Fall Forum Offers Insights to Increase Efficiency, Trim Costs, and More

The Fall Forum, scheduled for September 22-24 at the Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, will show you how to increase efficiency, cut costs, and improve your organization's bottom line. For more information on this year's Fall Forum, check out this YouTube clip -- Part 1 and Part 2.

"All the information provided will be used to better my department and my corporation," said a 2009 Fall Forum attendee.

As a payroll or accounts payable professional, your role in your organization is increasingly important as you are charged with finding real-world solutions. This three-day conference will help show you the way to finding those solutions.

"My perception of leadership has been expanded with new tools," said one attendee of the 2009 Fall Forum.

The Fall Forum will also feature the unveiling of the 2010 APA and AAPA Prism Award winners! Make sure to register before August 31 to ensure a hotel reservation.

APA's Educational Institutions Payroll Conference, scheduled for October 17-20 at the Sheraton New Orleans, focuses on compliance issues impacting payroll professionals working in the higher education community. This three-and-a half day curriculum addresses nonresident alien payroll taxation, visas, employment eligibility, student FICA exception, and much more.

"(I) received good tax information related to taxable fringes and foreign source tax issues," said one attendee of EIPC 2009.

"(The General Session speakers) were all well informed and communicated effectively," added another 2009 EIPC attendee.

Sharpen Your Payroll Skills With Fundamentals of Payroll

Wherever you are in your payroll career, the time is always right to sharpen your skills. Just ask Ramfis Monzon. He is one of many payroll practitioners who rose through the ranks of several payroll departments and learned payroll on the job by asking questions and seeking more information.

Monzon, Payroll Coordinator with Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research, is responsible for the payroll of 400 employees of this non-profit organization. Ramfis relocated to San Antonio, Texas after working at several companies across the United States -- from New York to California.

Working for a non-profit research institution that values education, the timing seemed right to pursue formal payroll training and pursue certification.

"I have been processing payroll for more than 20 years and I always wanted to get involved with APA and take a course," he said. "My current manager encouraged me to become an APA member. I decided to start with the Fundamentals of Payroll course and prepare for the FPC exam so I could get a good baseline of payroll knowledge."

Ramfis choose the Fundamentals of Payroll online instructor-assisted course. The course is an effective and convenient way to learn and apply the knowledge required for basic payroll processing and prepare for the Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC) exam. It blends printed text with interactive online study tools like quizzes and games to reinforce concepts and calculations. The instructor-assisted portion provides the added structure and support of instructor guidance and peer interaction without taking time out to attend an off-site course or seminar. It also qualifies for his employer's tuition reimbursement program.

There are many parts of the program that Ramfis feels contribute to the program's strength.

"The online quizzes really make you think about what you are learning," he said. "It forces you to pay attention to the material and hone your skills working on calculations. The quizzes and games motivate you to study more and keep you moving forward with your studies. You really learn a lot and you see the progress by comparing your online pre-test with your post-test scores."

Although Ramfis was exposed to many different payroll systems, Fundamentals of Payroll gave him a good baseline of skills and knowledge of the industry standard approach to payroll. And it helps his organization, too. Ramfis' manager is impressed with how much the information from APA has benefitted the organization overall.

"My employer is looking at payroll a bit differently now," he said. "I regularly share the knowledge that I gained from the course and the updates I get from APA with our Comptroller and HR. I help them stay up-to-date on what is changing in the payroll field. It's opened their eyes to changes that are going on and their effect on our organization. This course has helped me network within my company and added value beyond processing payroll."

Ramfis is also looking forward to taking the FPC exam in the near future and the rewards it will bring him and his organization.

"I noticed recently that the majority of payroll positions require either FPC or CPP, which wasn't the case when I started in payroll many years ago," he said. "My manager said my training will definitely have an impact on my future here. The Fundamentals of Payroll course has proven to be a good way to refresh my payroll knowledge and get started on payroll training. I definitely recommend Fundamentals of Payroll -- it's a dynamite course regardless of how long you have been working in the payroll field."