Why Cost Management is a Core FP&A Responsibility Cost management plays a direct role in shaping a company’s financial performance over time. When costs start to climb or margins tighten, the pressure often lands on the FP&A team to determine what changed, why it happened, and what can be done about it. When margins shrink…
Finance professionals who effectively integrate generative AI with their expertise gain a significant advantage in today’s market. But where do you start? With so much information available, finding the right resources can feel overwhelming. That’s why we’ve curated a top 10 list of CFI’s most valuable AI in finance content. Each resource delivers specific insights…
Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) Shape the Corporate Landscape, But What Makes a Deal Successful? In this episode of Corporate Finance Explained, we break down the M&A lifecycle, from valuation and financial modeling to financing strategies and post-merger integration. Through real-world case studies—including Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox and Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard—we explore…
Thinking of Starting Your Own Business After a Career in Finance or Accounting? In this episode of Careers in Finance on FinPod, we talk to Bob Wang—CPA, entrepreneur, former Deloitte leader, and fractional CFO—about his journey from audit to acquisition and everything in between. Bob shares how he built and sold his first accounting firm,…
ROA vs ROE: Two Ways to View Return-on-Investment (ROI) ROA (Return on Assets) and ROE (Return on Equity) are two distinct financial ratios that measure a company’s performance from different angles. While both use net income as their starting point, they provide financial analysts with separate perspectives: ROA evaluates how effectively a company uses its…
Capital Expenditure Schedules: Purpose and Function A well-structured capital expenditure (CapEx) schedule forms the foundation of any reliable financial model. It bridges growth plans and financial implications by translating asset decisions into precise data that flows throughout your model. CapEx schedules serve two critical functions: summarizing depreciation for income statements and forecasting expenditures for cash…
FP&A vs. Controller vs. CFO: Why the Differences Matter If you’re exploring a career in corporate finance — especially in financial planning and analysis (FP&A) — it can be tough to untangle who does what. What’s the difference between an FP&A analyst and a controller? And how does the CFO fit into the picture? These…
How Do Top Companies Manage Their Cost of Capital for Sustainable Growth? In this episode, we explore how Tesla, Amazon, and Apple optimize their Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC) to make smarter financing and investment decisions. What You’ll Learn: What is WACC & why it matters in corporate finance Debt vs. equity financing –…
Forecasting Contractor Expenses: Why It Matters in FP&A Accurate contractor expense forecasting prevents costly surprises like unexpected overruns that disrupt budgets and negatively affect your organization’s financial health. FP&A teams forecast contractor expenses to: Control costs: Evaluate if contractor rates justify using external resources instead of hiring full-time. Plan cash flow: Project-based or variable contractor…
What is a Form of Consideration in M&A? When companies merge or acquire others, they need to pay for the transaction somehow. This payment method is called the form of consideration. Think of this term as what the target company’s shareholders receive in exchange for selling their ownership to an acquirer. Forms of consideration represent…
