Choosing where to build your finance skills starts with understanding what each training provider offers. If you’re comparing Corporate Finance Institute (CFI) vs Training the Street (TTS), your decision will depend on your career stage, the skills you want to build, and how you prefer to learn.
In this guide, we break down each provider by curriculum, program options, pricing, career relevance, learning format, platform features, and support. By the end, you’ll have a clearer understanding of which provider better fits your goals and schedule.
| Platform Overview | Online, self-paced training in finance, banking, data analysis, and AI skills for finance students, professionals, teams, and career changers | Live virtual, in-person, and self-study finance and business training for companies, universities, and individuals. |
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| Global Reach | 3M+ registered users in 190+ countries with 85K certified learners | 3M+ students in 30 countries with 10K+ corporate clients |
CFI is a global online finance training platform focused on job-ready finance skills for working professionals, students, recent graduates, and career switchers. Our mission is to enhance the skills, knowledge, and productivity of finance and banking professionals worldwide.
CFI’s instructors are experienced finance practitioners who have worked in investment banking, equity research, capital markets, FP&A, and advisory roles. They design practical courses around the skills and tasks finance professionals use on the job, such as accounting, financial analysis, valuation methods, and new skills like AI applications for finance.
More than 3 million registered learners from 190 countries build practical finance skills with CFI, with over 85,000 professionals certified through CFI programs.
TTS is a global provider of practical finance and business training. TTS primarily serves financial and professional services firms, corporate clients, and academic institutions. They also offer online self-study and live public courses for individuals. TTS’s mission is to teach the everyday accounting concepts, valuation techniques, and financial modeling skills that experienced professionals use in the real world.
TTS instructors have direct, real-world finance experience, including investment banking, private equity, corporate finance, credit risk management, and equity research. TTS reports more than 50,000 learners each year across more than 30 countries, along with over 10,000 corporate clients.
The table below compares CFI vs. Training the Street across their programming, such as certifications, specializations, course bundles, and public courses.
| Multi-Course Programs | Certifications for comprehensive training that builds in-depth expertise in a specific finance field | Self-study bundles combine video courses around finance fundamentals, job roles, industries, or productivity skills |
| Focused Skill Paths | Specializations for focused learning tracks that allow you to develop expertise in a particular topic or skillset | Public courses with bootcamp formats that mimic on-the-desk training in investment banks |
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CFI’s course catalog includes individual, on-demand courses that help you build or refresh specific skills. You can take courses independently, and many also form part of CFI certification and specialization programs. CFI finance certifications combine courses and assessments to develop skills for specific areas of finance. For example:
CFI’s finance specializations combine related courses into focused learning paths for subjects such as AI in finance, risk management, advanced financial modeling, and data analysis. Specializations offer a shorter, more focused option than certification programs and award a specialization certificate without requiring a final exam.
For individual learners, Training the Street offers self-study courses and bundles and public courses. Bundles combine video-based courses into packages focused on finance fundamentals, job roles, industries, or productivity skills. Individual courses cover one subject, such as financial modeling, corporate valuation, Python, or interview preparation. Both formats let learners study independently and set their own pace.
TTS’s public courses use a scheduled, instructor-led format delivered in person or in a live virtual classroom and can take one to eight days. Training the Street also offers SprinTTS courses covering a single topic in sessions lasting from two hours to a full day.
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| Flexibility and Pacing | Study on your own schedule; no scheduled courses or deadlines | Set your own pace with self-study courses; live courses follow a set schedule, typically 1 to 5 days |
| Course Structure | 2-5 minute lessons organized into modules that take ~10 to 30 minutes to complete | Short instructional sessions |
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CFI’s courses mix foundational concepts with practical training focused on finance tasks. Most courses use short video lessons organized into modules. As courses progress, you apply concepts and skills through Excel-based exercises, quizzes, or knowledge checks.
You can access our courses online and on demand, set your own pace, pause a course, and resume where you left off. Within certifications and specializations, courses follow structured learning paths that progress from foundational concepts to intermediate and advanced applications. Course assessments evaluate the material covered in individual courses, while certification programs conclude with a final exam. Specializations do not require a final exam.
The self-paced format lets you plan your study time around full-time work, university courses, or a career transition.
Training the Street provides a mix of core finance concepts with practical training. Courses introduce concepts before reinforcing them through guided exercises and transaction-based examples. Self-study bundles and individual self-study courses use video-based lessons that learners complete independently. Learners can enroll and begin immediately, study without scheduled classes or weekly deadlines, and progress at their own pace. Course lengths vary, and TTS lists video time separately from the additional time needed for exercises and practice.
Public courses follow a scheduled, instructor-led format. Standard public courses last from one to eight days and are delivered virtually or in person. SprinTTS courses cover a focused topic in live virtual sessions lasting from two hours to a full day. Individuals and small groups can enroll through the public course calendar, and registration includes one year of online access to supporting materials and videos.
Self-study courses provide greater scheduling flexibility, while public courses offer a set timetable and real-time instructor interaction.
CFI courses combine instruction with interactive exercises, downloadable files, Excel templates, and guided model builds. Depending on the subject, you may construct financial models, calculate and interpret financial ratios, test valuation assumptions, or transform and visualize data. These activities connect course concepts to tasks used in finance roles.
Select certification programs include optional Case Study Challenges that present a business scenario, supporting materials, and a set of tasks to complete. After completing the case study, you can review a video debrief to compare your approach and identify areas for more practice.
Each course ends with an assessment that tests the material covered. To earn a course completion certificate, you must complete the required material and score at least 80% on the assessment. If you do not pass on the first attempt, you can review the material and retake the assessment as many times as needed.
CFI certification programs conclude with a final exam that becomes available after you complete the program requirements. Candidates must score at least 70% to pass. Certification exams are timed and cannot be paused after they begin. Modeling-intensive programs such as the FMVA use Excel-based modeling case studies or other applied scenarios to assess practical skills and conceptual understanding. Specializations do not require a final exam.
Before taking a certification exam, you can use practice exams that reflect its format and difficulty. You can take practice exams as often as needed and download your results. A topic-level report shows where you performed well and where you may need more practice.
Training the Street’s self-study courses combine video demonstrations with downloadable Excel templates and supporting files. In selected modules, learners construct complete financial models alongside step-by-step videos. Partially completed files let learners begin at different stages of the model-building process. Separate modeling challenges provide practice with spreadsheet formatting, speed, and accuracy. The type and depth of practice depend on the course.
TTS describes its instructor-led public courses as including live demonstrations, Excel exercises, group projects, and instructor guidance during the session. Longer courses may involve building complete financial models, while shorter SprinTTS sessions focus on a single skill or topic.
TTS does not publish a single exam or assessment policy that applies across all its products. Learners should check individual course pages to confirm whether a program includes knowledge checks or assessments and which completion requirements apply.
Access to practice materials and other resources differs by format. Self-study learners receive five years of course access and can download Excel models and PDF materials during that period. They must stream course videos online. Public course participants receive a detailed course pack and one year of portal access to Excel files, course materials, and additional videos.
The table below compares CFI vs. Training the Street on topic coverage, curriculum depth, career alignment, and how each provider incorporates financial tools for practical skill building.
| Topic Coverage | Accounting and financial statement analysis, financial modeling and valuation, corporate finance and FP&A, AI, credit analysis, commercial banking, and more | Accounting, financial statement analysis, Excel, financial modeling, corporate valuation, transaction analysis, capital markets |
| Difficulty | Six difficulty levels, from beginner to intermediate and advanced | Foundations curriculum, then advanced and role-focused bundles |
| Excel | Data preparation and analysis, scenario and sensitivity analysis, model building, visualizations and dashboards | Importing, preparing, parsing, and analyzing data, scenario analysis, charting, formulas, shortcuts |
| Financial Modeling | 3-statement modeling and DCF valuation, plus modeling guidelines on layout, formatting, assumptions, and reviewability | 3-statement, operating, profit-and-loss, and industry-specific models, plus DCF, comparables, merger, and LBO models |
| Data and Business Intelligence | Power Query, Power BI, DAX, SQL, Python | Python in self-study, and Python, VBA, SQL, Power BI, and Tableau in organization-based programs |
| AI Tools | Claude and ChatGPT for Excel integration, financial analysis, financial modeling, forecasting, and model auditing | ChatGPT, Claude, and Microsoft Copilot in selected public courses for document analysis, research, and finance workflows |
CFI’s courses cover accounting and financial statement analysis, financial modeling and valuation, corporate finance and FP&A, credit analysis and commercial banking, capital markets and wealth management, business intelligence, and AI. Our structured learning paths also allow you to specialize. Many CFI learners complete a flagship credential like FMVA, then continue with our Investment Banking & Private Equity Modeling Specialization for transaction-focused modeling and valuation training, including mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and leveraged buyouts (LBOs). We also offer financial modeling courses for specific industries, such as real estate, ecommerce, and mining.
We categorize CFI courses across six difficulty levels based on subject depth, technical detail, and the complexity of the tasks or cases involved. Introductory courses can establish core knowledge like Excel and accounting fundamentals. Intermediate and advanced courses become increasingly difficult, such as 3-statement modeling and discounted cash flow (DCF) valuation. The level assigned to each course can help you choose an appropriate starting point.
Single courses support targeted skill development, while specializations provide focused training in defined subject areas. Certifications offer broader learning paths related to finance roles and functions such as financial modeling and valuation, FP&A, commercial banking, capital markets, wealth management, and business intelligence. Introductory courses may suit early-career learners and people transitioning into finance, while experienced professionals can use higher-level courses, specializations, or certifications to develop more focused skills.
Training the Street’s curriculum spans accounting, financial statement analysis, Excel, financial modeling, and corporate valuation. Their transaction-focused curriculum includes comparable company analysis, transaction comparables, M&A, and LBO modeling. Capital markets offerings extend into equity and debt markets, bonds, foreign exchange, derivatives, and portfolio construction.
TTS also organizes self-study bundles around roles and industries, including investment banking, private equity, equity research, asset management, FP&A, global markets, banking and financial institutions, real estate, and selected industry sectors. Its Foundations curriculum introduces accounting, Excel, modeling, and valuation, while Advanced and role-focused bundles move into more specialized modeling and transaction subjects.
Individual courses may suit learners targeting one skill, while bundles provide a broader sequence of related subjects. Public courses concentrate on defined areas such as accounting, modeling, valuation, capital markets, private equity, and industry analysis.
Corporate and university programs draw from similar subject areas for employer-sponsored training and early-career preparation. Overall, the curriculum may be most relevant to learners preparing for investment banking or transaction-focused work, although selected offerings also support goals in corporate finance, FP&A, equity research, asset management, and capital markets.
CFI’s courses teach technical and analytical skills alongside finance concepts, with instructors who show you how to apply each tool to common finance tasks. Excel training covers preparing and analyzing data, performing scenario and sensitivity analysis, building financial models, and creating visualizations and dashboards.
Our financial modeling guidance emphasizes clear layouts, consistent formatting, easy-to-follow assumptions, and model structures that others can review efficiently. Presentation training develops skills for communicating technical analysis through dashboards, slides, pitchbooks, and presentations for stakeholders.
The data and business intelligence curriculum includes Power Query, Power BI, DAX, SQL, and Python. These tools support tasks such as retrieving and combining data, cleaning and transforming datasets, building data models, automating recurring processes, and creating reports and dashboards. Learners can use SQL to query and organize database data, while Python supports data preparation and analysis.
Selected AI courses apply generative AI to data preparation, financial analysis, scenario modeling, document review, and recurring finance workflows. We also explain how to check AI-generated work, document its use, protect financial data, and keep people involved in important decisions. Presentation training develops skills for communicating technical analysis through dashboards, slides, pitchbooks, and presentations for stakeholders.
Together, these skills reflect the mix of finance knowledge, modeling, data analysis, technology, and communication that many modern analyst roles require.
Technical training appears across Training the Street’s self-study courses and bundles, public courses, and organization-based programs, although the specific tools and skills vary by offering. Excel courses cover importing, preparing, parsing, and analyzing data, along with scenario analysis, charting, formulas, and shortcuts. Financial modeling courses teach learners to build three-statement, operating, profit-and-loss, and industry-specific models for forecasting and analysis.
Valuation and transaction-focused courses cover DCF valuation, trading and transaction comparables, merger modeling, and LBO modeling. Depending on the course, learners may develop skills for assessing company value, analyzing transaction effects, modeling deal structures, and evaluating private equity returns. Other courses apply financial analysis to working capital, leveraged debt, restructuring, and industry-specific investments.
The available data tools depend on the training format. TTS’s self-study catalog includes Python courses for data analysis and visualization, while their organization-based data science programs cover Python, VBA, SQL, Power BI, and Tableau. Listed applications include retrieving and cleaning data, creating relational data models, automating reports and other tasks, building dashboards, and forecasting financial data. Selected public courses also cover ChatGPT, Claude, and Microsoft Copilot for document analysis, research, and finance workflows.
| Access Model | Two annual all-access memberships include CFI’s full library of 250+ courses, 7 certifications, and 16 specializations. | Single courses or course bundles for purchase; no self-study subscription option. Public courses priced per seat per day. |
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| Discounts | Regular promotions and seasonal sales | Regular promotions on course bundles |
| Student Pricing | Eligible university learners receive 50% off:
| None specified on the website |
| Team Pricing | Two annual team plans:
| Pricing for corporate training not found on website; contact Training the Street for information. |
Note: Prices are listed in USD and should be verified before publication. Promotional pricing, coupon codes, and live-program schedules are subject to change.
CFI offers all-access annual memberships, rather than single purchase programs or courses, and promotional pricing is often available on our current discounts page.
CFI’s standard pricing for individual plans includes Self-Study for $497 per year and Full-Immersion for $847 per year.
With a Self-Study, you get access to CFI’s full course catalog, including all courses, certifications, specializations, plus:
A Full-Immersion plan includes everything in Self-Study, plus
CFI offers university students 50% off standard pricing for Self-Study and Full-Immersion memberships. To receive the student discount, you must register with an eligible university email address, including .edu, .ac.uk, and most major Canadian university email addresses.
CFI also offers two annual plans for teams with a minimum of two learners: Basic and Premium. The Basic plan costs $399 per learner per year and includes CFI’s full course library, role-based and custom learning paths, templates, assessments, CPE/CPD-eligible courses, and administrator tools.
A Premium plan costs $497 per learner per year. It includes the Basic plan’s features plus CFI certification final exams and blockchain-verified certification credentials. Organizations interested in enterprise integrations, single sign-on, or volume pricing can contact CFI’s sales team for a consultation.
Training the Street prices self-study courses separately rather than offering a subscription for the full catalog. Single courses range from $50 to approximately $200, while bundles range from about $175 to $1,425. TTS frequently offers discounts for course bundles.
Each purchase provides access to the selected course or bundle rather than every TTS program. Learners receive five years of online access, including streaming video lessons, and they can download the accompanying Excel models and PDF materials.
TTS’s public courses are also sold separately. Standard instructor-led programs currently start at $1,150 per day, per seat. Listed examples range from the one-day Applied Excel course at $1,150 to the five-day Enhanced Core program at $6,525. Short-format virtual SprinTTS sessions start at $500 per seat.
Public-course enrollment includes live virtual or in-person instruction, a detailed course pack, one year of portal access, downloadable Excel files and course materials, reinforcement videos, and one-on-one instructor support. TTS also advertises group rates, but the discount depends on the enrollment rather than a single published percentage.
Corporate and university programs use customized, quote-based pricing. The final cost and included resources depend on the curriculum, group size, duration, delivery format, and level of customization.
| Learning Dashboard | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Course Recommendations | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Progress Tracking | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Downloadable Templates | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Mobile App | ✓ Yes, with Self-Study or Full Immersion | None found |
Our learner dashboard serves as the central hub for accessing more than 250 courses, seven certifications, and 15 specializations. You can resume active courses, save courses for later, track course and program completion, and review your learning time, achievements, and recent assessment results. The dashboard also stores certificates, program transcripts, and lesson notes. Skills assessments provide course recommendations based on your results.
Within individual courses, you can download supporting materials such as Excel models, PowerPoint files, templates, and written guides. The materials available depend on the course and appear alongside the relevant video lessons. Self-Study and Full-Immersion members can also search and download standard templates from the dashboard. Full-Immersion also includes access to premium models, templates, and guides beyond the standard library, and discount offers from partners such as Value Sense, IBISWorld, FinChat, FT Future Forum, Koyfin, and PitchBook.
The CFI mobile app provides access to supported videos, audio lessons, written content, PDF files, and downloads on iOS and Android devices. Flashcards are available for select courses and certifications in the app. Learners must use the browser-based platform to complete quizzes and exams.
Organizations using CFI for Teams can assign courses and learning paths, organize learners into groups, and use reporting tools to monitor progress, completion dates, assessment scores, and learning time.
Individual learners sign in to the Training the Street portal and use the My Courses area to access purchased training. The portal also includes Profile and Orders sections for managing account details and reviewing purchases. Within individual course areas, learners stream video lessons and access the supporting downloads provided with the course, which may include Excel models and PDF materials.
Training the Street also offers a public recommendation quiz that suggests self-study bundles based on a prospective learner’s goals, experience level, and learning preferences. The quiz supports course selection before purchase. TTS does not describe it as an ongoing recommendation system within the learner portal.
Corporate clients can use a separate Training Performance Dashboard to review individual and group performance. The dashboard reports average and individual scores, compares knowledge levels before and after training, and breaks down results by subject and assignment. Organizations can also review cumulative grades and compare each participant’s performance with the wider group.
Current public information about TTS’s platform does not identify a native mobile app, multilingual course translations, flashcards, a career map, or a curated job board. Learners who need any of these features should confirm their availability directly with TTS.
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| Multi-Language Support |
| No language support beyond English was found |
| Career Map | ✓ Yes | None found |
| Finance Job Board | ✓ Yes, with Self-Study or Full-Immersion plans | None found |
| Learner Community | ✓ Yes, a dedicated LinkedIn group | ✓ Yes, TTS Community alumni |
| YouTube Channel | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Podcast | ✓ Yes | None found |
| Free Resources | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
CFI combines self-service resources, direct assistance, course materials, and community features to support you throughout your training. The CFI Help Center provides guidance on account management, course navigation, technical requirements, program requirements, exams, and certificates. If you need additional help, you can contact our Customer Support team by email or submit a question through the Help icon in your learner dashboard.
You can also revisit downloadable course files, templates, and written guides while working through the curriculum. Auto-generated lesson transcripts let you follow the video text, move directly to a specific point in a lesson, and translate the transcript into another language. All courses include English subtitles and translated subtitles and transcripts in 30 additional languages, with audio translations available in select languages.
Self-Study and Full-Immersion members can use CFI’s LinkedIn group to ask peers questions, discuss course topics, and share ideas. All courses also include captions and translated transcripts, while selected languages are available as translated audio.
Full-Immersion adds several support and resource features, such as AI Tutor for immediate explanations, summaries, examples, and answers based on CFI course materials. Ask an Expert email support lets you submit course-related questions to our instructors. With Financial Model Feedback, you can submit your financial model and receive tailored feedback from our experts.
Training the Street provides learner support through a contact form on their website, email, and phone. Self-study learners work independently and rely mainly on course materials and administrative or technical assistance.
For public courses, learners can contact a training specialist before registration to discuss course selection and scheduling. During the course, participants can interact with the instructor, ask questions, and use the materials provided for the session. After training, they can revisit the supporting files and additional videos included with their portal access. TTS does not state that every public course includes a recording of the live sessions or continued instructor access after the course ends.
CFI combines role-based training with career-planning and job-search resources. Our Career Map organizes finance and banking roles into career paths that you can explore to understand various responsibilities, required skills, typical career progression, and related CFI certifications and specializations.
CFI also provides practical resources for preparing and applying for finance roles. Our free Getting Hired in Finance course covers targeted resumes and LinkedIn profiles, skill-gap analysis, networking plans, and technical and behavioral interview preparation. Our public career resources include career guides, interview questions, and resume and cover-letter templates.
Self-Study and Full-Immersion members can also access CFI’s curated finance job board to compare job requirements with skills and courses in our catalog.
Training the Street primarily supports career development through technical training for finance roles, although they also offer selected interview preparation and professional development programs. The type of career support available depends on whether you enroll independently or receive training through a company or university.
For individual learners, TTS organizes their self-study catalog around career stages and roles. Their Foundations bundles target internship and early-career preparation, while role-based bundles focus on areas such as investment banking, private equity, equity research, asset management, and financial planning and analysis. TTS also offers Finance Interview Prep and Interview Prep Essentials courses that cover technical and behavioral finance interview questions. Public courses help participants develop skills for specific finance responsibilities and provide access to instructors during live training.
Organizations can access broader professional-development options. TTS’s Continuing Development programs align training with an employer’s competency frameworks and career paths, including programs for analysts and associates. Their professional skills training covers communication, executive presence, personal branding, professional relationships, leadership, and promotion preparation.
Universities can also arrange academic workshops that include interview coaching, job-preparation sessions, and technical training for internships and early-career finance roles.
CFI publishes a free Resources library with technical and career articles, guides, videos, templates, and podcasts that complement our structured training. You can use these materials to review concepts, practice finance tasks, and prepare for interviews before choosing a membership or alongside member-exclusive training.
Our YouTube channel provides additional learning opportunities with technical explainers, webinar recordings, platform walkthroughs, and “What’s New at CFI” episodes. The channel provides a convenient way to explore our topics and instructional approach before committing to a membership.
We also publish finance content, event announcements, and program updates through our LinkedIn community, which gives members and finance professionals a place to share insights and discuss finance topics. You can also share completed certifications through your own LinkedIn profile.
CFI also produces FinPod, a podcast covering member experiences, finance career journeys, course updates, and technical finance topics. Our “Careers in Finance” and “Members Spotlight” episodes focus on professional experiences, while “What’s New at CFI” connects listeners with recent courses, platform features, and certification-related guidance.
Training the Street offers several public learning resources outside its paid curriculum. The Free Learning Series provides scheduled sessions for prospective learners, finance professionals, and learning-and-development teams, along with recordings or supporting materials from selected past events.
The company’s Learning Resources area includes finance articles, practical explainers, recruiting guides, and Excel instruction. Their Excel Short Cuts library provides brief videos covering formulas, functions, keyboard commands, error checking, and other productivity techniques. TTS also currently offers a no-cost introductory financial-modeling course, which provides another way to sample its self-study format.
Training The Street on YouTube hosts promotional summaries, overview explanations of how their platform works, and brief sneak peeks into corporate finance training solutions. Learners can follow new resources and events through Training the Street’s LinkedIn page. LinkedIn primarily features public course announcements, registration links, new program updates, and short descriptions of finance topics and workplace skills.
| Career Outcomes | 75% of CFI-certified professionals secure a promotion or new role one year after completing a certification. (Source: CFI Alumni Survey Data) | No verified promotion, employment, or placement figures found |
| CPE Credits* | NASBA-registered CPE sponsor; 575+ verifiable credits; CPD hours in the UK, Canada, Australia | None found |
| Endorsements | Yes, by the US Higher Learning Commission | None found |
| Education Accreditations | 6 programs accredited by Walbrook Institute London (formerly LIBF) | None found |
| Business Accreditations | Yes, with an A+ rating | None found |
| Employer Partnerships | Tru Cooperative Bank, Carter Bank & Trust, Axos Bank, BlackRock, CIBC, ATB Financial, PwC, Goldman Sachs, Deloitte, and Amazon | Van Buren Advisory, London Stock Exchange Group, Venture for America; delivers training for 19 of the top 25 Wall Street and private equity firms |
| University Partnerships | University course integration; CSU Global credit pathway of up to 21 credits; Heidelberg University curriculum integration | Academic workshops and self-study courses; clients include Yale, Wharton, Harvard Business School, University of Chicago, and London Business School |
CFI holds several forms of external recognition covering selected certification programs, continuing professional education, short-term credentials, and its consumer business practices. These recognitions have different scopes and should not be treated as interchangeable.
Six CFI certifications are accredited by Walbrook Institute London, formerly the London Institute of Banking & Finance. The accredited programs are the FMVA®, CMSA®, CBCA®, BIDA®, FPWMP®, and FTIP®. Walbrook’s accreditation does not currently extend to the FPAP certification or every course and specialization in CFI’s catalog.
CFI is also a registered sponsor on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. Its current CPE and CPD catalog provides more than 575 verifiable CPE credits across eligible courses. Professionals in Canada and other jurisdictions may also be able to apply eligible courses toward CPD requirements. However, acceptance varies by state board, professional organization, designation, and country, so learners should confirm the applicable rules before enrolling for continuing education purposes.
In March 2026, CFI became one of the first four organizations to receive a short-term credential provider endorsement from the Higher Learning Commission. HLC accredits approximately 1,000 colleges and universities in the United States. Its endorsement of CFI remains valid through March 2028 and applies to CFI as a short-term credential provider. It does not constitute separate HLC accreditation for every CFI course or certification.
CFI also holds Better Business Bureau accreditation and currently has an A+ rating. This recognition relates to BBB business standards rather than the academic quality or industry recognition of individual programs. BBB also states that its accreditation does not represent an endorsement of a business or its services.
From surveys of alumni, CFI reports that 75% of its certified professionals secure a promotion or new role within one year of completing their certification.
Training the Street’s website does not mention any formal accreditations, endorsements, or CPE eligibility for courses. While Training the Street emphasizes practical preparation for finance interviews and workplace responsibilities, their website does not mention any quantified career outcomes.
CFI says finance professionals and teams at BlackRock, ATB Financial, and CIBC use CFI training for teams. It also says its certifications are trusted by teams at Goldman Sachs, Deloitte, and Amazon. More clearly documented employer relationships include CFI’s published case studies with Ali Zaid Al-Quraishi & Brothers, Tru Cooperative Bank, and SilverChef. CFI and PwC’s Academy also announced a Middle East partnership in 2024 that gave PwC Academy participants access to CFI courses.
CFI also works with universities that want to add applied finance training to their academic programs. Institutions can incorporate CFI courses and certifications into undergraduate, MBA, or specialized master’s curricula as required supplements, capstone enhancements, or co-curricular resources. The training adds practical work in Excel, financial modeling, valuation, FP&A, and capital markets alongside academic theory.
In 2026, CFI established a formal partnership with Colorado State University Global. Eligible CFI coursework may transfer for up to 21 credits toward CSU Global’s online B.S. in Finance. CSU Global’s current partnership page specifically highlights select FMVA and FPAP courses, while its launch announcement also mentioned CBCA.
Training the Street works with employers primarily through customized corporate training for new hires and existing employees. Training the Street says its private equity curriculum reflects experience training 19 of the 25 largest private equity firms, although it does not publicly identify those firms on its corporate solutions page.
The company also participates in named industry collaborations. Training the Street and Van Buren Advisory jointly deliver the Classroom to Corporate professional skills program, while Training the Street instructors worked with LSEG experts to develop the LSEG Finance Essentials program. Their collaboration with CarterPierce combines private equity technical training with recruiting and interview guidance.
For universities, Training the Street provides instructor-led workshops and self-study courses with academic departments, career centers, and student clubs. The institutions they work with include Yale, Harvard Business School, the University of Chicago, and London Business School, among others.
| Trustpilot Score* | 4.6 out of 5 | 3.5 out of 5 |
| Review Highlights | Clear structure, practical skills, and positive career impact | Structured approach, practical examples, and accessibility for beginners |
*Trustpilot data was verified in September 2026 and may change.
CFI has a 4.7 TrustScore from 939 reviews on Trustpilot as of September 2026. Trustpilot classifies the score as “Excellent,” and 92% of reviewers award CFI five stars. Reviewers frequently praise CFI’s practical, well-structured lessons, clear instruction, and direct connection to finance work. Many reviews mention Excel-based exercises, case studies, and examples that help learners apply financial modeling, valuation, budgeting, and analysis concepts.
Similar themes appear in CFI’s curated learner reviews. Learners commonly discuss practical modeling experience, flexible pacing, organized learning paths, and greater confidence applying finance skills at work. CFI’s team testimonials also describe improvements in Excel, reporting, lending analysis, and new hire training.
Training the Street has a 3.5 TrustScore from 13 reviews on Trustpilot as of September 2026. Trustpilot classifies the score as “Average,” but the small sample requires caution. Only one review was posted during the past 12 months, and Trustpilot states that the available reviews may not be representative.
Positive Trustpilot reviews mention knowledgeable instructors, individual support, flexible course access, step-by-step financial-statement modeling, and useful Excel shortcuts. Critical feedback includes platform timeouts, difficult navigation, limited options for asking questions, and customer support concerns.
Training the Street’s course review page contains more recent course-specific feedback. Participants frequently describe the instruction as engaging, comprehensive, practical, and applicable to finance work. Some also characterize the training as dense or fast-paced. Reviews of software-focused courses suggest that practical usefulness can depend on whether a learner’s employer provides access to the tools and features used during training.
Your choice between CFI and Training the Street should reflect your career direction, schedule, preferred learning format, and the skills you want to develop.
Training the Street may suit you if you prefer scheduled public courses, live instructor interaction, and concentrated training on a specific finance topic. CFI may be the better fit if you want flexible, self-paced learning, practical certifications aligned with finance roles, and training that combines finance knowledge with technical and data skills.
If you choose CFI, consider the certification that best matches the work you want to perform:
Your current job title does not have to determine your learning path. Focus on the responsibilities you want to take on and the skills those responsibilities require. From there, you can choose the certification that best supports your next step.
Connect what you just learned to a clear career path with CFI’s role‑based courses and certification programs.
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Egyptian pricing and information for individuals and teams.
Indonesian pricing and information for individuals and teams.
Nigerian pricing and information for individuals and teams.
Philippine pricing and information for individuals and teams.