Ethics - Identifying & Managing Conflicts of Interest (CPA)

This course tackles the question: Is it ethical to “manage” the earnings number – that is, to use legitimate discretion in the preparation of the financial statements to manage the numbers in a way that serves the interests of the manager independent of whether it serves the interest of the firm’s owners? We begin by creating an ethical framework based on the professional code of ethics. We then cover the what, why, how and when of earnings management behavior, describing and illustrating the variety of ways in which managers use their discretion in operating, investing, financing, and reporting decisions to influence the financial reports. In the vast majority of these cases, we rely on real-world examples, taken from publicly-available financial statements that received unqualified audit opinions. For the various categories of earnings management, we consider how they can be evaluated within the ethical framework we established in the beginning of the course. The result is an informed and thoughtful approach to assessing whether a given earnings management practice is consistent with professional ethics, a valuable tool whether you are an external auditor reviewing a set of statements, a preparer of the statements, or an outsider attempting to determine the usefulness of the statements. Worth 3 Technical CPE Credits (CPA/NASBA)

UPDATED 2024: In business, exposure refers to the extent of risks and potential damages businesses are willing to incur. And in foreign investments, exposure to risk is a constant. So, learning how to measure exposure within foreign markets is an ability international and financial teams need to have. This short course dives straight into the topic, allowing you to dig deeper into the complicated topic of conducting business in foreign markets. Course Type: Business Simulation. Worth 3 PDCs (SHRM).

UPDATED 2024: In today’s organizational landscape, a single ethical or legal misstep can land you in a world of trouble. So, it’s imperative that business leaders and employees know the current societal expectations and laws. And because this impacts employees at all levels of the organization, it’s just as important that CPAs know the requirements as CEOs and HR managers. This narrative course focuses on topics related to legal compliance like workplace diversity, immigration policies, behavioral and organizational ethics, and much more. Course Type: Business Simulation. Worth 3 CPE Credits (CPA/NASBA).

UPDATED 2023: Current Assets vs. Long-Term Assets focuses in on topics like tax reporting and FIFO/LIFO methods to provide you with an abridged overview of two types of business assets. And in order to help you become more confident in your knowledge, you will cover depreciation methods, capitalizing and expensing as well as data auditing and financial planning. Taught by various fictional characters at the multinational corporation, Central Products, this course provides an interactive way for business professionals to learn important accounting concepts. Course Type: Business Simulation. Worth 3 PDCs (SHRM) and 3 CEUs (HRCI Business Credits).