This intermediate level course prepares audit professionals to evaluate and audit investment portfolios—an area that presents heightened risk due to fair value measurements, complex financial instruments, and rapidly changing market conditions. Participants will learn how to assess classification, valuation, disclosure, and impairment considerations for investment securities under U.S. GAAP and PCAOB standards.
Using real world examples and practical applications, the course explores auditing traditional investments (equity and debt securities), alternative investments (hedge funds, private equity, venture capital), derivatives, and structured products. Participants will gain hands on experience evaluating management’s valuation models, auditing Level 1–3 fair value measurements, reviewing specialist work, and testing internal controls over investment authorization, monitoring, and reporting.
By the end of the program, attendees will be equipped with the audit strategies, documentation techniques, and professional skepticism needed to effectively audit high risk investment areas and improve overall audit quality.
Instructor
Robert K Minniti
DBA, CPA, CFE, Cr.FA, CVA, MAFF, CFF, CGMA, PI
Dr. Minniti is the President and Owner of Minniti CPA, LLC. Dr. Minniti is a Certified Public Accountant, Certified Forensic Accountant, Certified Fraud Examiner, Certified Valuation Analyst, Certified in Financial Forensics, Master Analyst in Financial Forensics, Chartered Global Management Accountant, and is a licensed private investigator in the state of Arizona.
Dr. Minniti received his doctoral degree in business administration from Walden University, received his MBA degree and Graduate Certificate in Accounting from DeVry University’s Keller Graduate School of Management, and received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree from the University of Phoenix. Dr. Minniti taught graduate and undergraduate courses in forensic accounting at DeVry University, Grand Canyon University, Kaplan University, Northwestern University, and the University of Phoenix. He designed graduate and undergraduate courses for Grand Canyon University, Northwestern University, and Anthem College.
He is a writer and public speaker. He has experience in forensic accounting, fraud examinations, financial audits, internal audits, compliance audits, real estate valuations, business valuations, internal control development, business continuation planning, risk management, cyber security, privacy laws, data security, Sarbanes-Oxley compliance work and business consulting. In addition to his practice Dr. Minniti is an instructor teaching continuing professional education classes for a variety of providers and CPA Societies.
Dr. Minniti is currently serving as a board member on the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts' (NACVA) Litigation Forensics Board (LFB) and as a committee member on the Arizona State Board of Accountancy's Law Review Advisory Committee.