accountingworkshops.com

Financial Accounting Workshops supports CFA Program exam preparation by teaching accounting and financial reporting concepts in a way that non-accountants can understand and apply, with courses originally built for CFA candidates and designed to complement the CFA Program curriculum. The provider, founded in 1995 by John A. Harris, CPA, CFA, states that thousands worldwide have attended its live workshops in preparation for the CFA Program exam. This makes it most relevant if you are a CFA candidate—especially one without an accounting background—who wants instructor-led help with the financial reporting and analysis material rather than only self-study.

Who the workshops were built for

Financial Accounting Workshops began by targeting the financial analyst community, particularly candidates involved in the Chartered Financial Analyst® Program. The founder identified a need for effective accounting education and training for non-accountants, and the courses were developed to make complex accounting issues understandable and applicable to daily practice.

Over time, the audience expanded to include investment bank training and continuing education for law firms, based on the recognition that all personnel benefit from being able to "speak the language of business" and sharpen analytical skills.

How the content connects to the CFA curriculum

The key mechanism is alignment: the workshops are developed to complement the CFA® Program curriculum and to facilitate the learning process. Rather than serving as a standalone accounting course, the material is positioned as a supplement to what candidates are already studying.

That matters because financial reporting and analysis is a heavily accounting-dependent part of the CFA Program, and candidates without an accounting background often need the underlying concepts explained before the curriculum material becomes usable.

What the instructor background adds

John A. Harris is a Certified Public Accountant and CFA charterholder. Before founding Financial Accounting Workshops, he spent 15 years in credit and financial management in the oil and gas industry and banking. He holds an MBA and an MS from the University of North Texas and a BBA from Texas Tech University.

For exam preparation, that combination is relevant in two ways:

• The CPA credential speaks to accounting depth.
• The CFA charter speaks to familiarity with the exam itself and its curriculum.

The site also describes him as a dynamic public speaker who brings energy to presentations—useful context if you are choosing between live instruction and reading the same material on your own.

What the site does and does not tell you

The site lists CFA® Program Level I and Level II in its navigation, which indicates the levels the workshops address. It does not publish pricing, session dates, or delivery details in the material available here, so those need to be confirmed directly with the provider before you plan around them.

How to decide whether it fits your preparation

Consider these workshops if:

• You are preparing for CFA Program Level I or Level II.
• You come from a non-accounting background and find financial reporting concepts hard to apply.
• You learn better from live instruction by a practitioner than from text alone.

Look elsewhere or supplement heavily if:

• You need coverage of Level III, which is not indicated in the available site material.
• You require self-paced online content—the evidence describes live workshops, not an on-demand product.
• You need confirmed pricing and scheduling before committing; that information is not available in the source material.

One caveat worth noting: the site itself states that its published information is intended as general guidelines and is not legal, accounting, tax, or investment advice. Treat the workshop descriptions as marketing and curriculum information, and verify exam-specific details against the official CFA Program materials.

Financial Accounting Workshops is a professional accounting and financial education provider founded in 1995 by John A. Harris, CPA, CFA. It is aimed at business professionals who do not have an accounting background but need to understand and apply financial accounting concepts in their work. The main audiences are CFA® Program candidates, investment bank training participants, and law firm continuing education groups.

What the site offers

The website presents itself as a source of live accounting workshops and financial education rather than a software tool or online course marketplace. Its stated purpose is to make complex accounting issues understandable and applicable to daily practice.

According to the site, the workshops are developed to complement the CFA® Program curriculum and to facilitate the learning process. The site organizes content around the CFA® Program, with navigation for Level I and Level II.

Who it is for

The provider describes its audience as professionals who need to "speak the language of business" and strengthen their analytical skills. Based on the site's own description, the main groups are:

• CFA® Program candidates — the original target audience, particularly candidates preparing for the exam
• Investment bank personnel — training for staff across levels of the financial organization
• Law firm professionals — continuing education for legal personnel
• Non-accountants in business roles — anyone who needs working knowledge of accounting without becoming an accountant

The common thread is that participants are not accounting specialists. The founder's stated goal is to make accounting accessible to people outside the accounting profession.

Who runs it

John A. Harris, CPA, CFA, established the organization in 1995. His background includes:

• 15 years in credit and financial management in the oil and gas industry and banking
• Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
• CFA® charterholder
• MBA and MS from the University of North Texas
• BBA from Texas Tech University

The site describes him as a dynamic public speaker who brings energy to presentations, and notes that thousands worldwide have attended his live workshops in preparation for the CFA® Program exam.

What to keep in mind

The site states that information published on it is intended as general guidelines and information, not as legal, accounting, tax, investment, or other advice. It also notes that laws and regulations vary widely and that the organization is not responsible for errors or results obtained from using the site.

If you are evaluating whether this provider fits your needs, the relevant questions are whether you are a non-accountant who needs practical accounting knowledge, whether you are preparing for the CFA® Program, and whether you prefer live workshop instruction over self-study materials. The site does not list pricing, schedules, or registration details in the available content, so those would need to be confirmed directly.

Financial Accounting Workshops is a professional accounting and financial education provider founded in 1995 by John A. Harris, CPA, CFA. Its courses are designed primarily for non-accountants who need to understand and apply accounting concepts in their work — financial analysts, CFA® Program candidates, investment banking trainees, and law firm professionals. No accounting background is required; the stated goal is to help participants "speak the language of business" and sharpen their analytical skills.

Who the courses are built for

The provider's own description identifies several distinct audiences, and they share one trait: they work with financial information but were not trained as accountants.

• Financial analysts — the original target group. The courses were first aimed at the analyst community that needs to interpret financial statements rather than prepare them.
• CFA® Program candidates — thousands worldwide have attended the live workshops as exam preparation. The workshops are explicitly described as complementing the CFA® Program curriculum and facilitating the learning process.
• Investment banking trainees — firms use the training to bring new personnel up to speed on accounting fundamentals.
• Law firm professionals — continuing education for lawyers and staff who encounter accounting and financial concepts in their practice.
• Personnel across all levels of a financial organization — the stated aim is to serve anyone who needs to hone analytical skills, not just entry-level staff.

How to tell whether it fits you

Use these questions to decide:

What you should know before signing up

• No accounting prerequisite is implied. The founder's stated strength is making complex accounting issues understandable to non-accountants, and the audience has always been people outside the accounting profession.
• The orientation is practical, not theoretical. The material is framed as applicable to daily practice, not academic accounting.
• The workshops complement, rather than replace, the CFA® curriculum. If you are using them for exam prep, treat them as a learning aid alongside your official study materials.
• The site does not publish pricing or enrollment details in the available information. Check the site directly for current course formats, schedules, and costs before committing.

If your job requires you to interpret financial information but you were not trained as an accountant, this provider's courses are aimed squarely at you. If you need formal accounting credentials or jurisdiction-specific tax and legal guidance, look elsewhere.

No. Financial Accounting Workshops states on its website that the information it publishes is provided "with the express intention of providing general guidelines and information on matters of interest." The site explicitly says its content "is not intended to serve as legal, accounting, tax, investment, or other advice." So the material is educational and general in nature — it is not a substitute for professional advice on your specific situation.

What the Site Says About Its Information

The disclaimer on accountingworkshops.com makes three points:

• Purpose: The information is offered as general guidelines and information on matters of interest.
• Limitation: "The application and impact of laws and regulations vary widely," so the same general information may not apply the same way to every person, entity, or jurisdiction.
• No professional relationship: The content is not intended as legal, accounting, tax, investment, or other advice.

The site also states that while it has attempted to ensure the information is correct, Financial Accounting Workshops and John A. Harris, CPA are "not responsible for any errors or for the results obtained from the use of this site."

What This Means in Practice

Why the Disclaimer Exists

Financial Accounting Workshops describes itself as a provider of accounting and financial education to business professionals, founded by John A. Harris, CPA, CFA, in 1995. Its stated focus is training — helping non-accountants and finance professionals "speak the language of business" and sharpen analytical skills, including preparation for the CFA® Program exam and continuing education for law firms.

Education and advice are different things. A workshop can explain how a concept works in general; it cannot account for the specific facts, jurisdiction, and circumstances that determine how a law, regulation, or accounting standard applies to you. That gap is exactly what the disclaimer addresses.

Practical Takeaways

• Treat accountingworkshops.com content as general educational information, not as a professional opinion on your situation.
• For decisions with legal, tax, accounting, or investment consequences, consult a qualified professional who can review your specific facts.
• If you are using the site for CFA® Program preparation, note that the workshops are described as complementing the curriculum and facilitating learning — not replacing official materials.
• The site does not accept responsibility for errors or for outcomes resulting from use of its information, so verify anything you intend to act on.

John A. Harris is a CPA and CFA charterholder who founded Financial Accounting Workshops in 1995. Before starting the firm, he spent 15 years in credit and financial management in the oil and gas industry and in banking. He holds an MBA and an MS from the University of North Texas and a BBA from Texas Tech University. He is known for making complex accounting issues understandable and applicable to daily practice, and for bringing energy to his presentations.

If you are evaluating whether his workshops are worth your time — for CFA Program preparation, investment banking training, or continuing education — the relevant question is whether his mix of credentials, industry experience, and teaching style matches how you learn.

Credentials at a Glance

The combination matters for a specific reason: the CPA designation signals accounting depth, while the CFA charter signals grounding in the analyst perspective. For an audience of non-accountants — analysts, bankers, lawyers — that pairing is directly relevant, because the instructor has sat on both sides of the financial statement.

Why He Started the Firm

Harris established Financial Accounting Workshops in 1995 after identifying what the firm describes as a real need for effective accounting education and training for non-accountants. The original audience was the financial analyst community, particularly candidates in the Chartered Analyst (CFA®) Program.

That origin explains the teaching approach: the material is built for people who need to read, interpret, and use financial information in their work, not for people training to become accountants.

Who His Teaching Has Reached

• CFA Program candidates — thousands worldwide have attended his live workshops in preparation for the CFA® Program exam.
• Investment bank training programs — his audience expanded into bank training as word spread.
• Law firms — continuing education for legal professionals, based on the same premise that all personnel benefit from being able to "speak the language of business."
• All levels of the financial organization — he has developed and taught courses across the range of roles within financial firms.

What His Teaching Style Is Known For

The site describes two consistent traits:

1. Making complex accounting issues understandable and applicable to daily practice. This is the core claim — not simplification for its own sake, but translation into something you can use on the job.
2. Energy and excitement in presentation. He is described as a dynamic public speaker who brings energy to every presentation.

For a live workshop format, the second point is not incidental. Long-format accounting instruction depends heavily on whether the presenter can hold attention, and the firm's positioning treats that as part of the product.

How to Judge Fit for Your Situation

Consider his workshops if:

• You are a CFA Program candidate who wants live instruction that complements the curriculum — the firm states its workshops are developed to complement the CFA® Program curriculum and facilitate the learning process.
• You work in finance, banking, or law and need working fluency in accounting rather than preparer-level technical training.
• You learn better from a live presenter with industry experience than from self-study materials alone.

Look elsewhere if:

• You need formal accounting qualification or academic credit — the firm positions itself as professional education and training, not a degree or licensure program.
• You want self-paced, on-demand content only; the emphasis in the source material is on live workshops.

One Caveat Worth Noting

The firm's own site states that the information it publishes is intended as general guidelines and information, and is not legal, accounting, tax, investment, or other advice. It also notes that laws and regulations vary widely and that the firm and John A. Harris, CPA are not responsible for errors or results obtained from using the site. That is a standard disclaimer, but it is a useful signal about scope: this is education, not professional advice on your specific situation.

The Short Answer

John A. Harris is a CPA and CFA charterholder with 15 years of hands-on credit and financial management experience before founding Financial Accounting Workshops in 1995. His teaching credentials rest on three things: dual professional designations that bridge accounting and analysis, a career spent in industry rather than only in the classroom, and a long track record teaching non-accountants — starting with CFA candidates and expanding to investment banks and law firms. If your goal is practical accounting fluency for financial work, his background is directly aligned with that need.