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Irfan Sharif ACA ACCA | #1 Best Selling Instructor of Accounting & Bookkeeping

Microsoft Excel has hundreds of functions and formulas to store, analyze, and alter data efficiently. However, no one really needs to know all of them to be able to work effectively on Excel.

In this course, you will learn key functions that are required most used by Finance and Accounting users when they are working with their business data. These functions include finding, replacing, sorting, filtering, summarizing, and analyzing data. Additionally, you will also learn how to bring in a particular data against a specific row parameter from other excel sheets.

Who should take this course:

Read more

Microsoft Excel has hundreds of functions and formulas to store, analyze, and alter data efficiently. However, no one really needs to know all of them to be able to work effectively on Excel.

In this course, you will learn key functions that are required most used by Finance and Accounting users when they are working with their business data. These functions include finding, replacing, sorting, filtering, summarizing, and analyzing data. Additionally, you will also learn how to bring in a particular data against a specific row parameter from other excel sheets.

Who should take this course:

  • Accounting students

  • Finance students

  • Accounting professionals

  • Finance professionals

  • Entrepreneurs and Business Owners with Finance knowledge

  • Investors with Finance knowledge

Why you should learn Excel for Finance and Accounting:

This course will change the way you work and will save your hours otherwise spent on complex calculations. You will be able to calculate the values you need for analysis and decisions just by writing small and easy formulas. The rest of your time can then be spent on tasks that matter.  

Prerequisite:

This course expects you to have basic knowledge of Excel, Finance, and Accounting. Let me be more precise on what you should know before starting this course.

Excel:

  • Basic navigation and cell formatting

  • Basic maths functions like plus, minus, multiply and divide

Accounting:

  • Concept of depreciation and methods of depreciation

Finance:

  • Concept of Time Value of Money

  • Present Value and Future Value concept

  • Conversion from present value to future value, and from future value to present value 

  • Concept of Discount factor and Annuity

  • Concept and calculation of NPV

  • Concept of calculation of IRR

Topics Covered:

  • Calculation of depreciation with Excel formulas

  • Calculation of PV and FV with Excel formulas

  • Calculation of NPV with Excel formulas

  • Calculation of IRR with Excel formulas

Money-Back Guarantee: 

Nothing to lose. If you will not be satisfied with the course, Udemy offers 30 days money-back guarantee.

Introduction to the teacher:

Chartered Accountant | 12 years of work experience | 12 years of teaching experience as visiting faculty

I am a Certified Chartered Accountant (ACCA) from the UK with 12 years of professional work and teaching experience and have taught more than 4,000 students in class and 80,000+ students on Udemy.

I have implemented accounting software and ERP at various organizations and have expertise in financial transformation. I have been leading accountancy practice for small and medium-sized entities for the last 4 months and have frequent interaction with entrepreneurs. So I know what exactly do entrepreneurs need to know to well manage their books. So, Microsoft Excel is what I use most of my day. I love this software, not just because it enables us to do a lot with data, but also because it is very simple and easy to use.

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What's inside

Learning objectives

  • Accounting functions in microsoft excel
  • Finance functions in microsoft excel

Syllabus

Getting to know Excel
Navigating the course and course setup
Getting started with Excel
Understanding and working with Cell
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Traffic lights

Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Covers key Excel functions frequently used in finance and accounting, which can help professionals streamline their workflows and improve efficiency with data
Teaches the calculation of depreciation, PV, FV, NPV, and IRR with Excel formulas, which are fundamental concepts in finance and accounting
Explores bond valuation, including price and yield calculations, which is relevant for professionals working with fixed income securities
Requires a basic understanding of Excel navigation, cell formatting, basic math functions, depreciation, time value of money, and NPV/IRR concepts
Includes a section on preparing financial statements with pivot tables, which is a valuable skill for financial reporting and analysis
Features what-if analysis using Goal Seek, Data Table, and Scenario Manager, which are useful tools for financial planning and forecasting

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Reviews summary

Excel for finance & accounting essentials

According to learners, this course provides a solid and practical foundation in using key Excel functions specifically tailored for finance and accounting professionals and students. Many appreciate the clear and concise explanations provided by the instructor, finding the content highly applicable to real-world tasks. The course covers essential financial calculations like depreciation, PV/FV, NPV, and IRR using Excel formulas. While generally well-received for its focus on practical application and efficiency in saving time, some reviewers note that having prior basic knowledge of both Excel and the fundamental finance/accounting concepts discussed is beneficial, aligning with the stated prerequisites. Overall, students find it a useful resource for enhancing their Excel skills in this domain.
Assumes prior Excel/Finance/Accounting base.
"It is helpful if you already have basic knowledge of Excel and Finance."
"The course moves at a good pace but assumes you understand the financial concepts."
"Make sure you meet the prerequisites to fully benefit from this course."
Well-organized lessons and topics.
"The structure of the course is logical and easy to navigate."
"Lessons are well-organized, covering depreciation, PV/FV, NPV, IRR step-by-step."
"The syllabus flows well from basic functions to more complex financial models."
Learn to work more efficiently.
"Learning these functions will definitely save me hours of work."
"The techniques shown help automate calculations and improve efficiency."
"It provides shortcuts and formulas to quickly analyze data."
Instructor explains concepts well.
"The instructor explains complex concepts very clearly and concisely."
"Easy to follow explanations and practical examples."
"I appreciated the step-by-step guidance on each function."
Focuses on essential finance/accounting formulas.
"The course covers all the key financial functions like NPV, IRR, PV, FV..."
"Good overview of essential formulas for accounting tasks."
"It highlights the most used Excel functions in a finance context."
Practical skills for real-world use.
"I found the content directly applicable to my work in finance."
"The functions covered are those I use daily, explained clearly."
"It gave me practical tools I could immediately use at my job."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Microsoft Excel for Finance, Accounting & Financial Analysis with these activities:
Review Time Value of Money Concepts
Solidify your understanding of the core financial principles that underpin many Excel functions covered in the course. A strong grasp of these concepts will make learning the Excel functions much easier.
Browse courses on Time Value of Money
Show steps
  • Review the definitions of present value, future value, and discount rate.
  • Work through practice problems involving time value of money calculations.
  • Explain the relationship between interest rates, time, and the value of money.
Practice Basic Excel Navigation and Formatting
Improve your familiarity with Excel's interface and basic functions to ensure a smooth learning experience. This will allow you to focus on the finance-specific functions without struggling with the basics.
Show steps
  • Practice navigating worksheets using the keyboard and mouse.
  • Experiment with different cell formatting options (number, date, currency).
  • Create a simple spreadsheet and enter some sample data.
Review 'Financial Modeling in Excel For Dummies'
Supplement your learning with a comprehensive guide to financial modeling in Excel. This book will provide additional context and examples for the functions covered in the course.
Show steps
  • Read the chapters related to present value, future value, and NPV calculations.
  • Follow along with the examples in the book and recreate them in Excel.
  • Try applying the techniques learned to your own financial scenarios.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Calculate Depreciation Using Different Methods
Reinforce your understanding of depreciation calculations by working through a series of practice problems. This will help you master the Excel functions for calculating depreciation.
Show steps
  • Gather a set of sample assets with different costs, salvage values, and useful lives.
  • Calculate depreciation for each asset using the straight-line, declining balance, and sum-of-the-years' digits methods.
  • Compare the results of each method and analyze the differences.
Review 'Excel Formulas and Functions'
Expand your knowledge of Excel functions beyond those covered in the course. This book will serve as a valuable reference for future projects.
Show steps
  • Browse the table of contents to identify functions related to finance and accounting.
  • Read the descriptions and examples for each function.
  • Experiment with the functions in Excel to see how they work.
Build a Loan Amortization Schedule
Apply your knowledge of Excel functions to create a practical tool for managing loan repayments. This project will solidify your understanding of PMT, PPMT, and IPMT functions.
Show steps
  • Set up a spreadsheet with columns for period, payment, principal, interest, and balance.
  • Use the PMT function to calculate the monthly payment amount.
  • Use the PPMT and IPMT functions to calculate the principal and interest portions of each payment.
  • Create formulas to track the remaining loan balance over time.
Create a Video Tutorial on NPV Calculation
Deepen your understanding of NPV by explaining the concept and demonstrating its calculation in Excel. Teaching others is a great way to reinforce your own knowledge.
Show steps
  • Plan the structure and content of your video tutorial.
  • Record a screencast demonstrating the NPV function in Excel.
  • Edit the video and add narration to explain the steps involved.
  • Share your video on a platform like YouTube or LinkedIn.

Career center

Learners who complete Microsoft Excel for Finance, Accounting & Financial Analysis will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Financial Analyst
A Financial Analyst needs strong quantitative skills and this course could be greatly beneficial. The role of Financial Analyst involves collecting, tracking, correcting, and ultimately understanding financial data. Through this course, you can learn to use Excel to efficiently organize and analyze data, calculate metrics like net present value, and perform what-if analysis. This course could help you calculate loan payments, conduct scenario analysis, and prepare financial statements with pivot tables. Familiarity with these tools and functions can substantially improve the efficiency and accuracy of a financial analyst.
Accountant
Accountants stand to gain considerably from this course. Accountants are responsible for preparing and analyzing financial records, ensuring accuracy and compliance. With this course, an accountant will become proficient in using Excel to streamline tasks such as depreciation calculation, financial statement preparation, and horizontal/vertical analysis. The course helps accountants learn practical applications of Excel, such as using pivot tables to simplify financial data extracted from financial systems and working with complex formulas to automate calculations. By enhancing their Excel skills, accountants can increase efficiency and improve the quality of their financial analysis.
Management Accountant
Management Accountants focus on providing financial information to internal stakeholders to inform business decisions. A lot of their work involves budgeting, cost analysis, and performance evaluation. This course helps a management accountant learn to use Excel to calculate depreciation, perform variance analysis, and create financial reports. The course's emphasis on using pivot tables for financial statement preparation and conducting horizontal/vertical analysis directly supports the tasks of a management accountant. This allows them to provide accurate and timely financial insights to management.
Budget Analyst
The career of a Budget Analyst often involves creating and managing budgets, forecasting financial performance, and providing recommendations for resource allocation. This course addresses several key areas relevant to this role. You can learn to use Excel formulas to calculate present values and future values, analyze net present value, and perform what-if analysis using tools like Goal Seek and Scenario Manager. These functions are essential for effective budgeting and financial forecasting. Learning to use Excel in this way helps a budget analyst to make data-driven decisions and improve budgeting accuracy.
Investment Banker
Investment Bankers often use Excel to analyze complex financial data, build financial models, and create presentations for clients. This course provides a solid foundation in using Excel for financial analysis. It helps to calculate metrics like net present value, internal rate of return, and loan amortization schedules, which are vital for investment banking tasks. This course could be especially useful because it demonstrates how to perform scenario analysis and sensitivity testing. This course will save time and effort by automating financial calculations.
Financial Consultant
Many Financial Consultants will find this course beneficial. Financial Consultants advise clients on investments, retirement planning, and other financial matters. This course could enhance a consultant's ability to analyze financial data and provide informed recommendations. Financial consultants can learn how to use Excel to calculate present and future values, analyze net present value, and create financial statements. These skills are crucial for helping clients make sound financial decisions. This course will allow financial consultants to master data analysis.
Treasurer
Treasurers are responsible for managing an organization's financial resources, including cash flow, investments, and risk management. This course helps treasurers learn to use Excel to forecast cash flow, manage investments, and perform financial analysis. The course's coverage of topics like present value, future value, net present value, and internal rate of return can be particularly valuable for treasurers. These skills could help them make informed decisions about financial resource allocation and risk mitigation. As treasurer, this course can help with the calculation of loan repayments and bond valuation.
Cost Accountant
Cost Accountants analyze production costs, identify cost-saving opportunities, and prepare cost reports for management. This course helps cost accountants learn to use Excel to track costs, perform cost-volume-profit analysis, and create cost budgets. The course's coverage of Excel functions for data analysis and financial modeling can be particularly valuable for cost accountants. This course can help cost accountants analyze large datasets of cost information to inform decisions.
Loan Officer
Loan Officers evaluate loan applications and approve or deny loans. This course may help loan officers learn to use Excel to analyze financial data, assess creditworthiness, and calculate loan terms. The course's coverage of topics such as calculating loan repayments may be particularly valuable. Loan officers can learn to perform scenario analysis, such as calculating nominal and effective interest rates. In this way, they can improve their efficiency and accuracy in evaluating loan applications. This may require industry-specific certifications.
Auditor
The role of Auditor requires a keen eye for detail and strong analytical skills. Auditors examine financial records to ensure accuracy and compliance. This course may help auditors learn to use Excel to analyze large datasets, identify discrepancies, and prepare audit reports. The course's coverage of Excel functions for data manipulation, such as sorting, filtering, and summarizing data, could be especially beneficial. This course may also help auditors improve their efficiency and accuracy in conducting audits.
Equity Research Analyst
Equity Research Analysts research companies and provide recommendations to investors. This course may help equity research analysts learn to use Excel to analyze financial statements, build financial models, and perform valuation analysis. The course's coverage of topics like present value, future value, net present value, and internal rate of return may be particularly valuable. This course may help an equity research analyst perform financial statement vertical and horizontal analysis.
Tax Accountant
The career of a Tax Accountant involves preparing and filing tax returns, ensuring compliance with tax laws, and advising clients on tax planning strategies. This course may help tax accountants learn to use Excel to organize financial data, calculate tax liabilities, and prepare tax reports. The course's coverage of Excel functions for data manipulation, such as sorting, filtering, and summarizing data, can be particularly useful. The tax accountant will appreciate the discussion of depreciation.
Underwriter
Underwriters evaluate risk and determine whether to provide insurance or loans. This course may help underwriters learn to use Excel to analyze financial data, assess risk factors, and calculate premiums or loan terms. The course's coverage of topics like present value, future value, and statistical functions may be particularly valuable. By learning to use Excel effectively, underwriters can improve their efficiency and accuracy in assessing risk. This course may help underwriters analyze loan repayments and bond valuation.
Actuary
Actuaries use statistical models to assess risk and uncertainty, often in the insurance and finance industries, where these models are used to determine pricing. Given their reliance on statistical software, this course may be beneficial. Actuaries can potentially use Excel to organize data, perform calculations, manage forecasts, and create reports. The course's coverage of topics like present value, future value, and statistical functions may be particularly useful. Actuaries typically need an advanced degree and certifications to practice.
Real Estate Appraiser
Real Estate Appraisers estimate the value of properties, often for mortgage lending or property tax purposes. This course may help real estate appraisers learn to use Excel to analyze market data, calculate property values, and prepare appraisal reports. The course's coverage of topics like present value, future value, and statistical functions may be useful. Real estate appraisers typically need certification.

Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Microsoft Excel for Finance, Accounting & Financial Analysis.
Provides a practical guide to building financial models in Excel. It covers a wide range of topics, including forecasting, valuation, and sensitivity analysis. It is particularly useful for learners who want to apply Excel to real-world financial problems and build upon the functions taught in the course. This book great supplement for those looking to enhance their practical skills.
Comprehensive guide to Excel formulas and functions. It covers a wide range of topics, including mathematical, statistical, and financial functions. It useful reference for understanding how to use Excel to solve complex problems. This book is commonly used as a textbook at academic institutions and by industry professionals.

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