March 2000

eMind.com to Add Financial Services and Securities Programs

tp13pic1 Internet-based continuing education provider eMind.com, the NYSSCPA's affinity partner in providing CPE to financial professionals, will add more than 45 new financial services and securities courses to its growing directory of online offerings by the end of the month.

CPAs can access programs covering topics such as annuities principles and products, asset allocation, capital markets and bond funds, equity investing, estate planning and trusts, fixed income instruments, margin accounts, mutual funds and how to recommend them to clients, financial and retirement planning, and mortgage-backed and municipal securities.

"Adding online financial services and securities programs is great for Society members," NYSSCPA Director of Operations Alan Schmelkin said. "Clients are demanding that CPAs advise them on how they can use mutual funds and other instruments for financial planning, and CPAs must have the ability to provide the advice quickly."

Users can access eMind.com programs with a desktop computer 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

"These are highly concentrated courses," Schmelkin said. "A CPA who needs to learn the latest on mutual funds to advise a client on the matter can do so in a couple of hours. We call it just-in-time learning. That's client service at its core."

A client requesting personal financial planning advice from an accountant is not a new concept.

"It has become all too common for a client to look to their most trusted business advisor--their CPA--for sound financial advice," Schmelkin said. "Clients trust their CPA because the CPA is more knowledgeable about their financial situation."

While the new courses are still in their developmental stage and CPE credit has yet to be determined, eMind.com plans to unveil them by the end of the month. Accountants can currently access courses in taxation, accounting and auditing, management, personal development, and specialized industries. The Knowledge Hub on eMind.com allows CPAs to keep track of course details such as field of study, CPE credit, and completion date for any CPE programs they take, not just online programs. They also can bookmark the online programs to do coursework as time permits.

Under New York state regulations, CPAs may only receive 50 percent credit for self-study. As a result, eMind.com offers a 50 percent discount off its regular prices for CPAs meeting New York state CPE requirements. To receive the discount, CPAs need to enter YIPINY in the discount code field when they register. If a CPA has already registered, the Society recommends updating their record to reflect this discount code.

Members can receive full CPE credits, however, to satisfy AICPA membership requirements and to meet CPE requirements of other state boards of accountancy. Registrants who are licensed in other states should check with their respective state boards of accountancy for self-study requirements. Most state boards have websites that are accessible through www.nysscpa.org.

In its continuing program expansion, eMind.com expects to offer more than 500 courses by the end of the year. For a list of current eMind.com online programs, visit http://www.nysscpa.emind.com. *