Financial Statement

Preparation, Reporting and Auditing Certification

This certification was developed to provide the user with a holistic overview of the financial statement preparation, reporting and auditing process.

Purchase Certification:

Certificate Highlights

Financial statements provide various important financial information that helps investors, creditors and analysts evaluate a company’s financial performance. A lot of the financial information in financial reports is required by law or by accounting standard practices. Financial reporting helps management communicate the past successes and future expectations of the business. In addition, financial reporting is significant to your business for a variety of reasons including:

  • Tax position
  • Reporting financial operating performance
  • Evaluating cash flow
  • Management decision making, forecasting and planning

Financial reporting includes:

  • External financial statements (income statement, statement of comprehensive income, balance sheet, statement of cash flows, and statement of stockholders’ equity)
  • Notes to the financial statements
  • Quarterly and annual reports to stockholders or stakeholders
  • Financial reports to governmental agencies including quarterly and annual reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
  • Documentation pertaining to the issuance of common stock and other securities

Financial reporting uses financial statements to disclose data. The information is vital for management to make decisions about the company’s future and provides information to capital providers like creditors and investors about the profitability and financial stability of the company.

This certification was developed to provide the user with a holistic overview of the financial statement preparation, reporting and auditing process. It includes concepts required for development of accurate financial statements (GAAP Principles) to elements embedded In each of the major financial reports. We also cover requirements of XBRL and Management Discussion and Analysis. In addition, we take a look at Generally Accepted Auditing Standards to give the participant an understanding of the requirement of the external auditor. This is useful regardless of your entity type. Understanding the principles required in an external review can be essential to ensuring your financial statements are in accordance with GAAP.

Frequently Asked Questions

FAQs

Why should I be Illumeo Certified?

In short, you would do this to get better at what you already do, or to get a significant knowledge jump on something you want to do for a living. And, via the certificate itself, to be able to show others that you have attained this knowledge.

Why should I hire a Professional with an Illumeo Certification?

You would hire this Professional because they bring deep knowledge, on concrete topics, to your team. Simply completing the Illumeo certification denotes that the person is a serious professional willing to take the time to become very good at what they do, and that they put in the time, passed the tests, and are knowledgeable in their area of certification.

What happens if I fail the exam?

There is an exam for every course and you must pass every one in order to receive your certification. You may re-study the content and re-take any exam until you pass it.

Why would I want a subscription on Illumeo?

A subscription to Illumeo helps fill out your professional knowledge with its unfettered access to hundreds of up-to-date on demand courses taught by long-time practitioners - just like the instructor of this certification program.

Instructor

Lynn Fountain, CPA MBA CGMA CRMA

Consultant, Author, Trainer, and past Chief Audit Executive

Lynn Fountain is widely considered an expert in the field of Sarbanes-Oxley and has led initiatives in compliance efforts. In addition, her expertise in the field has been recognized through her ability to provide individualized training on the legislation and compliance requirements as well as assist organizations in establishing the proper control framework for compliance. Course participants have been quoted as saying: “Ms. Fountain should instruct a PhD in Sarbanes-Oxley Compliance.” Ms. Fountain’s ability to break-down the various aspects of the legislation and communicate its importance in relevant terms is the key to the success of her courses.

18 Courses