FinPod

In this episode of FinPod , we introduce our latest course: Making Effective Business Decisions—designed to help FP&A professionals and finance teams evaluate capital investments. We walk through the course structure, including a four-step decision-making framework (idea generation, analysis, planning, and monitoring), NPV, IRR, and Excel Solver to prioritize projects under budget constraints....

FP&A Explained: How Financial Planning & Analysis Drives Business Strategy Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) is more than just number crunching—it’s a strategic function that helps businesses plan for the future, optimize decision-making, and drive growth. In this episode of Corporate Finance Explained , we take a deep dive into how FP&A teams forecast, analyze trends, and i...

Breaking Into FP&A: How Data, Finance, and Leadership Shape Careers How do you transition from data analytics into FP&A? What skills make FP&A professionals successful? In this episode of CFI’s Careers in Finance series, we explore how data, finance, and leadership intersect in corporate FP&A, featuring Smith Lordeus, FP&A leader with a background in engineering, data analytics...

Debt vs. Equity: How Companies Make Capital Structure Decisions How do companies decide between debt and equity financing? Every corporate finance professional needs to understand capital structure—the mix of debt and equity that funds a company's growth, operations, and strategic moves. In this episode of Corporate Finance Explained , we break down the key concepts, trade-offs, and real-world exa...

Want to improve your financial modeling skills? This episode of Corporate Finance Explained dives into the essential techniques and best practices used by corporate finance professionals to build accurate, structured, and decision-driven financial models. What You’ll Learn: - What is financial modeling? How companies use it for budgeting, valuation, and risk analysis. - Key components of a financi...

How to Build a Career in FP&A | Finance Jobs, Skills & Growth Insights Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) is one of the fastest-growing fields in finance, but many professionals don’t fully understand what the role entails. In this episode of CFI's Careers in Finance series, we sit down with Mimi Hu, Director of Trade Finance & Marketing, to explore what FP&A professional...

🎙 Mastering FP&A 3-Statement Modeling Building a 3-statement financial model is a critical skill for finance professionals, but many struggle to get their models to balance. In this episode of What’s New at CFI on FinPod, we break down CFI’s latest course: FP&A 3-Statement Modeling—designed to help finance professionals build structured, scalable models with confidence. What You’ll Learn i...

In this episode of Corporate Finance Explained, we break down the fundamentals of financial statement analysis—a vital skill for corporate finance professionals, investors, and business leaders. We start by exploring the three core financial statements: Income Statement – Reveals a company's profitability by detailing revenues and expenses over a specific period. Balance Sheet – Provides a snapsho...

In this episode of CFI's podcast, Ayesha Zain shares her inspiring journey from a background in public administration and philosophy to her current role in venture capital. She discusses the importance of mentorship, her experience with CFI's FMVA program, and the challenges of breaking into the finance industry. Ayesha emphasizes the value of networking, both in-person and through social media, a...

In this episode of What's New at CFI, Meeyeon and Ryan Spendelow discuss the importance of stakeholder management in various professional settings, especially in the context of remote work. They explore how stakeholder management has evolved with the rise of virtual teams, the significance of understanding stakeholder expectations, common mistakes finance professionals make, and strategies for man...

In this episode, Ahmed Aboushady takes us through his extensive career in risk management, from his education in Cairo to professional experiences in Los Angeles, the UK, and his current role at the Ontario Securities Commission. He reflects on the impact of the 2007 financial crisis, the importance of mentorship, and the need for continuous learning in an ever-evolving industry. Throughout the co...

In this conversation, Meeyeon and Ryan discuss collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs), exploring their structure, relevance, and the impact of the Global Financial Crisis. They delve into the customization of CMOs for different investor risk profiles and the role of special purpose vehicles (SPVs) in isolating mortgage assets. The discussion highlights the importance of financial education in...

In this episode of CFI's Member Spotlight Podcast , Meeyeon sits down with Francis Faucher to discuss his unconventional path into finance. Originally aspiring to be a doctor, Francis discovered his passion for finance through networking and education, ultimately embracing an entrepreneurial mindset that shaped his career. He shares his experiences, from his first banking job to becoming a financi...

In this episode, Logan Burchett, co-founder and COO of Forecaster, shares his unexpected career path—from aspiring lawyer to finance professional to entrepreneur. Initially set on law, he discovered a passion for economics and finance in college, which led him to work as a financial analyst and later at a pension fund. His time at Venture First sparked an interest in venture capital, ultimately in...

In this episode of What’s New at CFI, Ryan is joined by Jeff Schmidt to introduce CFI’s latest course, Accounting for Inventory. They discuss the importance of inventory accounting across industries, covering key methods such as Weighted Average, FIFO (First In, First Out), and LIFO (Last In, First Out).  Jeff explains how different inventory accounting choices impact financial statements, profita...

In this episode of CFI's Member Spotlight, Nigel Rayford shares his inspiring journey into the finance world, detailing his educational background, career progression, and the impact of COVID-19 on his professional life. He discusses his experiences at Nationwide and Goldman Sachs, his current role at Texas Capital Bank, and the importance of mentorship and representation in the finance industry....

In this episode, Meeyeon, Jeff, and Duncan discuss the newly launched specialization in Investment Banking and Private Equity (IB and PE) at CFI.  Join us as we explore the reasons behind the popularity of these fields, the misconceptions surrounding private equity, and the essential skills required for success in both areas.

In this episode of Careers in Finance, we learn that sometimes it takes a little bit of grit. Susanne Swaniker, Group Financial Controller at De Beers, takes us through her career journey that started with asking for a meeting with a Deloitte Partner and asking for what she wanted: an auditing job.  Her career journey is equal parts organic and purposeful pursuit. Susanne is the epitome of a conti...

In this episode of What's New at CFI, we sit down with Ryan Spendelow to discuss the newly launched Risk Management specialization. We explore the essential types of financial and non-financial risks covered in the courses, the relevance of emerging topics like ESG and cybersecurity, and how completing the specialization can enhance job performance and open up career opportunities in finance. Over...

In this episode of CFI's FinPod podcast, we sit down with Dang Duong, a young finance enthusiast from Singapore. Join us as we talk about Dang's journey into finance, his education at Polytechnic, and his self-driven learning through CFI courses. Dang shares insights from his internship at Julius Baer and outlines his aspirations in investment banking and quantitative finance. The conversation hig...

In today's Member Spotlight, I get to sit down with someone who can't sit still in the absolute best of ways. Antowan has done a little bit of everything, and it's all been driven by his curious nature and love of economics. It only takes a few minutes to understand what the power of curiosity and a genuine desire to learn can do for someone's career. From an apprenticeship as an electrician to tr...

In this episode of Careers in Finance on FinPod, we chat with Chris Stanley, an experienced finance professional turned successful business founder, about his journey to where he is today. During this episode, Chris shares how he has found that leaning into the network you have at an early age, no matter how big or small, is the best way to scale your career. He studied Economics at Yale Universit...

In this episode of Careers in Finance, we have an insightful conversation with Bill Dillmeier, exploring his unique career journey in finance. Bill shares his intentional path into finance, starting from a young age, influenced by his entrepreneurial grandfather. He discusses his educational background, early entrepreneurial ventures, and the pivotal role of mentorship in shaping his career.  The...

In this episode of What’s New at CFI, we are talking about a course that is going to help make everyone's job a little bit easier. The course itself may be in the context of financial statement analysis, but in today's world, everything is data-driven, and in turn, so is almost every job. Spend some time with Glenn as he talks about what AI can do, what it is best at, and how we can interact with...

In this episode of Careers in Finance, we sit down with Ben Murray, known as the SaaS CFO, who shares his unique career journey from customer service in a mutual fund company to becoming a fractional CFO and entrepreneur. Ben discusses his early experiences in finance, the transition from traditional industries like airlines and healthcare tech to the SaaS model, and the importance of understandin...