Select Your Conference Courses

Course Description

Combining the real-life experience of a practicing CPA with essential down-to-earth tax materials in a high-tech format, this powerful presentation will enable participants to grasp recent individual tax changes. You’ll receive the most complete and up-to-date reference manual, written by renowned tax experts.  The digital PDF manual is hyperlinked to the Internal Revenue Code, tax court decisions, and other primary authorities, making it an extremely convenient resource. Join us as our world-class tax instructors share cutting-edge tax planning strategies in a high energy, often humorous presentation style using real-life experiences, which make complicated tax topics easily understandable. Specific course topics will be announced and updated through year-end.

Learning Objectives

• Increased understanding of individual and business federal tax reform developments;
• Tax savings strategies for individuals;
• Enhanced knowledge of the different types of individual and business retirement plans, assessing contribution limits, elective deferral limitations, and prohibited transactions;
• The ability to compare and contrast qualified Roth contribution plans, SEPs, SIMPLE IRAs, and 401(k) plans;
• Identify top estate planning strategies; and
• Increased understanding of current IRS administration and compliance issues.

Course Description

Combining the real-life experience of a practicing CPA with essential down-to-earth tax materials in a high-tech format, this powerful presentation will enable participants to grasp recent individual tax changes. You’ll receive the most complete and up-to-date reference manual, written by renowned tax experts.  The digital PDF manual is hyperlinked to the Internal Revenue Code, tax court decisions, and other primary authorities, making it an extremely convenient resource. Join us as our world-class tax instructors share cutting-edge tax planning strategies in a high energy, often humorous presentation style using real-life experiences, which make complicated tax topics easily understandable. Specific course topics will be announced and updated through year-end.

Learning Objectives

• Discuss business tax reform developments;
• Enumerate planning ideas for business tax reform; and
• Accurately prepare returns for business taxpayers.

Course Description

Many accountants and others desire to have a quick overview of current and emerging issues and changes in accounting and financial reporting standards – to know what should be on their radar for transition and implementation.  This course will provide a “big picture” overview of the most important elements of updates in U.S. GAAP and other hot topics in accounting and financial reporting.

Course Highlights:

• The latest FASB standard-setting activity, including significant projects on the horizon
• When and why you should implement the private company GAAP alternatives
• Answering FAQ related to ASC 842 lease accounting
• Timeline for effectives dates, to enable accountants and others to prioritize implementation and transition plans

Learning Objectives

• Upon completion of this course participants will be able to:
  • Recall the highlights of recent accounting standards activity
  • List why new accounting standards were released, and the most significant impact on financial reporting
  • Identify “hot topics” in accounting and financial reporting
  • Explain current trends related to accounting alternatives related to private companies

Course Description

WOW! What a beginning to this decade! Our clients finally learned about the importance of being well positioned and ready for unexpected events!  The lessons learned are life altering and game changing! It proves that your clients must always be ready for the multitude of life’s financial uncertainties. Many rules of thumb have been challenged and replaced by more cautious types of planning. In essence, we need to make sure our clients are prepared for this NEW NORM – The Roaring 20s! Having said that, the other side of unique possibilities and future success now exist because of a quickly changing world!

We all know what we would like to do as advisors in helping our clients, but how realistic will it be for us to assess, evaluate and implement our clients’ ability to tackle these objectives using traditional financial planning tools and techniques during this rapidly changing decade? Are the tools we use applicable in truly helping our clients attain these goals in this next decade?

Join Jeff Rattiner, CPA, CFP®, MBA, of the Rattiner’s Financial Planning Fast Track ™, Inc., as he will be sharing with you on how to prepare during the Roaring 20s!!  Rattiner will focus on an evaluation of the core areas of financial planning: cash flow management and budgeting, insurance planning, investment planning, education planning, income tax planning, retirement planning, estate planning as well as other uncertainties that need advance prep, such as divorce and closely held business owner planning opportunities.

You’ll learn how a financial advisor may approach and work with a client in exploring and setting the stage in this unique and previously unexplored terrain. You’ll work through the intricacies of how different types of clients react to the experience of financial endeavors possibly turning out differently than what was previously expected and initially hoped for!

Learning Objectives

• Learn how to assess, evaluate, and implement specific real-life scenarios by distinguishing where a client stands financially today and what may transpire into the uncertain future (The Roaring 20s), all while applying appropriate reads and recommendations towards developing long term strategies, and determining what needs to happen if things go off-course – Again!
• Incorporate the new norm and distinguish that from the old norm within the financial planning process;
• Work through a rapidly changing environment by re-examining the core components of cash flow management, and planning for insurance, investing, education, retirement and estate realities;
• Help identify and communicate critical thoughts in each step of the planning process to develop a strong understanding of client issues; and
• Help you present worthwhile recommendations that will further your client’s lifelong objectives to build an appropriate model during changing times.

Course Description

Many accountants and others desire to have a quick overview of current and emerging issues and changes in audit and other attestation standards – to know what should be on their radar for quality management and compliance purposes.  This course will provide a “big picture” overview of the most important elements of updates in hot topics relevant to performing audits and other attestation services.

Course Highlights:

• Executive summary of the most important aspects of recently released auditing and other attest standards
• Recent ethics interpretations and other hot topics impacting the CPA profession
• Getting ready to implement the new Quality Management Standards
• Fraud and cybersecurity risk management trends

Learning Objectives

• Identify any changes in the nature of services that public accountants can provide to clients, such as recent ethics interpretations
• Recall new professional standard requirements in audit and other attestation services
• Recognize current fraud and cybersecurity risk trends
• Distinguish important matters on the horizon, such as the new quality management standards

Course Description

How good are you with the technology you use daily? What new technology tools are available that could save you time and make you more effective? Technology continues to accelerate rapidly, and the need to keep pace is important. If you are not an information technology (IT) expert, but need a technology update to maintain and improve your skills so that you can serve your companies and/or clients more efficiently and effectively, then this course is for you!

In this fast-paced, update-style course, you will survey today’s IT environment, learning about computer hardware, software (including Office 2016/Office 2019/Office 365), operating systems (including Windows 10) and what they mean for you, and peripheral devices. You will also learn about significant trends in information technology and how to take advantage of the opportunities presented by these trends. Examples include the latest Excel features, working with PDF files, and security and privacy issues. Additionally, you will learn how to improve the overall performance of your IT investment, thereby increasing your return on investment.

Throughout this program, you will learn from real-time demonstrations of practical applications of the latest tools which can provide you with knowledge you need to harness the power of technology, both now and in the future. Register now for this “don’t miss” opportunity to get the skills needed to enhance the value of your IT investment.

Learning Objectives

• Identify key hardware and software enhancements and updates that are relevant to accountants, including operating systems, desktop productivity suites, accounting software, and document management systems;
• Implement key features in Microsoft Office applications, including accountant-centric features in Excel, Word, and Outlook;
• List and apply key features found in Adobe Acrobat for working with PDFs, including commenting, reorganizing PDFs, securing PDFs, and creating and working with PDF forms; and
• Identify key security and privacy issues facing accountants, including practical tools and techniques for mitigating risk, such as data encryption, password management, biometrics, and portals.

Course Description

We all know what we would like to do as advisors in helping our clients, but how realistic will it be for us to assess, evaluate and implement our clients’ ability to tackle these objectives using traditional financial planning tools and techniques during this rapidly changing decade? Are the tools we use applicable in truly helping our clients attain these goals in this next decade?

This session focuses on developing real world applications under a case study scenario when the Advisor works with a client in this area. You’ll work through the intricacies of the decade of the 2020s by understanding the new financial planning process, help identify critical thoughts in each step of the planning process, determines how to weigh the facts, interpret the data, prioritize the information, and help you present worthwhile recommendations that will further your clients lifelong objectives to build a model will be developed for use by the Advisor in tackling the exposures of the client and providing keen insight recommendations in tackling those problems.

Join Jeff Rattiner, CPA, CFP®, MBA, of Rattiner’s Financial Planning Fast Track ™, Inc., as he will be sharing with you the ways to adjust the financial planning strategies your clients will need to focus on the decade of the 2020’s.

Learning Objectives

• Learn how to assess, evaluate, and implement specific scenarios distinguishing where a client stands financially today and what may transpire into the future and apply appropriate reads and recommendations towards developing long term strategies;
• Work through a rapidly changing environment by understanding and thinking through client issues;
• Focus on developing real world practical applications for the decade of the 20’s under a case study scenario;
• Help identify and communicate critical thoughts in each step of the planning process to develop a strong understanding of client issues;
• Tackle the exposures of the client and providing keen insight supportive recommendations in tackling those problems; and
• Help you present worthwhile recommendations that will further your client’s lifelong objectives to build an appropriate model during changing times.

Course Description

Today’s accounting and financial professionals need leading-edge technologies to thrive in a high-speed economy. Unfortunately, many still use tools that first appeared over a decade ago, or are mired in manual processes.  This practice leads to inefficiency, fraud, poor decisions, and ineffective communication and collaboration.

Participate in this session to learn about today’s best accounting and finance tech tools, how to take advantage of them, and the benefits they provide. You’ll be amazed at what is available, how easy implementing these can be, and the benefits they offer.

• Using data analytics for better decisions
• Business intelligence platforms
• Automating business processes
• Integrating data across the organization
• Communication and collaboration tools
• Key security technologies

Learning Objectives

• Differentiate between data analytics and business intelligence and list examples of each;
• Identify at least three opportunities for automating transaction flows, including approvals, in any organization;
• List examples of the benefits of data integration and specific tools you and your team can use to facilitate data integration efforts;
• Cite examples of technology to facilitate intra-team communication and collaboration efforts and the related benefits; and
• List at least three security concerns facing businesses and provide examples of solutions to address these risks.