Understanding Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)

This course provides a clear and practical introduction to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), the foundation of financial reporting in the United States.

The goal is to give participants the knowledge needed to understand the structure, logic, and purpose of GAAP-driven accounting not to turn them into accountants, but to empower them to interpret financial information confidently.

We begin with the history and purpose of GAAP, reviewing the organizations responsible for establishing and updating these standards. Participants will understand why GAAP exists, how it supports consistency and comparability, and how it helps organizations communicate financial performance in a reliable and transparent way.

Next, we break down the core accounting principles that underpin GAAP, such as relevance, reliability, materiality, consistency, conservatism, and comparability. These principles guide how financial transactions are recorded and provide the conceptual framework for financial reporting. We will discuss how these principles influence accounting decisions that impact revenue, expenses, asset valuation, liability recognition, and equity reporting.

The session then turns to real-world application. Participants will learn how GAAP affects the preparation of key financial statements including the income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement. We will explore the differences between accrual and cash accounting, the importance of matching expenses with revenues, and how organizations apply GAAP to ensure accurate and meaningful financial reports.

Why should you Attend: Do financial statements ever feel like they're written in another language? Have you ever questioned why certain transactions are reported one way instead of another or why two companies with similar operations can appear drastically different on paper? Without at least a foundational understanding of GAAP, it's easy to misinterpret financial information or walk away from discussions feeling uncertain or unprepared.

GAAP determines how organizations measure their performance, recognize revenue, record expenses, value assets, and report liabilities. These decisions influence not only the numbers you see but also the story they tell. If you're involved in compliance reviews, risk assessments, partner evaluations, vendor management, budgeting, forecasting, or operational planning, misunderstanding GAAP can lead to blind spots or flawed assumptions.

You may unknowingly overlook financial red flags, misread trends, or misjudge the financial health of a partner, department, or project. For leaders and emerging professionals, not understanding the foundations of GAAP can slow career progression especially as financial reporting increasingly intersects with compliance, risk, fintech oversight, and strategic planning.

This training removes the uncertainty. You will learn the purpose of GAAP, the principles behind it, and how organizations apply those principles in practical scenarios. We will demystify the accounting rules that shape financial data and give you the confidence to interpret financial statements with greater accuracy and insight.

Areas Covered in the Session:

• What GAAP is and why it exists
• The organizations responsible for establishing GAAP
• Core GAAP principles (materiality, consistency, conservatism, relevance, etc.)
• How GAAP influences financial reporting and decision-making
• Revenue recognition guidelines
• Expense recognition and the matching principle
• Asset and liability valuation basics
• Accrual vs. cash accounting
• Real-world examples of GAAP in practice

• Compliance Professionals
• Risk Managers
• Financial Crime and AML Professionals
• Operations Managers
• Product Managers
• Internal Auditors
• Fintech Partner Managers
• Vendor Management Teams
• Analysts and Business Strategists
• Anyone who reviews or relies on Financial Data