Employee Benefit Plan Audits – 2020 Update #2

This webinar will discuss current issues, including DOL & IRS focus areas. The speakers are experts in their fields. They will provide Accounting & Auditing updates, help identify critical plan audit risk areas and offer tips to do a better audit which meets Peer Review, DOL & AICPA expectations, and bridge the gap between risk assessment and the testing performed in audit workpapers.

Friday, August 21, 2020
8:15 AM – 10:15 AM PDT

Please register here (Note: there is a cost to register for non-CalCPA members):
https://www.calcpa.org/events-and-programs/event-details?id=e6037ad0-7c48-4861-bd42-3713826f94f8

Objectives:
This presentation is designed to help you:

1. Recognize risk assessment issues from a Peer Reviewer’s perspective for ERISA plans
2. Identify risk areas in ERISA plan audits with a focus on 401(k) plans
3. Determine common audit failures in ERISA plans and how to avoid them

Major Subjects:
This webinar will cover common testing errors with a focus on 401(k) plan audits. In addition, the speakers will highlight a number of GAAP & GAAS errors that CPAs make when auditing ERISA plans, and point them out so that CPAs limit their exposure to significant Peer Review, DOL & AICPA sanctions.

About the Speakers: 

Deepa Bhat, CPA, is the in-charge Principal of the ASL Assurance Group at Abbott, Stringham & Lynch (ASL) and serves privately held clients in the technology, international, and construction industries. Deepa also heads the employee benefit plan practice and the Construction Group at ASL. Deepa Bhat is a board member of CalCPA’s Silicon Valley San Jose Chapter as well as co-chair of the ERISA Committee. She is well versed in employee benefit plan audits. Deepa was awarded the CalCPA Women to Watch: Emerging Leader Award in 2016. Deepa has a Master of Commerce in Accounting and a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting and Tax from the University of Mumbai, India. She holds a Master of Arts in Economics from Rutgers University, and is a Certified Construction Industry Technician (CIT) and a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE).

Dawn Brenner, CPA, is a Managing Partner at Grant Bennett Associates. Her professional affiliations include the American Institute of CPA’s and the California Society of CPA’s. Dawn is a member of the AICPA Peer Review Board and a member of the subcommittee of the Standards Task Force for the board. The Peer Review Board is the senior technical committee governing the Peer Review Program for AICPA members engaged in the practice of public accounting nationwide. Dawn also serves as Chair of the Peer Review Committee of the California Society of CPA’s. This Committee oversees the Peer Review Program for California, Arizona and Alaska. Formerly, she was a member of the Administrative Committee of the California Board of Accountancy. This is the committee that hears and recommends courses of action for disciplinary actions brought before the Board. Dawn presently is a member of the Board of Directors of the Sacramento Children’s Home, as well as a member of the Executive Committee, and the chair of the Audit Committee. Dawn has been active in the American Society of Women Accountants, the CalCPA careers in accounting committee and other organizations. She is an avid gourmet chef, rosarian, and paper crafter. She joined Grant Bennett Associates in 1983 after working and studying in Wisconsin, where she received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

George Pinto, CPA, CGMA, has been in the accounting profession since 1985. He began his career with the international accounting firm, Deloitte, Haskins & Sells. A resident of Silicon Valley since 1980, he co-founded Silicon Valley Accountancy Corporation and manages the accounting and auditing side of the firm, primarily conducting ERISA audits. Mr. Pinto has taught the 401(k) audit class to CPAs through the AICPA and the CalCPA Education Foundation. He is co-chair of the ERISA committee for the Silicon Valley Chapter of CalCPA.