CPE & Event Catalog

Identifying audit risks - behavioral and management cues. Behavioral cues in fraud detection. Key indicators of stress or unusual behavior. Behavioral warning signs in employees and management. Using interviews and observation to identify behavioral red flags. Building relationships to encourage transparency. Management representations and estimates. Common red flags in management estimates. Identifying potential biases in management's assumptions. Techniques for auditors to challenge management's assumptions.

Identifying audit risks - compliance and going-concern issues. Going-concern assessments and the auditor's responsibility. Key financial and operational red flags. Red flags related to management's plans to mitigate going-concern risks. Audit techniques to assess the adequacy of going-concern disclosures. Cybersecurity risks and the increasing importance of it in audits. Key cybersecurity red flags. Effectiveness of an organization's cybersecurity controls. Potential data breaches or weaknesses in IT governance, and more.

Identifying audit risks - financial reporting and revenue recognition. Financial statement irregularities. Key financial ratios and benchmarks. Unusual accounting practices. Financial statement warning signs. Using analytics and trend analysis. Revenue recognition red flags. Common methods of fraudulent revenue recognition. Unusual patterns in customer relationships and sales. Detecting improper revenue recognition.

Identifying audit risks - internal controls and audit evidence. The role of internal controls in detecting and preventing fraud. Common internal control weaknesses. Red flags related to control overrides. Evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal controls. Identified control deficiencies or weaknesses. Types of audit evidence and their relevance to the audit process. Red flags in audit evidence. Incomplete, misleading, or unreliable evidence during fieldwork. Audit techniques to verify authenticity of audit evidence. Maintaining professional skepticism. Appropriate audit documentation.

Improve auditor and auditee relationship. Useful presentation skills. Auditee communication. Audit findings and response techniques.

Conducting conferences with the auditee. Presentation skills. Staffing and selling the findings. Soliciting written comments. Incorporating the auditee's response.

Tips for improving the critical audit skills of inquiry and research.

Internal audit priorities. Remote workforce risks. Financial controls. Financial risks. Brand risks.

The audit committee. Governance. Risk management. Business processes. Internal controls. Information technology auditing. Fraud preventions and detection. Types of fraud. Internal audit management, and more.

The required communication of internal control matters noted on an audit. Evaluating the severity of identified deficiencies, including consideration of qualitative considerations. Importance of placing a priority on being a value-added business advisor. Anticipating and preventing internal control issues related to reliable financial reporting, operational efficiency or compliance. Components of a well-written internal control comment. Better writing tips and techniques.

The design and implementation of internal control over financial reporting.

Internal controls fundamentals. Management assessment of internal controls. Comprehensive examination of financial statements. Fraud management strategy. Financial reporting controls and information systems checklist-medium to large business. Sample audit programs for financial statement accounts. Fraud risk factors relating to misstatements. Computer applications checklist-medium to large business.

Evolution of internal control concepts. Revamped 2013 COSO Internal Control - Integrated Framework. Designing an adequate `umbrella' of internal controls over financial reporting to prevent, or detect and correct, material misstatement due to fraud or error. Specific internal control considerations and sample documentation for smaller entities. Additional responsibilities for the audits in accordance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, Government Auditing Standards and Single Audit Act requirements.

Interviewing on government audits. Why we interview and who to interview. Types of interviews. Open-ended questions. Close-ended questions. Preparing for and conducting interviews. Differences between interviews and interrogations. Identifying and working with difficult interviewees.

Why interview and who to interview. Types of interviews. Preparing for and conducting interviews. Differences between interviews and interrogations. Dealing with difficult interviewees.

Understanding the entity and its environment, and the applicable financial reporting framework. Understanding the components of the entity's system of internal control. Considerations for understanding IT. Identifying and assessing the risks of material misstatement.

Financial statement analysis and communicating insights to financial statement users. Improving audit quality through strong analytic procedures, including identifying and responding to risk of material misstatement. Developing plausible expectations for comparison to actual financial results. Detecting earnings management and other risks through analytic procedures.

Nature of tax audit. Minimize IRS tax audit risk. Representing the client before the IRS.

Engagements for which written documentation is required or not required. Documentation for the following types of engagements - audits, reviews, compilations, and preparations. Importance of documentation. Basics for all engagements. Documentation definitions. Form, content and extent. Reviewing documentation. Documentation finalization. Revisions to documentation after the report date. Selected required documentation. Common documentation deficiencies. Preparation engagement. Review engagement. Pro forma compilation engagement. Examination under SSAE. Review under SSAE. Agreed upon procedures engagement under SSAE.

Cash receipt inefficiencies. Optimal accounting for check receipts. Optimal accounting for cash receipts. Optimal accounting for petty cash. Optimal number of bank accounts. Additional controls to consider. Monitoring of optimal systems. Effects of optimal accounting on the annual audit. Impact of optimization on the financial statements. Impact of optimization on closing the books. Impact of optimization on fraud.