Finance is defined as the management of money and includes activities such as investing, borrowing, lending, budgeting, saving, and forecasting. There are three main types of finance: (1) personalPersonal FinancePersonal finance is the process of planning and managing personal financial activities such as income generation, spending, saving, investing, and protection., (2) corporateCorporate Finance OverviewCorporate finance deals with the capital structure of a corporation, including its funding and the actions that management takes to increase the value of, and (3) publicPublic FinancePublic finance is the management of a country's revenue, expenditures, and debt load through various government and quasi-government institutions./government. This guide will unpack the question: what is finance?
Video Explanation of Finance
Watch this short video to quickly understand the main concepts covered in this guide. It’ll explain the definition of finance, provide examples of finance, and cover some of the common topics on finance.
Examples
The easiest way to define finance is by providing examples of the activities it includes. There are many different career paths and jobs that perform a wide range of finance activities. Below is a list of the most common examples:
Investing personal money in stocksStockWhat is a stock? An individual who owns stock in a company is called a shareholder and is eligible to claim part of the company’s residual assets and earnings (should the company ever be dissolved). The terms "stock", "shares", and "equity" are used interchangeably., bonds, or guaranteed investment certificates (GICs)
Borrowing money from institutional investors by issuing bonds on behalf of a public companyPrivate vs Public CompanyThe main difference between a private vs public company is that the shares of a public company are traded on a stock exchange, while a private company's shares are not.
Lending money to people by providing them a mortgage to buy a house with
Using ExcelExcel spreadsheets to build a budget and financial modelWhat is Financial ModelingFinancial modeling is performed in Excel to forecast a company's financial performance. Overview of what is financial modeling, how & why to build a model. for a corporation
Saving personal money in a high-interest savings account
Developing a forecastFinancial ForecastingFinancial forecasting is the process of estimating or predicting how a business will perform in the future. This guide on how to build a financial forecast for government spending and revenue collection
Finance Topics
There is a wide range of topics that people in the financial industry are concerned with. Below is a list of some of the most common topics you should expect to encounter in the industry.
Interest ratesInterest Rate CalculatorInterest Rate Calculator to help you compute the effective interest rate based on the number of periods, type of interest rate, and initial balance amount. and spreads
Yield (coupon payments, dividends)
Financial statements (balance sheet, income statement, cash flow statement)
Cash flowCash FlowCash Flow (CF) is the increase or decrease in the amount of money a business, institution, or individual has. In finance, it is used to describe the amount of cash (currency) (free cash flow, other types of cash flow)
Profit (net income)
Cost of capital (WACCWACCWACC is a firm’s Weighted Average Cost of Capital and represents its blended cost of capital including equity and debt.)
Rates of return (IRRInternal Rate of Return (IRR)The Internal Rate of Return (IRR) is the discount rate that makes the NPV of a project zero. Learn how to use the IRR formula., ROIReturn on Investment (ROI)Return on Investment (ROI) is a performance measure used to evaluate the returns of an investment or compare efficiency of different investments., ROAReturn on Assets & ROA FormulaROA Formula. Return on Assets (ROA) is a type of return on investment (ROI) metric that measures the profitability of a business in relation to its total assets.)
DividendsDividendA dividend is a share of profits and retained earnings that a company pays out to its shareholders. When a company generates a profit and accumulates retained earnings, and return of capital
Shareholders
Creating valueEVA - Economic Value AddedEVA or Economic Value Added is a measure based on the Residual Income technique which measures the return generated over and above investors'
Risk and return
Behavioral financeBehavioral FinanceBehavioral finance is the study of the influence of psychology on the behavior of investors or financial practitioners. It also includes the subsequent effects on the markets. It focuses on the fact that investors are not always rational
Sources of Financial Information
To learn more about the industry, here are some of the most popular and helpful resources:
A definition of finance would not be complete without exploring the career options associated with the industry. Below are some of the most popular career paths:
Commercial bankingCommercial Banking Career ProfileA Commercial Banking career path is providing clients with credit products such as term loans, revolving lines of credit, syndicated facilities
Personal banking (or private banking)
Investment bankingInvestment Banking Career PathInvestment banking career guide - plan your IB career path. Learn about investment banking salaries, how to get hired, and what to do after a career in IB. The investment banking division (IBD) helps governments, corporations, and institutions raise capital and complete mergers and acquisitions (M&A).
Wealth management
Corporate financeCorporate Finance OverviewCorporate finance deals with the capital structure of a corporation, including its funding and the actions that management takes to increase the value of
Mortgages / lending
Accounting
Financial planning
TreasuryTreasury Career PathTreasury management jobs involve ensuring that cash and financial risks in a business are properly managed and optimized.
Audit
Equity researchEquity Research OverviewEquity research professionals are responsible for producing analysis, recommendations, and reports on investment opportunities that investment banks, institutions, or their clients may be interested in. The Equity Research Division is a group of analysts and associates. This equity research overview guide
Insurance
Additional Finance Resources
To continue developing and preparing for a career in the field, these additional CFI materials will be helpful:
Free Corporate Finance Fundamentals CourseCorporate Finance FundamentalsEnroll for free in CFI’s Corporate Finance Fundamentals Course for an introduction to key concepts in investment banking, private equity, FP&A, and more.
Types of Financial ModelsTypes of Financial ModelsThe most common types of financial models include: 3 statement model, DCF model, M&A model, LBO model, budget model. Discover the top 10 types
Compensation and salary guidesCompensationCompensation and salary guides for jobs in corporate finance, investment banking, equity research, FP&A, accounting, commercial banking, FMVA graduates,
The Analyst Trifecta® GuideThe Analyst Trifecta® GuideThe ultimate guide on how to be a world-class financial analyst. Do you want to be a world-class financial analyst? Are you looking to follow industry-leading best practices and stand out from the crowd? Our process, called The Analyst Trifecta® consists of analytics, presentation & soft skills
More Questions and Answers
CFI’s mission is to help anyone become a world-class financial analyst and has a wide range of resources to help you along the way. In order to become a great financial analyst, below are some additional questions and answers for you to explore further:
What are the Types of Financial Models?Types of Financial ModelsThe most common types of financial models include: 3 statement model, DCF model, M&A model, LBO model, budget model. Discover the top 10 types
What is Sensitivity Analysis?What is Sensitivity Analysis?Sensitivity Analysis is a tool used in financial modeling to analyze how the different values for a set of independent variables affect a dependent variable
What is Bookkeeping?AccountingOur Accounting guides and resources are self-study guides to learn accounting and finance at your own pace. Browse hundreds of guides and resources.
What are the Most Common Valuation Methods?Valuation MethodsWhen valuing a company as a going concern there are three main valuation methods used: DCF analysis, comparable companies, and precedent transactions
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