Market research has always been time-consuming. Analysts spend hours pulling data, synthesizing sources, and compiling reports. By the time the work is done, the insights are already aging. AI agents offer a different model. Instead of one-off research projects, teams can run ongoing, structured tracking of markets, competitors, and business conditions. For finance, strategy, and…
Want to build financial models that other finance professionals can trust? In this episode of What’s New at CFI, Meeyeon sits down with Duncan McKeen, CFI’s VP of Financial Modeling, to discuss Financial Modeling Guidelines, a practical course designed to help analysts build cleaner, more transparent, and more professional Excel models. Instead of building a…
What if the biggest reason companies miss their long-term goals isn’t execution, but the plan itself? In this episode of Corporate Finance Explained, we break down long-range planning (LRP) and why so many corporate strategy plans fail to deliver. While annual budgets focus on the next 12 months and long-term targets inspire investors, a true…
Finance leaders face a practical question about AI agents: Will the investment create measurable value? That question is becoming more urgent as AI spending grows. Deloitte’s 2025 survey of more than 1,800 executives found that 85% of organizations increased their AI investment in 2025, and 91% plan to increase it again. Yet most report satisfactory…
What if one of the biggest expenses in tech isn’t actually cash? In this episode of Corporate Finance Explained, we unpack the truth behind stock-based compensation and why it has become one of the most misunderstood topics in corporate finance, financial analysis, and equity valuation. At first glance, paying employees with stock instead of cash…
As your company grows, so does the complexity around cash management, compliance, planning, and decision-making. Finance teams need to do more than close the books and update budgets. Leadership needs clear reporting, reliable forecasts, and insight into the business decisions ahead. Building a finance team starts with the right structure. You also need clear responsibilities,…
What separates companies that recover from a crisis from those that collapse overnight? In this episode of Corporate Finance Explained, we explore the role of crisis management, corporate trust, and crisis communication in protecting shareholder value and long-term business success. Through real-world case studies, we examine why communication during a crisis is far more than…
If you’re considering a career in business intelligence, you’re looking at a field built around turning data into decisions. Business intelligence professionals work across industries, building dashboards, tracking business performance, and translating data into insights that drive strategy. This guide covers how to become a business intelligence analyst, including what the role involves, which skills…
Every finance team knows the feeling of a fast-approaching quarter-end with a full reconciliation queue and 40 open items still on the close checklist. The month-end close remains one of the most time-intensive, error-prone cycles in any accounting function, but not because teams lack skill. Rather, the underlying workflows were built for a world without…
SQL is one of the most valuable technical skills for finance professionals, business intelligence analysts, and data analysts. But once you’ve mastered the basics, how do you write cleaner, more scalable queries that support real business decisions? In this episode of What’s New at CFI, Meeyeon sits down with CFI instructor Joseph Yeates to discuss…
