FinPod

What if the most powerful force controlling a corporation isn’t the CEO or the market… but a few lines buried deep inside a loan agreement? In this episode of Corporate Finance Explained, we unpack the hidden world of corporate debt covenants and how these invisible financial rules quietly dictate whether companies can acquire competitors, pay dividends, raise capital, or survive economic crises....

What if leasing an asset is actually more dangerous than buying it outright? In this episode of Corporate Finance Explained, we break down one of the most important decisions in corporate finance: lease vs. buy. On the surface, it looks like a simple math problem. But underneath, it becomes a strategic decision that shapes cash flow, tax strategy, operational flexibility, balance sheet risk, and e...

What if the smartest growth strategy for a company is to sell one of its best businesses? In this episode of Corporate Finance Explained, we break down the hidden logic behind corporate divestitures, spinoffs, asset sales, and why some of the world’s largest companies grow faster by shrinking. Most people assume growth means expansion. More acquisitions, more products, more divisions, and bigger c...

What would happen to your company if its primary bank disappeared overnight? In this episode of Corporate Finance Explained, we break down the hidden architecture of corporate banking relationships, treasury management, and liquidity strategy through the lens of one of the most important financial events of recent years: the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) in March 2023. For many companies,...

In this episode of Corporate Finance Explained, we break down the hidden mechanics of executive compensation and how poorly designed incentives can quietly distort decision-making across an entire organization. At the center of the discussion is a simple but powerful idea: executives are paid to optimize whatever metrics are embedded in their compensation plans. Whether that’s earnings per share (...

Transfer pricing is one of the most important concepts in corporate finance, international tax, and multinational business strategy.  In this episode of Corporate Finance Explained, we break down how multinational corporations allocate profits across countries, how profit shifting works, and why transfer pricing disputes involving Apple, Coca-Cola, Amazon, Microsoft, and Starbucks have reshaped gl...

What if inventory isn’t an operational issue… but one of the biggest hidden drains on your company’s cash? In this episode of Corporate Finance Explained, we break down inventory economics and why every product sitting in a warehouse should be treated as capital, not just stock. Using real-world case studies and corporate finance frameworks, we explore how small changes in inventory timing can loc...

What if recessions don’t actually destroy companies… but expose the ones that were already fragile? In this episode of Corporate Finance Explained, we unpack what really happens inside companies when the market turns and the rules of easy growth disappear. Using real-world case studies and corporate finance frameworks, we explore how downturns compress timelines, expose weak balance sheets, and fo...

What if borrowing billions of dollars could make a company stronger… or destroy it? In this episode of Corporate Finance Explained, we break down capital structure and the high-stakes decision every company faces: should you fund growth with debt or equity? Using real-world case studies and corporate finance principles, we explore how this single choice can shape a company’s future, from explosive...

What if the biggest companies in the world are no longer built in public markets? In this episode of Corporate Finance Explained, we unpack the hidden world of private capital and how companies are raising billions of dollars without ever going public. For decades, the traditional path to growth was clear. Companies either borrowed from banks or raised money through an IPO. Today, that model has s...

In this episode of What’s New at CFI, we break down one of the most practical and career-defining skills in finance: building professional PowerPoint presentations and pitch books. Strong financial analysis is only part of the job. At some point, every analyst needs to communicate their work clearly to senior stakeholders, clients, or investors. That is where pitch books come in. They are the prim...

In this episode of Corporate Finance Explained, we dive into one of the most critical but overlooked foundations of finance: internal controls and fraud prevention. What starts as a simple reconciliation issue quickly becomes a much bigger question about trust, accuracy, and the systems that keep businesses running.  Internal controls are often misunderstood as bureaucratic red tape, but in realit...

In this episode of What’s New at CFI, Meeyeon Park speaks with Joseph Yeates about the refreshed SQL Fundamentals course and what has changed in the updated version. They discuss who the course is designed for, what learners will focus on in the new version, and why SQL remains a practical skill for finance, business intelligence, and data analytics professionals. Joseph explains how the course ha...

What should a company do with billions in cash? Reinvest in growth, pay down debt, or return it to shareholders? In this episode of Corporate Finance Explained on FinPod, we break down one of the most important decisions in corporate finance: dividend strategy. Using real-world case studies and corporate finance frameworks, we explore how companies decide whether to pay dividends and what that dec...

Are you solving the right problem or just solving it quickly? In today’s fast-moving world of AI, shifting markets, and constant complexity, the biggest risk in finance and business isn’t slow decision-making. It’s solving the wrong problem entirely. In this episode of What’s New at CFI, Meeyeon sits down with Timothy Tiryaki, co-author of CFI’s new course Strategic Problem Solving, to unpack how...

What happens when a company can’t access its own cash? In March 2023, billion-dollar startups suddenly found themselves unable to make payroll. Not because their business failed, but because their money was trapped inside a single banking relationship. In this episode, we break down the hidden infrastructure behind corporate finance: the banking and treasury systems that quietly determine whether...

In this episode of What’s New at CFI, we introduce our latest practice lab: AI Prompting for Financial Analysis, designed to help finance professionals use AI tools like ChatGPT more effectively, accurately, and responsibly. Hosted by Meeyeon (VP of Content & Training) and featuring Ryan Spendelow (VP of Content & Curriculum at CFI), this episode explores how AI is transforming finance wor...

In this episode of Corporate Finance Explained on FinPod, we break down corporate governance and why the structure of a company’s board can determine whether shareholder value compounds for years or collapses almost overnight. From the outside, governance can look like a compliance formality: board seats, committee charters, proxy statements, and routine oversight. But in practice, governance is t...

In this episode of CFI Member Spotlight on FinPod, we sit down with Albert Lee, CPA, an FP&A leader, Chicago Booth MBA candidate, and founder of Axiom FP&A Partners, where he works at the intersection of finance and AI. This conversation follows Albert’s journey from PwC audit into regional FP&A leadership across APAC, and now into entrepreneurship. Albert shares how his early foundati...

In this episode of Corporate Finance Explained on FinPod, we discuss the reality behind one of the most dramatic events in corporate strategy: mergers and acquisitions (M&A). Every year, headlines announce massive multi-billion-dollar acquisitions, complete with executive handshakes and promises of transformative growth. But behind the press releases lies a far more complex story. In corporate...

In this episode of Corporate Finance Explained on FinPod, we break down one of the most debated topics in modern business: ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance). Is it simply corporate branding, or does it actually affect financial performance? You’ve likely seen ESG everywhere. It dominates earnings calls, investor presentations, and corporate annual reports. But behind the sustainability m...

In this episode of Corporate Finance Explained on FinPod, we examine how financial targets shape behavior inside organizations and why targets are never just neutral planning tools. Revenue goals, margin thresholds, return targets, and quarterly quotas may look like objective numbers on a spreadsheet, but in practice they influence hiring, investment, risk-taking, and the day-to-day decisions that...

In this episode of What’s New at CFI on FinPod, we introduce a brand new course designed to help professionals tackle one of the most overlooked skills in business: Strategic Problem Solving. Meeyeon, VP of Content and Training at Corporate Finance Institute, sits down with Jeroen Kraaijenbrink, strategy expert and co-founder of Strategy Inc., to discuss the thinking frameworks behind the new Stra...

In this episode of Corporate Finance Explained on FinPod, we break down one of the most dramatic and misunderstood areas of corporate strategy: mergers and acquisitions (M&A). Every quarter, headlines celebrate billion-dollar deals as bold strategic wins. CEOs shake hands, stock tickers flash, and press releases promise “transformational synergies.” But beneath the hype lies a far less glamoro...

In this episode of Corporate Finance Explained on FinPod, we dive into the invisible number that decides whether growth creates value or destroys it: cost of capital. Headlines love expansion, acquisitions, and moonshot investments, but the real line between “big growth story” and “value trap” is the price of money itself. We unpack WACC (weighted average cost of capital), why it acts like a compa...