Price range: $116.00 through $136.00
Webcasts are available for viewing Monday – Friday, 8am – 8pm ET,
and Saturday & Sunday, 10am – 6pm ET.
Without FlexCast, you must start with enough time to finish. (1 Hr/Credit)
 Secure Transaction CPE Credits
4 Credits: Business Management & Organization
Course Level
Overview
Format
Self-Study
Course Description
This course explains why mergers and acquisitions fail and how organizations can reduce the risk of unsuccessful transactions. It examines common strategic, financial, operational, and governance mistakes that undermine acquisition outcomes. It also analyzes warning signs that appear before and after a transaction, along with practical risk-management frameworks. By understanding these factors, you can improve due diligence, strengthen oversight, and increase the likelihood that acquisitions create long-term value.
Learning Objectives
Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be able to:
- Recognize the signals that an acquisition may not be viable.
- Recall the risks associated with unrealistic synergy projections.
- Recognize the indicators of due diligence weaknesses.
- Specify the dangers of acquiring an organization with incompatible information systems.
- Recall the issues that may trigger excessive acquisition pricing.
- Recognize the need for working capital analysis during due diligence.
- Recall the indicators of possible cultural integration problems.
- Recognize the outcomes from inadequate integration planning.
- Specify why it is necessary to use sensitivity analysis for an acquisition.
- Recall the issues associated with debt-heavy financing for an acquisition.
- Recognize the indicators of weak board oversight of an acquisition.
- Recall how brand positioning issues can impact integration efforts.
- Recognize the issues that can trigger increased employee turnover after an acquisition.
- Specify how communication failures can lead to customer turnover after an acquisition.
- Recall the reasons why executives may pursue non-value-creating acquisition deals.
- Recognize the reasons why it is important to evaluate technology infrastructure during due diligence.
- Recall the indicators of shareholder value destruction following an acquisition.
Course Specifics
SS626484753
July 21, 2026
There are no prerequisites.
None
94
Compliance Information
CFP Notice: Not all courses that qualify for CFP® credit are registered by Western CPE. If a course does not have a CFP registration number in the compliance section, the continuing education will need to be individually reported with the CFP Board. For more information on the reporting process, required documentation, processing fee, etc., contact the CFP Board. CFP Professionals must take each course in it’s entirety, the CFP Board DOES NOT accept partial credits for courses.
Meet The Experts
Steven M. Bragg, CPA, is a full-time book and course author who has written more than 300 business books and courses. He provides Western CPE with self-study courses in the areas of accounting and finance, with an emphasis on the practical application of accounting standards and management techniques. A sampling of his courses include the The New Controller Guidebook, The GAAP Guidebook, Accountants’ Guidebook, and Closing the Books: An Accountant’s Guide. He also manages the Accounting Best Practices podcast. Steven has been the CFO or controller of both public and private companies and has been a consulting manager with Ernst & Young and …
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