Course Description

A manager’s success depends largely on his or her ability to manage a company’s assets. This mission is complicated by the interdependent nature of a company’s finances. One short-term financial problem, such as a cash flow shortage, can cause a longer-term credit problem, such as denials for bank loans. The successful manager must be able to quickly identify and resolve such short-term problems in order to prevent their long-term deleterious effects. This course is intended for effective business managers and entrepreneurs. Covering every facet of the daily management of a business’s finances, it is designed to help managers pinpoint, remedy, and prevent business and financial problems. In each case, it also points out potential ripple effects—the ways in which a problem in one sector can disrupt operations in other areas.

          Learning Objectives

•            After studying this chapter, you will be able to:

•            Recognize signs in the concept of revenue base erosion.

•            Identify irrelevant cost factors when evaluation special orders.

•            Identify causes of a high level of merchandise returns that can affect business profits.

•            Identify the causes of low turnover of merchandise.

•            Recognize trade-offs between excessive inventory ordering and carrying costs.

•            Identify order costs and carrying costs associated with inventory management.

•            Recognize how the economic order quantity (EOQ) applies to inventory management.

•            Identify technologies used to improve inventory tracking and management.

•            Recognize reasons that create a lack of inventory storage space.

•            Identify concepts used in the analysis of profitability.

•            Recognize ways to reduce the break-even point, and limitations of break-even analysis.

•            Recognize how to apply cost-volume-profit analysis.

•            Identify the problems of a weak sales mix and the causes of falling sales or profits.

•            Identify the risk-return trade-off.

•            Recognize components of interest rate risk.

•            Identify factors relating to a lack of diversification and increased risk.

•            Recognize signs of existing or potential financial problems.

•            Recognize influences that can adversely affect the market price of a stock.

•            Identify the objectives of debt rating services and some bond terminology.

•            Recognize characteristics of evaluating stock prices.

•            Identify the conditions when bankruptcy looms.

•            Recognize steps management can take to avoid business failure.

•            Recognize uses of the Altman Z-Score for spotting risky companies.

•            Identify measures that a company can take to avoid a takeover threat.

•            Recognize common ratios used by companies to help manage cash positions.

•            Identify ways to improve cash flow and return on surplus funds.

•            Identify early warning signs of a company going broke.

•            Identify ways to minimize the impact of vendor's price increases.

•            Calculate the advantage of accepting vendor terms and discounts.

•            Recognize the reasons for poor credit ratings.

•            Identify methods to prevent check signing fraud and improper payments.

•            Recognize commonly used financial ratios that help spot liquidity problems.

•            Identify early warning signals for inadequate liquidity.

•            Recognize ways to improve return on investment and how return on equity is calculated.

•            Identify methods to identify a low rate of return and the signs for poor quality of earnings.

•            Recognize how to determine the stability/instability in product revenue over time.

•            Identify the causes for excessive labor costs.

•            Recognize the concept associated with operating leverage.

•            Recognize the applications of activity-based costing.

•            Understand how a profit-maximizing firm would adjust prices at different levels of demand.

•            Identify how actual costs can exceed standard (budgeted) costs.

•            Recognize how to compute an efficiency variance.

•            Recognize ways to spot record-keeping errors.

•            Recognize the characteristics of different corporate structures used to affect tax planning and preparation.

Revision Date: 1/25/23

Additional Contents : Complete, no additional material needed
Advance Preparation : None
Intended Participants : Any CPA looking to maintain or enhance their professional competence
Course Declaration : Participants must complete the final examination within one year of purchase. A minimum passing grade of 70% or better is required to receive CPE
Click here to view cancellation and record retention policies

This course teaches you the securities market, the various types of investment securities (stocks, bond, options, futures, tax-advantaged investments, mutual funds, etc.), and the risk-return characteristics of each. It focuses on the principles and tools of investment analysis, asset allocation, portfolio selection and management.  The course tells you what are available to invest in, the features of each type of investment, the advantages and disadvantages of each investment category, including global investing, and when a particular investment type might be suitable for you. 

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Revision Date: 1/20/21

Additional Contents : Complete, no additional material needed
Advance Preparation : None
Intended Participants : Any CPA looking to maintain or enhance their professional competence
Course Declaration : Participants must complete the final examination within one year of purchase. A minimum passing grade of 70% or better is required to receive CPE
Click here to view cancellation and record retention policies

Course Description

This course is designed for accountants who must have financial knowledge but has not had formal training in finance. Topics include: The Sarbanes-Oxley Act financial reporting requirements, uses and analysis of financial statements, financial forecasting and cash budgeting, risk and return, valuation of stocks and bonds, time value of money, investing and financing, leverage, optimal capital structure, portfolio selection, management of financial resources, and international finance.

Field of Study:  Finance

Level of Knowledge:  Overview

Prerequisite: None

Advanced Preparation: None

Revision Date: 10/5/22

Course Description

This course provides an overview on the basic concepts and tools of business. Every functional aspect of business is covered. Topics covered are management, organization, human resource management, purchasing, production/operations, accounting, finance, marketing, quantitative methods, legal environment, information technology, business ethics, and international business.

Field of Study   Business Management and Organization

Level of Knowledge   Overview

Prerequisite  None

Advanced Preparation  None

Revision Date:  10/5/22

Click Here For Courses Objectives

Additional Contents : Complete, no additional material needed
Advance Preparation : None
Intended Participants : Any CPA looking to maintain or enhance their professional competence
Course Declaration : Participants must complete the final examination within one year of purchase. A minimum passing grade of 70% or better is required to receive CPE
Click here to view cancellation and record retention policies

This course is designed for managers working for multinational companies (MNCs) as well as accountants, CFOs, controllers, treasurers, and international investors.  In a modern economy, neither businesses nor individual investors can afford to be ignorant of the basic concepts of international finance. Changes in exchange rates and differences in national inflation and interest rates can affect the competitive position of businesses regardless of whether they are engaged in international operations.

For companies that are engaged in international business, national differences in banking, commercial laws, regulations, and political stability also complicate decision making. Today’s investors must also understand the effects of, and interactions among, exchange rates, inflation rates, and interest rates if they wish to maximize their returns and minimize their risks.

The study of multinational finance constitutes an essential component of a modern business education. The subject multinational finance is offered in a variety of titles including international finance, global finance, international financial management, or financial management of multinational corporations etc. at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Controllers’ Guide to Multinational Financial Management provides a clear and concise introduction to international finance.  This course is written and compiled for working professionals engaged in the fields of international finance, global trade, foreign investments, and banking.  It may be used for both day-to-day practice and for technical research. This course is a practical reference of proven techniques, strategies, and approaches that are successfully used by professionals to diagnose multinational finance and banking problems. The course covers virtually all important topics dealing with multinational business finance, investments, financial planning, financial economics, and banking. This course will benefit accountants, practicing financial analysts, CFOs, controllers, financial managers, treasurers, money managers, fund managers, investment analysts, and professional bankers, who are engaged in multinational operations.

Controllers’ Guide to Multinational Financial Management will enlighten the practitioner by presenting the most current information, offer important directives, and explain the technical procedures involved in the aforementioned dynamic business disciplines. The course applies to large, medium, or small multinational companies. It will help you to make smart decisions in all areas of international finance and banking.

You’ll find ratios, formulas, examples, applications, exhibits, charts, and rules of thumb to help you analyze and evaluate any global finance-related situation. 

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Revision Date: 4/19/22

Additional Contents : Complete, no additional material needed
Advance Preparation : None
Intended Participants : Any CPA looking to maintain or enhance their professional competence
Course Declaration : Participants must complete the final examination within one year of purchase. A minimum passing grade of 70% or better is required to receive CPE
Click here to view cancellation and record retention policies

Course Description
This course is a primer for aspiring small business owners and entrepreneurs. The course explores step-by-step procedures necessary to set up and manage a small business. Topics include the development of a business plan, market entry strategies, organization and management, financing, Internet marketing, software, and critical factors for small business owners and entrepreneurs.


Field of Study    Business Management and Organization
Level of Knowledge    Basic
Prerequisite    Basic Math
Advanced Preparation    None
    

COVID-19 Note
Covid-19 had a major impact on the economy and on small businesses in 2020, and it will likely continue to do so for the foreseeable future.  Many sources that are available to small businesses have specific COVID 19 recommendations and strategies as well as other information, such as potential tax credits/deductions, extended due dates, etc.  The following are just a few of these sources:
•    https://www.sba.gov/page/coronavirus-covid-19-small-business-guidance-loan-resources
•    https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus-tax-relief-and-economic-impact-payments
•    https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/organizations/businesses-employers.html

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Revision Date: 12/1/2022

Additional Contents : Complete, no additional material needed
Advance Preparation : None
Intended Participants : Any CPA looking to maintain or enhance their professional competence
Course Declaration : Participants must complete the final examination within one year of purchase. A minimum passing grade of 70% or better is required to receive CPE
Click here to view cancellation and record retention policies

The major purpose of Legal Environments of Business is to provide you with a concise summary of the major legal principles affecting businesspeople and business transactions.  It provides a quick, yet comprehensive, review of this vital and wide-ranging area of the law.  You will be able to analyze business decisions from a legal responsibility perspective.

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Revision Date:   4/17/2024

Additional Contents : Complete, no additional material needed
Advance Preparation : None
Intended Participants : Any CPA looking to maintain or enhance their professional competence
Course Declaration : Participants must complete the final examination within one year of purchase. A minimum passing grade of 70% or better is required to receive CPE
Click here to view cancellation and record retention policies

The course is intended for business professionals engaged in budgeting, financial planning, forecasting, profit planning, and control. A budget is the formal expression of plans, goals, and objectives of management that covers all aspects of operations for a designated time period. The budget is a tool providing targets and direction. Budgets provide control over the immediate environment, help to master the financial aspects of the job and department, and solve problems before they occur. Budgets focus on the importance of evaluating alternative actions before decisions are actually implemented. This course explains what budgets are, how they work, how to prepare and present them, and how to analyze budget figures and results. The new development and use of budgets at various managerial levels within a business are discussed. Active financial planning software that combine budgeting, forecasting analytics, business intelligence, and collaboration.

Field of Study Finance

Level of Knowledge Overview

Prerequisite Basic Accounting

Advanced Preparation None

Click Here For Courses Objectives

Revision Date:  1/25/23

Additional Contents : Complete, no additional material needed
Advance Preparation : None
Intended Participants : Any CPA looking to maintain or enhance their professional competence
Course Declaration : Participants must complete the final examination within one year of purchase. A minimum passing grade of 70% or better is required to receive CPE
Click here to view cancellation and record retention policies

Course Description

This course is designed to provide you with a deep understanding of the applications and importance of Project Management.  You will learn how to assess a project with respect to time, costs, and resources in order to effectively and efficiently reach your goals.  You will become familiar with the five processes involved in Project management – Initiating, Planning, Executing, Controlling, and Closing on time and within budget-- Project Integration, Project Scope, Project Time, Project Cost, Project Quality, Project Human Resources, Project Communications, Project Risk Management, and Project Procurement – that are essential to being an expert Project Manager.  This course follows for the most part the framework within the Project Management Institute’s Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). The material, however, places a financial focus on projects as a way to accomplish desired changes in the enterprise in a coordinated and predictable way for favorable outcomes. Topics covered include economic feasibility study, life-cycle costing, target costing, and earned value analysis. Through better project management, you can reduce or eliminate failed projects and reduce the costs associated with successful ones, increasing enterprise effectiveness in providing the maximum value to shareholders.

Field of Study     Management Services

Level of Knowledge         Overview

Prerequisite        None

Advanced Preparation    None

Revision Date: 7/7/21

Click Here For Courses Objectives

Additional Contents : Complete, no additional material needed
Advance Preparation : None
Intended Participants : Any CPA looking to maintain or enhance their professional competence
Course Declaration : Participants must complete the final examination within one year of purchase. A minimum passing grade of 70% or better is required to receive CPE
Click here to view cancellation and record retention policies

Course Description:

Real Estate: Basic Accounting and Mathematics is a refresher course covering the basic concepts and tools of accounting, finance, and math necessary for new real estate professionals.  It is also applicable to accountants and as well as real estate investors. Topics covered are balance sheet, income statement, basic accounting concepts, real estate algebra, finance math, and more.


Learning Objective:

After completing this course, you should be able to:

1.  Recognize basic financial statements and accounting procedures.
2.  Identify and apply different financial analysis ratios
3.  Recognize and apply key financial ratios useful for real estate.
4.  Calculate interest payments, insurance premiums, loan values, and income ratios.
5.  Recognize and calculate various area measurements useful for real estate valuation.


Field of Study    Specialized Knowledge
Level of Knowledge    Basic
Prerequisite    Basic Math and Accounting
Advanced Preparation    None

Revision Date: 8/17/2022

Additional Contents : Complete, no additional material needed
Advance Preparation : None
Intended Participants : Any CPA looking to maintain or enhance their professional competence
Course Declaration : Participants must complete the final examination within one year of purchase. A minimum passing grade of 70% or better is required to receive CPE
Click here to view cancelation and record retention policies

Strategic Management introduces, explains, and analyzes the activities needed to develop, select, implement, and evaluate a firm’s competitive strategy. This course focuses on both the content of a firm’s strategy and the process by which this strategy is developed and executed. This course is designed to illustrate development, formulation, implementation, and evaluation of business strategy. Emphasis is placed on the need for awareness of, and accommodation to, changes in an organization's internal and external environments. Generic types of business strategies and techniques for analyzing strategies are also covered.

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Revision Date:  3/18/2021

Additional Contents : Complete, no additional material needed
Advance Preparation : None
Intended Participants : Any CPA looking to maintain or enhance their professional competence
Course Declaration : Participants must complete the final examination within one year of purchase. A minimum passing grade of 70% or better is required to receive CPE
Click here to view cancellation and record retention policies

Course Description

A corporate scandal involves alleged or actual unethical behavior by people acting within or on behalf of a corporation. Since the turn of the century, the U.S. has seen some large corporate collapses and scandals due to shoddy and deceptive accounting practices. Many companies, shareholders and employees suffered as stock prices fell and reputations were tarnished when businesses such as Nokia, Lucent Technologies, energy, and internet-related businesses conducted questionable practices.

This course examines developments in finance and accounting and a series of corporate accounting scandals on the heels of the Enron debacle that have led to current sweeping accounting guidelines, proposals, and legislation—most notably, the Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) Act. Many of the issues surrounding the SOX Act—especially Section 404, Internal Control over Financial Reporting and Sections 302 and 906, Management Certifications —are discussed. The general issues on corporate governance and corporate social responsibility (CSR), including stock option expensing, are also covered. The illegal practice of stock option backdating is described as well.

Revision Date: 4/2/2020

Additional Contents : Complete, no additional material needed
Advance Preparation : None
Intended Participants : Any CPA looking to maintain or enhance their professional competence
Course Declaration : Participants must complete the final examination within one year of purchase. A minimum passing grade of 70% or better is required to receive CPE
Click here to view cancellation and record retention policies

Course Description

Understanding the economy and coping with the economic environment is critical in today's business performance, which is a major concern for managers and investors. The course will address macro-economic factors that may affect the performance of the business. Macro-economic factors include business cycles, interest rates, economic policy, inflation, unemployment, housing starts, money supply, and foreign exchange rates. For example, how the Fed's monetary policy affects corporate earnings is stressed. A variety of economic statistics and indicators are also explained in depth.

Revision Date: 8/15/2022

Additional Contents : Complete, no additional material needed
Advance Preparation : None
Intended Participants : Any CPA looking to maintain or enhance their professional competence
Course Declaration : Participants must complete the final examination within one year of purchase. A minimum passing grade of 70% or better is required to receive CPE
Click here to view cancellation and record retention policies

Course Description
In 2020, the Pension  Rights Center reported that one out of three older adults received income from  private company or union pension plans;federal, state, or local government pension plans;or railroad retirement, military,or veterans pensions. The need to properly administer and account for pension funds is critical. There are very specific requirements forpension accounting and postretirement benefits. ASC 715 Compensation−Retirement Benefitsprovides guidance on financial reporting  for  employers  who offer pension benefits to their employees.ASC 960 Plan Accounting−Defined  Benefit Pension  Plansand ASC 962 Plan Accounting−Defined Contribution Pension Plansaddress the plan accounting standards for defined benefit plans and defined contribution plans respectively. Those detailed calculations of pension cost and reporting requirements produce a complex accounting standard. This course is designed to help you navigate the complexities of this standard. It begins with an overview of the pension system in the U.S. discussing the nature of pension plans, plan participants’ activities, the classification of pension plans, and types of pension plans and their characteristics. It addressesthe significance ofpension federal laws, including the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, the Pension Protection Act, and the Multiemployer Pension Reform Act. This course also provides current coverage of the requirementsfor accounting and reporting on pension plans and postretirement benefits. Itincludes specific examples to illustrate theapplication.Relevant references to and excerpts from ASC 715, ASC 960, and ASC 962 are discussed throughout the course.

Learning Objectives
After studying this course,you will be able to:
1.Identify the key provisions of pension federal laws
2.Distinguish between defined benefit and defined contribution plans
3.Identify theway to evaluateplan assets
4.Recognize various measures of pension obligations
5.Identify the components of pension expense
6.Recognizethe pension assets (overfunded plan) and pension liabilities (unfunded plan)
7.Identify the unique accounting practice of postretirement benefits
8.Recognizethe reporting requirements for the employer and pension plans

Field of Study Accounting
Level of Knowledge Intermediate
Prerequisite GAAP
Advanced Preparation None

Revision Date: 10/5/22

Additional Contents : Complete, no additional material needed
Advance Preparation : None
Intended Participants : Any CPA looking to maintain or enhance their professional competence
Course Declaration : Participants must complete the final examination within one year of purchase. A minimum passing grade of 70% or better is required to receive CPE
Click here to view cancellation and record retention policies

Introduction

In technical terms, social media refers to a variety of Web-based applications (such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, et al) that facilitate (1) communication and collaboration amongst users of the Internet and (2) the creation of “user-generated content” in the form of words, pictures, audios and videos. However social media represents much more than this simple definition; social media signifies nothing less than a revolution in the ways that people communicate, consume media and conduct business. Many businesses are rethinking entire marketing strategies in order to focus on this new world known as “Web 2.0”. Social media tools such as social networks, blogs and podcasts are now commonly used to market products and services to consumers.

This course provides an overview of social media and its impact on the marketing process. This overview includes descriptions of the various forms of social media and profiles of the most popular social media websites. This course also introduces the concept of social media marketing and discusses how you can use social media to market your business, promote your brand and influence your potential customers. Finally, this course provides a step-by-step guide for CPA’s and other professionals to utilize when launching a social media marketing campaign.


Learning Objectives

After completing this course, participants should be able to:

•    Identify the unique characteristics of ‘social media’ websites.
•    Recognize the most popular social media tools (including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Wikipedia, etc.) and des
•    Recognize the primary functions and characteristics of each tool.
•    Identify ‘social media marketing’ techniques and the role that social influence plays in the marketing process.
•    Recognize best practices for launching a social media marketing campaign.


Field of Study: Marketing (100%)
Prerequisites: None
Level: Overview
Revision Date:  8/28/24

Additional Contents : Complete, no additional material needed
Advance Preparation : None
Intended Participants : Any CPA looking to maintain or enhance their professional competence
Course Declaration : Participants must complete the final examination within one year of purchase. A minimum passing grade of 70% or better is required to receive CPE
Click here to view cancellation and record retention policies

Course Description:

This course is designed to train both working CPAs and financial personnel to develop the knowledge and techniques required to review a variety of financing activities for businesses, and commercial and residential real estate.

Learning Objectives:

After studying this course, you will be able to:
    1.  Recognize characteristics of underwriting and identify federal lending laws.
    2.  Identify goals for federal loan programs and factors in determining FICO scores.
    3.  Recognize some of the many regulations and lending laws.
    4.  Identify the sources, classifications and types of mortgages.
    5.  Recognize the factors to be considered in investment decision, including valuation methods and the risk-return tradeoffs.
    6.  Recognize the main categories of commercial finance.
    7.  Identify benefits from factoring and leasing.
    8.  Identify investment criteria for venture capital firms
    9.  Identify different income producing commercial properties.
    10. Recognize how lenders evaluate commercial real estate properties and borrowers.
    11. Recognize lending rule-of-thumbs and terminology.
    12. Recognize how property types affect value, risk, and financing sources.
    13. Identify aspects and steps of the construction loan process. 

Revision Date:  11/4/2022

Additional Contents : Complete, no additional material needed
Advance Preparation : None
Intended Participants : Any CPA looking to maintain or enhance their professional competence
Course Declaration : Participants must complete the final examination within one year of purchase. A minimum passing grade of 70% or better is required to receive CPE
Click here to view cancellation and record retention policies

Course Description
Identity theft is a common type of fraud. Anyone can be targeted; from a household, business, to a nation. Identity theft impacts not just the victims, but their families, friends, employers, and the organizations involved. There is a need for better education and awareness regarding the threat of identity theft. This course explains what identity theft is and how federal laws protect victims of identity theft. It discusses how criminals steal identity and addresses common schemes they use. It also helps you recognize warning signs and identify methods that secure your identity. Finally, the course discusses how businesses and organizations protect personal information collected and respond to data breaches. Real-life cases and tips to protect yourself against identity theft are included as well.

Learning Objectives
After completing this course, you will be able to:
1.    Recognize legislation that protects identity theft victims
2.    Recognize how criminals commit acts of identity fraud
3.    Identify ways you can help prevent and detect identity theft
4.    Identify actions to take if you become a victim of identity theft
5.    Recognize how businesses and organizations protect personal information collected  


Field of Study:        Business Law
Level of Knowledge:    Overview
Prerequisite:          None
Advanced Preparation:  None

Revision Date: 2/28/2024

Additional Contents : Complete, no additional material needed
Advance Preparation : None
Intended Participants : Any CPA looking to maintain or enhance their professional competence
Course Declaration : Participants must complete the final examination within one year of purchase. A minimum passing grade of 70% or better is required to receive CPE
Click here to view cancellation and record retention policies