Blog

Build, Data, Support

Corporate budgeting: understanding the complexities

The budgeting process is often criticised for being time-consuming, adding far too little value and being out of date before the printer ink is dry. Arguments are also made against forecasting: either the outturn result is known (in which case why bother forecasting in the first place?) or the...

Build, Renewable energy, Support

Allocating partnership benefits in a tax equity financing using SUMPRODUCT (+ free download)

Overview of the tax equity partnership structure Whether you work with small scale distributed generation assets, or utility scale wind and solar projects, you’ve likely come across the words “tax equity,” “partnership accounting,” or “partnership flip”. What do these words mean? Why...

Build, Support, Training

Five things the Corporate Finance modeller needs to master

A basic mastery of financial modelling focuses on the presentation of three financial statements: Income Statement; Balance Sheet; and Cash Flow. A good model will be dynamic, capable of running sensitivities and introducing scenarios. Bump up the price and watch the cash flows rise. Financial...

Build, Data, Support

Five reasons to outsource financial model maintenance

We work with plenty of clients on building data-heavy enterprise models to meet their needs. The models include functionality to accommodate actual financial figures, budgets and forecasts. A recent example is a large business model with five subsidiaries. It has the ability to store budget copies...

Build, Support

12 commonly used Excel functions every financial modeller should know

That’s because, when it comes to formulas, we aim for simplicity and readability. Complex functions with poor audit trails (I’m thinking of OFFSET, for example) are less useful when your primary objective is transparency. Here are 12 functions that we use again and again in building...

Build, Review, Support, Training

F1F9: a local presence in Dubai, GCC and beyond

We are pleased to confirm our presence in the Gulf with a team based in Dubai. Our full range of services will be available across the region: training, model build, and model review / risk management. The Dubai office will be led by Omar Shaker who has recently joined our senior team.

Build, Support, Training

Average Internal Rate of Return (AIRR)

An introduction by F1F9: We were approached by Thierry Renard and Carlo Alberto Magni and were intrigued by what they had to say: a new approach to calculating an internal rate of return. What's more, they were illustrating the application of the Average Internal Rate of Return ("AIRR") using Excel...

Build, Review, Support, Training

Monitor parts of your Excel workbook without leaving your current view

How do I know what is going on in my kitchen when I am upstairs in my bedroom? If that's a question that is a concern to you, then you might have considered some sort of surveillance device. A web cam, perhaps. Such a device exists in Excel – designed to answer the question: "how do I know...

Build, Review, Support, Training

Use Excel – and be confident that you are using it well

It’s always interesting to pass the time with a fellow traveller on a long-haul flight. In this instance, I was on a regular trip to New Delhi to visit F1F9’s head office. My neighbour was the head of internal audit for a FTSE 100 company. We talked about Excel, of course, and how a business...

Build, Review, Support, Training

Additional keyboard shortcuts to increase your productivity

We are launching a new version of F1F9’s keyboard shortcuts. You will find them available to download in an Excel workbook just below.The shortcuts are stored as macros in the workbook. On opening the workbook, you may need to click on “Enable Content” or “Enable Macros” to make sure things run properly.

Build, Review, Support

Standardised Modelling – Behavioural change is always hard

“If you want to make enemies, try to change something” Woodrow Wilson Despite what we modelling geeks might like to think, people are both rational and emotional. Which makes standardised modelling practices difficult to implement. Our ebook 'How to Standardise Modelling' helps modellers...

Build, Review, Support, Training

How to Model Balances in Excel

There are two basic types of line item in financial models – flows and balances. Balances are amounts at a point in time. Balances can be financial or non financial. Every balance has similar properties. This blog explains what those properties are, and gives a standard model component that...

Build, Review, Support, Training

Amnesia – 10 Signs Spreadsheets are Killing your Finance Function

The  following text is taken from our ebook - 10 signs spreadsheets are killing your finance function: #4 Amnesia SYMPTOMS: Last minute panic buying of birthday presents. Missed gym appointments. You hear ‘aren’t you meant to be somewhere else?’ more often than you’d like. Family...