Financial Modelling Articles
2010/11 Excel Income tax calculator
29 June, 2010How much income tax will you be paying in the new financial year? The tax brackets are changing again, which of course, means that from 1st July 2010 we all pay less income tax! Download our handy new Excel-based tax calculator and find out roughly how much you will save.
Starting a new job and want to know how much of that whopping great new salary you'll lose in tax? Find out!
Financial Modelling & Excel Resource Links - Updated
13 June, 2010I wrote a blog article last year with links to some good Excel and Financial Modelling online resources. Due to it's popularity at the time, and the fast moving pace of the online world, I thought it was time to update it! www.plumsolutions.com.au/free-stuff is a good place to start, but there are a lot of other online resources available as well.
What to look for in a Financial Modeller
30 March, 2010When you decide your company’s financial models are not as good as they should be, is the first thing you do; send your staff on an Advanced Excel course? Whilst this is helpful, there’s an awful lot more to Financial Modelling though than being good at Excel!
Do you need an Excel Jockey, a Finance Wizard, or a Financial Modeller?
Six reasons your spreadsheet is NOT a financial model
08 February, 2010I’ve often been asked the difference between a spreadsheet and a financial model, and there is a fine line of definition between the two. In a nutshell, an Excel spreadsheet is simply the medium that we can use to create a financial model. (Of course there are other programs besides Excel that can be used for modelling, but that’s another story!)
Why your Business DOESN'T need a Budget
21 January, 2010OK, you’ve taken the plunge - gone out on your own – told the boss to stick it and set up your own business. You’ve left the corporate world behind and you’ll be playing by your own rules from now on! No more management hierarchies, no boring meetings, no budgets and no getting sign-off to spend any money. From now on, you’re your own boss and no one can tell you what to do.
Tips for mastering financial modelling of balance sheets
09 January, 2010The Balance Sheet can be one of the trickiest financial statements to model, as several line items are the result of decisions you make for the other financial statements. Most importantly, getting your balance sheet to balance (and stay balanced!) can be quite a challenge.
Here are a few tips to help you master the balance sheet:
How to Stress-test Your Business Case
22 December, 2009In a volatile economic environment, creating a business case for a new project or product which contains financial projections is an extremely difficult task. Looking at historical data and extrapolating the numbers to create future projections simply doesn’t cut it anymore.
Do You Really Need an ‘Advanced Excel’ Course?
09 December, 2009Excel is the backbone to any custom built financial model, and one of the core attributes of a financial modeller is to have good technical Excel skills. When struggling with their financial models, some managers’ first reaction is to send their staff on an advanced Excel course to improve their modelling skills. However, with training budgets under constant scrutiny you really need to make sure that you get the best value out of your training options.
Should you Upgrade to Excel 2007?
19 November, 2009The upgrade from Excel 2003 to Excel 2007 is probably one of the most significant changes for Excel users yet. There are many new functions, most of which are an improvement to 2003 but they do take some getting used to! As a financial modelling consultant and trainer, I'm often asked by my clients what are the advantages and disadvantage of upgrading to Excel 2007 and whether organisations should even bother.
Five Excel Formulas to make you cringe
05 November, 2009When creating a financial model, there are always multiple ways to write a formula which will all give you the same result. The key is to write formulas intelligently so they are easily deciphered by yourself at a later date, or by another party reviewing your model. As well, writing a formula one way may cause problems for your model at a future date when you start inserting rows and columns, and expecting the new data to automatically be included in calculations.
Based in Sydney, Australia, Plum Solutions has been providing professional financial modelling solutions since 2004.