Free Financial Modelling & Excel Resource Links
29 June, 2009
For a revised version of this article, please see Financial Modelling & Excel Resources - Updated.
The online world is truly an amazing resource - particularly when it comes to finding specialist information on “how to” to do practically anything. This is particularly the case for commonly used software such as Excel, and the closely related specialist area of Financial Modelling. No longer do we need to sit through hours of mostly irrelevant Excel training courses which show us how to use formulas you may never need. Research shows that people learn better by doing, and many of the answers we need are only a Google-search away.
For this reason, Plum Solutions training courses focus more on techniques and best practice, and the application of Excel tools rather than teaching the Excel formulas and tools themselves.
Below is a list of good free online resources that would be a handy starting point for anyone interesting in improving their technical Excel and Financial Modelling skills. Many of these resources have searchable databases, newsletters and blogs you can subscribe to. Many of them you can follow on Twitter - good luck if you can keep up with it all!
This is by no means an exhaustive list - please feel free to add your own comments at the bottom of this article with new resources as you find them. Here are some of my favourites:
- The LinkedIn Financial Modelling in Excel group, as well as many other specialist groups is a great way to connect with other people in a similar field.
- Pointy Haired Dilbert is probably one of the most relevant and useful blogs I have come across for the heavy-duty Excel user. If you subscribe, barely a day goes by without a fascinating tip or Excel tidbit.
- www.financialmodelingguide.com and the related www.finance30.com have a huge following and are great resources on general finance as well as Financial Modelling.
- The entertaining Swamp Fox has a newsletter and a user forum
- Vertex 24 - guide to Excel in everything - loads of templates and calculators
- Corality has a great blog on lots of Financial Modelling and Excel-related topics
- Navigator Project Finance also has a blog and lots of free tutorials and other resources to download
- Access Analytic has a good knowledge area
- www.excel-spreadsheet-authors.com also has a lot of useful information
- Charley Kyd of www.exceluser.com has lots of info on building dashboards and reports.
- For plain Excel stuff, you can always head straight to the Microsoft user discussion groups
Make sure you have subscribed to the Plum Solutions e-newsletter for occasional updates and Financial Modelling news, tricks and tips.
Of course any attendees to a Plum Solutions training course get four weeks support from the Plum Solutions Financial Modelling Support Centre where they can submit any Excel or Financial Modelling related question. New users can also sign up for a free two-week trial.
# Mohit Khurana Says:
June 30th, 2009 at 12:17 am edit
Hello Danielle,
Congratulations and thank you for such a great list. I am familiar with most of the above links and they are great!
As a big enthusiast, I have also started a blog on Excel. Though currently it is just building up, I will try my best to put as much as I know on it.
I would like to invite all to please visit my blog and do provide me with your expert feedback.
Thanks a lot!
Mohit Khurana, CFA
Excel Matic (http://ExcelMatic.blogspot.com )
# Danielle Stein Fairhurst Says:
June 30th, 2009 at 9:28 am edit
Thanks for your contribution Mohit, your blog has some good, useful information!
# Ugur Kadakal Says:
June 30th, 2009 at 9:33 am edit
Another site you can add to your list is SpreadsheetZONE (www.spreadsheetzone.com). It includes well over hundred professionally designed freely downloadable Excel templates along with corresponding web versions. Users can also contribute their own templates.
# unni Says:
July 9th, 2009 at 1:30 am edit
Would like to hear more about financial modelling.
# Danielle Stein Fairhurst Says:
July 9th, 2009 at 9:52 am edit
Hi Unni,
There are plenty of links to resources on this page to check out! Make sure you’ve signed up for all the informational newsletters on this page. There are also specific financial modelling courses you can attend, either online or face to face.
Submitted by danielle on Thu, 20/08/2009 - 17:58.
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