It’s nearly the end of the year, but if you’ve procrastinated on earning CPE credits, there’s no need to panic. There’s still time to earn CPE hours – if not through live webinars, then through self-study courses.
The benefit of self-study courses is they can be completed at your own pace. So if you need to stop in the middle of a lesson and pick it back up the next day, self-study courses may be a good option.
Check out our list of 5 free self-study courses you can take for CPE credits. Because we know not everyone has the time to attend live CPE webinars.
And back by popular demand, here are 6 more free self-study courses for busy CPAs in need of CPE hours.
1. Recognize Fraud with Becker’s Accountants’ Responsibilities Regarding Fraud
If you’re an accountant, you’re probably familiar with Becker. They’re considered the leader in CPA exam review. But did you know they also offer courses for CPAs? Even better news: These courses qualify for CPE credits.
Some of Becker’s content can be expensive, but new customers qualify for one free CPE course, and many of their complimentary options offer 2 or more CPE credits.
Take, for instance, their on-demand course on Accountants’ Responsibilities Regarding Fraud, where you’ll learn how to recognize the profile of employees who commit fraud, as well as a CPA’s responsibility in regards to fraud.
Other learning objectives include identifying the cost of fraud, defining major categories of fraud, and learning how to prevent financial statement fraud.
For those of you who’ve used Becker before, Timothy Gearty is back to teach this course.
This course lasts about 100 minutes and offers 2 CPE credits in the field of auditing.
2. Learn about Costs with VTR’s Managerial Accounting: Financial Performance Analysis
VTR Learning provides CPE courses in a fun and engaging virtual format. Their content is pretty affordable, but they also offer a free course for CPAs who may be tight on budget.
Managerial Accounting: Financial Performance Analysis prepares financial experts to communicate financial planning and accounting processes in an accurate and effective way. You’ll be reminded of the importance of giving and receiving correct facts and figures across different departments in your organization.
Get ready to gain familiarity with cost classifications and responsibility centers, understand the concept of flexible budgets, and recognize the importance of communicating intentions.
This course lasts about one hour and offers 2 CPE credits in the field of accounting.
3. Get the Banking Basics Down with CFI’s Banking Products and Services
Interested in finance? Learn about banking fundamentals with the Corporate Finance Institute’s Banking Products and Services.
CFI is committed to helping people become world-class financial analysts and offer quality content for CPAs interested in financial planning and analysis. (Check out our previous list of free self-study CPE courses, where you’ll find a recommendation for their Excel crash course.)
In Banking Products and Services, you’ll learn about the major products and services offered by banks around the world. The course covers all sectors of banking, whether for consumers, for businesses, investment banking or corporate finance.
Other learning objectives include recalling the fee structures of banks and how they make money from each product, identifying how banks function, and understanding the product offerings within investment banks.
CFI has an impressive user-friendly platform that houses their courses and certificates. Once you sign up, you’ll have access to their other free (and paid) CPE courses as well.
This course lasts about 4 hours and offers 3.5 CPE credits.
4. Delight New Clients with CPACharge’s How to Onboard a New Client to Your Accounting Firm
CPACharge, which offers an online payment solution designed for CPA firms, often partners with Encoursa to offer free CPE courses for accounting professionals.
Learn how to set proper expectations with new clients from CPACharge’s How to Onboard a New Client to Your Accounting Firm. Because we all know how important it is to get new relationships started on the right foot.
Through this course, you’ll identify ways to streamline the onboarding process and learn how to delight new clients with an informational and efficient experience.
Whether you’re looking to revamp your current onboarding process or creating one from scratch, get some insight into the process from the best in the business.
This course offers 1 CPE credit in the field of business management and organization.
5. Stay on Top of Payroll with ADP’s Introduction to Payroll Law
Need a brief overview on the basic laws affecting payroll?
ADP, an industry-leading online payroll and HR solution, will help make sure your organization is complying with U.S. labor and payroll laws with Introduction to Payroll Law.
Other topics covered include setting up new employees according to federal regulations, addressing tax withholding reporting obligations, and potential penalties resulting from employment tax evasion.
Payroll managers, compliance officers, HR managers and controllers are among the many stakeholders who may be interested in this course.
While this self-study course usually costs $59, ADP partnered with Wolters Kluwer to offer it for free. When you add it to your cart, you should see the ADP discount applied.
This course offers 2 CPE credits in the field of taxes.
6. Prepare for the Future with CPE Think’s Introductory Guide to Assisting with a Business Sale or Acquisition
CPE Think provides online interactive CPE and professional development resources for accounting professionals. To help you become familiar with their platform, they offer a handful of free courses.
Their Introductory Guide to Assisting with a Business Sale or Acquisition is one of them.
Learn what it takes to complete a successful business sale or acquisition. You’ll gain insight into why more than 70% of business sales fail, how to find and approach businesses for sale, and how to sell a small- to medium-sized business.
Selling a business may be stressful, but this course intends to help lighten the burden.
This course offers 1 CPE credit in the field of business management and organization.