Financial Modeling

Assumptions, scenarios, forecasting, valuation logic, model checks, sensitivity tables, and financial statement workflows.

View subtopics All topics

=SUBTOPICS

What to learn inside Financial Modeling

Each item pairs the learning structure with curated public YouTube resources where available, so learners can move from outline to video practice quickly.

01Intermediate

Model structure and assumptions

Separate inputs, calculations, outputs, and checks so models are easier to review.

YOUTUBE

02Intermediate

Revenue and cost forecasting

Build drivers, growth rates, seasonality, and scenario-based projections.

QUICK NOTES

Put growth rate, price, and volume assumptions in their own clearly labeled input cells rather than typing a final number directly into the forecast.
Build the forecast as prior period x (1 + growth driver) so changing one assumption cascades through every future period automatically.
FORECAST.LINEAR or TREND can project a baseline from historical data, but a driver-based model is easier to explain and defend than a black-box statistical fit.

03Advanced

Scenario and sensitivity analysis

Test best/base/worst cases and show how outputs move when assumptions change.

QUICK NOTES

Data > What-If Analysis > Scenario Manager saves named sets of input values (Best/Base/Worst) you can switch between without overwriting your model.
Data > What-If Analysis > Data Table builds a one- or two-variable sensitivity grid showing how an output changes across a range of input values.
Keep the switchable inputs in one clearly marked assumptions block -- scattering them across the sheet makes scenario setup error-prone.

04Advanced

Model checks and auditing

Add balance checks, error flags, control totals, and traceable formula structure.

QUICK NOTES

Add a visible 'balance check' cell that should always equal zero (e.g. assets minus liabilities minus equity), flagged red with conditional formatting if it isn't.
A control total -- a SUM that should match a known external figure -- catches a broken formula or a dragged-wrong range faster than reading the model line by line.
Keep inputs, calculations, and outputs on visually distinct areas or sheets so an auditor can trace the model's flow without hunting for hidden hardcodes.

=PREVIEW