Earning the CFP® designation shows clients you’re serious about professional standards. Keeping it, however, means committing to a challenging set of CFP® continuing education requirements. Those hours prove you’re current, ethical, and worthy of client trust. In the sections ahead, we’ll outline exactly what the CFP Board requires, how CE credits work, and how to…
If you’re in corporate finance, you need to understand the true influence of Hedge Funds. They are not just market speculators; they are powerful, concentrated stakeholders whose specific demands can change a company’s financial destiny overnight, forcing massive share buybacks, debt reduction, or strategic divestitures. In this episode of Corporate Finance Explained on FinPod, we…
What Excel Skills Are Most in Demand? Employers look for Excel skills that demonstrate efficiency, analytical capability, and clear communication. The most valued skills include building professional workbooks, using keyboard shortcuts, applying statistical functions, creating PivotTables, and visualizing data through charts and dashboards. 1. Building Professional Workbooks Employers value professional workbooks because they’re auditable, shareable,…
Ever see a company announce a massive, one-time cash payout and wonder what’s really going on? These “special dividends” are more than just financial fireworks; they’re a critical signal from management about a company’s health, discipline, and future growth prospects. In this episode of Corporate Finance Explained on FinPod, we cut through the noise to…
What Is the Trade Lifecycle? The trade lifecycle is the end-to-end process for buying or selling securities in financial markets. The trade lifecycle includes initiation, order matching, trade capture, confirmation, custodian instructions, clearing, and settlement. The lifecycle of a trade demonstrates how capital markets move securities and cash between buyers and sellers through a coordinated…
What Is Off-Balance Sheet Financing? Off-balance sheet financing is an accounting practice used to keep certain assets or liabilities from appearing on a company’s balance sheet. Companies use off-balance sheet financing to maintain lower leverage ratios, comply with debt covenants, and manage financial risk while preserving access to funding and liquidity. Off-balance sheet financing requires…
When a Fortune 100 company needs billions, the choice between issuing corporate bonds and securing a bank loan is a critical strategic dilemma. It’s not just about the lowest interest rate; it’s about control, public scrutiny, risk, and scale. In this episode of Corporate Finance Explained on FinPod, we provide a strategic map for corporate…
In this episode of What’s New at CFI on FinPod, we discuss our CFI Job Board, a curated resource designed to connect you directly with top finance roles. We discuss why this feature is the “natural endpoint” of your learning journey and reveals the best resources to land your dream job. This episode covers: The…
What Is Data Preparation in Excel? Data preparation in Excel is the process of cleaning, organizing, and structuring raw data so it’s ready for analysis or visualization. Excel provides specialized functions that automate this work, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and usability across workbooks. Examples of useful Excel functions for data preparation include FILTER, UNIQUE, SORT, and…
Ever wonder how a profitable company can suddenly face bankruptcy? The answer lies in Working Capital Management (WCM). In this episode of Corporate Finance Explained on FinPod, we delve beyond profit margins to examine the daily cash battle that determines a company’s survival and growth. We unpack the paradox of being “paper rich, cash poor”…
