatives to U.S. GAAP for certain entities.Speaker - Chris Harper, CPA

Government leases are getting an overhaul. GASB Statement 87 was issued in 2017 and provides an update on the proper accounting for leases from both the lessee and lessor points-of-view.Speaker - Melisa Galasso

An audit is an investment in reliable financial reporting and compliance, and an increased return on those dollars can be achieved by hiring the right auditors. This course will provide key factors for you to consider when evaluating whether you are getting the most quality and insight from your auditors, to enable them to perform the most value-added audit possible in the given circumstances - while retaining the trust of a CPA.Speaker - Jennifer F. Louis, CPA

Many small to medium sized companies do not properly address the risk that arises related to fraud because these organizations do not have the resources needed to mitigate this risk or because owners or those in top level management underestimate the scope of the issue. All organizations, regardless of size, must be aware of the risks associated with intentional fraudulent acts and know that a significant and effective fraud scheme could even create going concern issues for some entities. In this session, we delve into the reasons that fraud takes place. The material discusses the types of defalcations that are often executed against smaller entities and then explores measures that organizations can implement to help stop fraud activities and add security.Speaker - Karl Egnatoff

Recent generally accepted auditing standards were written to improve the quality of risk-based financial statement audits, audit reporting, and required by-product communications. This course will discuss the important clarifications and enhancements intended to improve audit quality to ensure better compliance with requirements contained in SAS Nos. 134-145.Speaker - Jennifer F. Louis, CPA