Are You Future-Ready? Learn How to Get There at This PICPA Event
For the generations that have provided free technical support to grandparents everywhere since the ’80s and ’90s, it can be difficult to admit that the rapid pace of technological innovation is intimidating at times. There’s no denying things are changing fast. While business writers push endless streams of science fiction about robots taking jobs, technology […]
Believe It or Not, There Are Advantages to Getting CPE In a Virtual Setting
If there’s one main thing pandemic living has taught us it’s how to pivot. For many of us, we’ve had to figure out how to do our jobs at home (oftentimes while simultaneously wearing our parent hat). Our kids have had to adjust to learning in virtual classrooms. The past year has forced some people […]
Get Off Nintendo Switch and Earn Some CPE While You’re Working From Home
If you work for any of the 40 accounting firms we’ve confirmed are on mandatory work-from-home policies as of publication time, chances are you won’t be attending professional conferences anytime soon. Lucky for you our friends at Workiva have set up a virtual, two-day conference (that you can score CPE for attending!) that kicks off […]
Webinar: Selling the ROI of Cloud Accounting Technology
Have you ever made a case to the boss about swapping your current tech out for a cloud-based application? Did you succeed or get a deer-in-headlight stare? If it was the latter, our friends at FloQast are hosting a webinar this coming Tuesday to walk you through how to prepare a formal Business Value Analysis. […]
3 Controllers Reveal Tactics, and, Yes, How They Make Time, to Keep Learning
In about four months, the accounting and finance conference circuit will start to heat up, as professionals from companies of all shapes and sizes will descend upon hotels and convention centers in cities across the United States to peruse vendor exhibits, hobnob with their friends and peers at networking events, and attend workshops and seminars. […]
CFOs Don’t Want You Wasting Time on CPE While Clocked-in
Summer is a great time to dust off the mental cobwebs and do some CPE. Hey, it’s better than trying to squeeze hours in around holiday time. Extreme procrastination before the year-end CPE deadline always makes for a dull New Year’s Eve. And, since it’s better to knock your hours out early, why not eat […]
Nano-learning for CPE is One Step Closer to Reality
Continuing professional education is mind-numbing thanks to the delivery status quo in public accounting. It’s not conducive to real learning because long and boring is how we roll. Until now, there were only a few qualifying learning activities. You’ve got three options: Live CPE classes: Lock a bunch of uncomfortable CPAs in a room and […]
Indiana CPAs Can Now “Play” Their Way to CPE
The word game-changer gets thrown around more than the word dynamic at a Grant Thornton strategy meeting but this really is a game-changer. Sort of like Foursquare for continuing education, Indiana is attempting to change CPE as we know it, transitioning from day-long sessions and webinars to compentency-based courses that are more like games. GAMES, […]
Ohio CPAs Will Soon Be Able to Take CPE 10 Minutes at a Time
The necessary evil that is CPE can be a bit of a pain in the butt. Unless you're attending several conferences a year or diligent about signing up for and attending our free webinars, it can be difficult to squeeze in an hour of CPE at a time. Worry no more, Ohio CPAs, you will […]
The People Have Spoken: Is It Time for NASBA To Revisit CPE?
Before we share the following our own Amber Setter wrote for our friends over at AccountingWEB, we're going to go ahead and make sure everyone realizes the delicious irony of this considering Amber will be chairing a free CPE webinar on March 20th. Now, GO! CPE rules are ultimately intended to protect consumers. I see […]
RSVP: Free Client-Loving CPE on February 18
Brought to you by AccountingWEB, this is a 50 minute online session worth 1 CPE credit: Have you ever wondered why some clients leave or seem dissatisfied when you feel you haven’t done anything wrong? Learn how to serve your clients better by knowing how it feels to stand in their shoes, and how to […]
Governor Christie Redeems Himself By Signing “CPA Death Penalty” Legislation in New Jersey
This from our friends at the New Jersey Society of CPAs: On January 13, Governor Christie signed legislation (A1545) supported by the NJSCPA that eliminates the “five-year death penalty” provision for CPAs and other licensed professionals. The legislation also streamlines the reciprocity process for out-of-state professionals applying for licensure in New Jersey. The bill will […]
Forget Last Minute Gift Ideas, How About Some Last Minute CPE?
I spoke to Colin about this and he assures me the webinar people over at AccountingWEB will take this into account for next year. Until then, what's a CPA to do to get a little CPE under the tree? Know where to get 2 or 3 last minute free CPE's? Any suggestions? Self-promoting spammers will […]
RSVP: Free Excel CPE on December 19
Listen, it's December, it's not like you have anything better to do. Also: FREE Via AccountingWEB: Event Date: December 19, 2013 In this exciting presentation Excel expert David H. Ringstrom, CPA shares dozens of tricks that he uses to fly through Excel every day. Detailed handouts with numbered steps will be provided for the following […]
If You Can’t Admit You’ve Committed CPE Fraud, Then You Need to Take Another Ethics Course
NJ Committeewoman Accused Of Lying About Her “Inactive” CPA License
I have seen many, many CPA exam candidates add "CPA" to their email signatures and social media profiles immediately after passing their 4th part over the years, and most of us know why this is not a smart idea. Sure, you're really excited to have passed and figure you're just a few years' of experience […]
This Just In, the AICPA Has a New Online CPE Program For You
Try not to piss yourselves with excitement, kids.
Time-strapped accountants who need to brush up on a subject area or meet continuing professional education (CPE) requirements have a new, cost-effective option: targeted study programs through CPExpress, an online learning library offered by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
For CPAs who want to concentrate on specific areas of expertise, CPExpress now offers four specialty libraries: Accounting & Auditing, Business & Industry, Governmental and Not-for-Profit, and Taxation.
These collections—which range from 65 to 175 online courses–are priced at a lower rate than the overall CPExpress library. Topics range from accounting updates to tax planning strategies and fraud detection.
Like the rest of CPExpress, the specialty libraries contain titles put together by leading authorities in the profession. Courses typically last one to two hours, yield up to two CPE credits, and are available round-the-clock for subscribers with Internet access.
CPExpress, which now includes more than 900 online courses, serves as a perfect tool for filling in knowledge gaps and rounding out professional education requirements. And all titles are now viewable on an iPad, giving CPAs even more freedom to burnish skills on their own schedule.
“CPExpress provides great value and convenience for members who need real-time technical information, or those who simply are looking to expand their skills and knowledge,” said Mike Ramos, director of CPE and training for AICPA. “With these new offerings we are hoping to introduce the benefits of CPExpress to those with more specialized knowledge and training needs.”
Discount pricing is available for AICPA members on both CPExpress and the specialty libraries. For more information, visit www.cpa2biz.com/cpexpress.
How Do Big 4 Exiles Get Their CPE?
File this one under first world problems.
Hello,
I’m starting to think about post-Big 4 opportunities and I am wondering how people maintain their CPE credits after leaving the Big 4. Since we need to take 80 hours of CPE credits every 2 years to maintain a CPA, do most employers offer trainings that give CPE credits? If not, will they give you time off and pay for the classes? I’d be very interested in hearing from you, and from the Going Concern community.
Well considering so many of the country’s employable CPAs somehow manage to meet their board of accountancy’s CPE requirements year after year, there’s got to be a trick to stay current that doesn’t involve firms forking out the cash for “experts” to school their staff on all things billable to the CPE time code. Are you telling me you have somehow escaped the wrath of NASBA and don’t get emailed weekly with new CPE offers? Congratulations.
I spoke to one of my favorite HR people at a reasonably-sized but definitely not Big 4 firm to find out what their CPE policy is and found out that most firms above 50 people pay for CPE in one way or another. According to a national survey conducted by the AICPA and the Texas Society of CPAs, 42 percent of the smallest firms paid for CPE in 2010. So unless you end up working out of some ancient CPA’s basement, you will probably not be expected to pay your own way.
Obviously, smaller firms will not be able to provide in-house CPE but you can likely get your online CPE comped, or get reimbursed for any travel associated with in-person CPE you attend. But seriously?! In-person CPE? Get with the times, man.
If you do end up needing to pay your own way (again, totally unlikely as long as you stay gainfully employed by a real accounting firm, even a tiny one), your state society of CPAs can probably provide information on their CPE offerings, or there is always NASBA (as anyone on their email list will tell you) or the AICPA.
Remember too that if you are attending conferences like AICPA Council, you get CPE for doing so, so maybe those dumb meetings aren’t so pointless after all.
Don’t Miss the Big Surprise at the Maryland CPA Summit, June 2 – 3 in Baltimore
If you are anywhere near Baltimore and looking for something to do on June 2 – 3, have you considered checking out the Maryland CPA Summit?
I’m specifically going to check out the new CPA swearing in as I hear from a reliable source that the MACPA crew is planning something very special that I just can’t share with the class at this point. Trust me, you’re not going to want to miss it.
You can also pick up some CPE in such fun and exciting topics as healthcare reform, fair value, revenue recognition & fraud, IFRS, XBRL and more. It’ll run you $125 if you’re a MACPA member, or $325 if you are not.
Maryland CPAs, I expect to see many of you there.
California CPAs to be More Ethical Starting in 2010
The California Board of Accountancy is ringing in the New Year with some increased requirements for California CPAs including additional ethics training to maintain an active status.
With so much unethical behavior in the world today, the CBA figured a few more hours of CPE will straighten you all out:
CBA president Manuel Ramirez said the regulation changes are part of an increased focus by the CBA on ethics and education. “I believe the newly approved continuing education requirements are an important step to increasing the CBA’s consumer protection mandate, while also reestablishing CPAs’ reputations as one of the most ethical professions in the country,” he said in a statement.
Not only will California have the most ethical CPAs in all the land but the CBA is jumping on the transparency bandwagon by broadcasting its future meetings via webcast. This will “give both consumers and CBA licensees a ‘window’ into important issues and how decisions are made.” Prior to this ‘window’, anyone wanting to observe a meeting had to attend — GASP — in person. One can safely assume that the CBA’s decision was partly due to realizing that webcasts would save them the embarrassment of A) a near empty meeting and B) those in attendance snoozing through the whole thing.
California Toughens Requirements for Accountants [Web CPA]
Other California CPA News:
CalCPA Is Doing About Everything It Can to Motivate You to Reactivate Your CPA
Arnie Signs 150-Hour Rule for California
>75: I’ve Passed, So What About CPE Requirements?
Editor’s note: This is the latest edition of >75, our weekly post on questions that you have related to the CPA Exam. Send your questions to [email protected] and we’ll do our best to answer as many of them as possible. You can see all of the JDA’s posts for GC here and all our posts related to the CPA Exam here.
Reader Kyle (Louisiana CPA applicant) asks:
Passed the exam in October, start working part-time (finishing useless grad school till August) in January. Do I have to start doing CPE stuff even though I won’t be a “CPA” for at least a year? Can I start doing CPE stuff now and have it count? Does taking the CFA count as CPE stuff?
As a general rule (since each state/territory makes its own CPA exam rules), CFA, CA, MBA, STFU, whatever letters you have after your name before tackling the CPA mean shit to most state boards of accountancy. However, maybe your CFA required classes that will also meet your state’s CPA exam requirements, figure it out independently of whatever other certification you have and give up the idea that you get credit for any of that.
You can see more about the Louisiana requirements here (or find your state here). I hate the word “expert” and I don’t like having to claim that I am one just because I work with this every day in CPA Review. So when in doubt, check directly with your state board or NASBA. Be patient and make a list of questions you have for them – I don’t feel sorry for you if you go into this blind and then cry to me that you had no idea you shouldn’t pay for all four parts on your NTS. All you had to do was ask and someone who knows would have told you. /endrant, I’m just suggesting to also contact the Board or NASBA.
That being said, Louisiana doesn’t specifically define “CPE” but they don’t really have to. Generally you can speak with your state’s society of CPAs to get information on accepted CPE programs in your state. Again, there are resources available to you as a CPA candidate, it’s up to you to utilize them.
Our candidate also asked about experience requirements, which Louisiana defines as the following:
At least one year of experience must be confirmed that was within the four years preceding the date of this application; involved the use of accounting, attest, management advisory, financial advisory, tax, or consulting skills; and, was supervised and verified by a licensee.
It only takes 18 months (or less) to get through the exam, you can do the math, little future CPA.
Like I said, you are encouraged to send your CPA exam questions to us but do your own homework, I’m probably hungover while writing this.
CalCPA Is Doing About Everything It Can to Motivate You to Reactivate Your CPA
The California Society of CPAs understands that some of you are lazy. You don’t work for a company that provides enough CPE (and the cheapskates won’t send you to Vegas for a week) and self-study is out of the question, so your license becomes inactive.
So CalCPA is trying to get you back on the fast track to active status by offering the CPA Active Pass.
This will allow you to get the “inactive” from behind those precious letters and you can wear all of your CPA attire again without having to explain that you’re technically not an active CPA. Details-shmetails.
The CPA Active Pass allows you attend 80 hours of live CPE courses including webcasts, which is the real bonus so you won’t even have to leave your house.
No more excuses people.
CalCPA Helps Inactive California CPAs Reactivate [Web CPA]
Earlier: Arnie Signs 150-Hour Rule for California