#FinanceMaster

Big 4 Accounting - is it worth it? (by Josh Aharonoff, CPA) If you work in finance and accounting or are thinking of entering the field, this post will simplify your options and give you greater clarity on whether Big 4 is for you. But first… ➡️ WHAT ARE THE BIG 4 ACCOUNTING FIRMS? They used to be the big 8…and now, they consist of: • E&Y • Deloitte • KPMG • PWC ➡️ WHAT ARE THE CAREER PATHS AT BIG 4? 1️⃣ Audit → Reviewing financial statements and accounting records, testing internal controls, and identifying potential errors or fraud 2️⃣ Tax → Preparing and filing tax returns primarily for large businesses, ensure compliance, and help with tax planning and strategy to reduce tax liabilities 3️⃣ Advisory → This is more broad and similar to consulting. ➡️ WHAT ARE THE PROS AND CONS OF BIG 4? PROS: ✅ Strong Brand Recognition → employers love seeing big 4 experience ✅ Strong Benefits → good 401k and health insurance ✅ Competitive Pay ✅ Strong learning experience ✅ Large exposure to reputable fortune 500 companies CONS: 👎 Potential Long hours → this may be the most notorious aspect of big 4, but not all teams have long hours. 👎 High concentration in a specific area as opposed to broad exposure → While you may learn a lot, you’ll oftentimes get “pigeonholed” into a specific area of accounting. 👎 Limited opportunity in areas outside of Audit / Tax / Advisory 👎 Corporate atmosphere → I work every day in sweatpants and a t-shirt. Expect the exact opposite if you work at big 4 😅 ➡️ HOW DO YOU GET A JOB IN THE BIG 4? As you’ve probably heard before…it’s not WHAT you know. It’s WHO you know. Start by forming relationships with people who work at big 4. Next…give strong consideration to getting your CPA… and if you are still in school, aim for a 3.5 GPA or higher. Lastly, be prepared to show your personality—partners want to feel confident they can put you in front of a client, and coworkers want to feel that they will enjoy working with you at 3 a.m. during busy season. === So is Big 4 worth it? Well…that depends on who you ask. For some, it can be a dream come true. For others, it can be a nightmare. For me? I didn’t have the best experience….but that was because I was working in tax, and little did i know….I’m terrible at it (and I don’t have any interest in it). I learned so much more working at smaller orgs where I got to see the full picture, and work on more exciting things like closing the books, and creating a forecast. What about you? Share your experience below 👇 ---------- 📺 FinanceMaster on YouTube: https://bit.ly/4bSBut6 📢 Join our WhatsApp channel: https://bit.ly/3WWGOrc 👩🏫 Our LinkedIn Learning course: https://bit.ly/4a5fB9l 📻 FinanceMaster Podcast: https://bit.ly/3NLSt73 📄 FinanceMaster resources: https://lnkd.in/eC_zuCU4

📚TOP FINANCE CERTIFICATIONS📚 (by Financial Modeling World Cup) 1️⃣ CFA Full name: Chartered Financial Analyst Description: Covers investment management, financial analysis, and ethics. Issued by: CFA Institute 2️⃣ CPA Full name: Certified Public Accountant Description: Emphasizes financial reporting, auditing, taxation, and business law. Issued by: Various state boards of accountancy in the United States 3️⃣ AFM/CFM/MFM Full name: Advanced Financial Modeler/ Chartered Financial Modeler/ Master Financial Modeler Description: This designation signifies the highest level of expertise in financial modeling. Issued by: Financial Modeling Institute 4️⃣ FRM Full name: Financial Risk Manager Description: Focuses on risk management, including market risk, credit risk, and operational risk. Issued by: Global Association of Risk Professionals 5️⃣ CFP Full name: Certified Financial Planner Description: Covers retirement planning, estate planning, and tax planning. Issued by: Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards 6️⃣ CAIA Full name: Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst Description: Emphasizes alternative investments such as hedge funds and private equity. Issued by: Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst Association 7️⃣ FMVA Full name: Financial Modeling and Valuation Analyst Description: Covers financial modeling, valuation, and Excel skills. Issued by: Corporate Finance Institute 8️⃣ CMA Full name: Certified Management Accountant Description: Covers topics like FP&A and controlling. Issued by: Institute of Management Accountants 9️⃣ CIMA Full name: Certified Investment Management Analyst Description: Focuses on portfolio construction, risk management, and investment strategies. Issued by: Investments & Wealth Institute in association with the CFA Institute. 🔟 CIP Full name: Chartered Insurance Professional Description: Covers insurance including underwriting, claims, and insurance law. Issued by: Insurance Institute of Canada 1️⃣1️⃣ FPA Full name: Financial Planning Association Description: Covers various aspects of financial planning. Issued by: Financial Planning Association 1️⃣2️⃣ CTP Full name: Certified Treasury Professional Description: Focuses on cash flow management, liquidity, and financial planning. Issued by: Association for Financial Professionals 1️⃣3️⃣ ACCA Full name: Chartered Certified Accountant Description: Emphasizes financial management, audit, and taxation. Issued by: Association of Chartered Certified Accountants 1️⃣4️⃣ CGMA [Personal addition] Full name: Chartered Global Management Accountant Description: Finance, operations, strategy and management Issued by: AICPA & CIMA Is there anything missing? ---------- 📺 FinanceMaster on YouTube: https://bit.ly/4bSBut6 📢 Join our WhatsApp channel: https://bit.ly/3WWGOrc 👩🏫 Our LinkedIn Learning course: https://bit.ly/4a5fB9l 📻 FinanceMaster Podcast: https://bit.ly/3NLSt73 📄 FinanceMaster resources: https://lnkd.in/eC_zuCU4

𝟭𝟯 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 (by Bojan Radojicic) 1️⃣ Define your Functional PnL layout with lines 2️⃣ Add formulas for aggregate categories like gross profit, EBIT, and net income. 3️⃣ Open supporting sheets for each critical line. 4️⃣ Make revenue forecasts for each type of revenue or per customer based on assumptions such as expected growth rate, customer retention rate, pipeline customers, etc. 5️⃣ Based on gross profit rate per type of revenue/product/service line, estimate gross profit and COGS. 6️⃣ List all employees and estimate movements in salaries and bonus amount 7️⃣ Make two depreciation schedules, for current assets and new assets, and make the calculation of costs based on (remaining) useful life 8️⃣ Existing loans: Take expenses from the loan schedule. New loans: Make your schedule and forecast interest 9️⃣ List all expenses per month from your trial balance and make a forecast, assuming some historical growth rate 1️⃣0️⃣ List all historical expenses and make a forecast. These costs are usually forecasted as % of revenues 1️⃣1️⃣ Transfer forecasted revenues from Revenues sheet to this PnL 1️⃣2️⃣ Transfer forecasted expenses from related sheets to this PnL 1️⃣3️⃣ Apply corporate tax rate on income before tax ---------- 📺 FinanceMaster on YouTube: https://bit.ly/4bSBut6 📢 Join our WhatsApp channel: https://bit.ly/3WWGOrc 👩🏫 Our LinkedIn Learning course: https://bit.ly/4a5fB9l 📻 FinanceMaster Podcast: https://bit.ly/3NLSt73 📄 FinanceMaster resources: https://lnkd.in/eC_zuCU4

Do you know your value drivers? 14 drivers for companies to make more money. REVENUE GROWTH 1. Strengthen pricing 2. Acquire new customers 3. Leverage income-generating assets 4. Retain and grow existing customers OPERATING MARGIN 5. Improve corporate efficiency 6. Improve income tax efficiency 7. Improve logistics and service efficiency 8. Improve customer interaction efficiency 9. Improve development and production efficiency ASSET EFFICIENCY 10. Improve PPE efficiency 11. Improve AR/AP efficiency 12. Improve inventory efficiency EXPECTATIONS 13. Improve execution capabilities 14. Improve management and governance efficiency Remember these external factors, too... - Legal factors - Social factors - Political factors - Macro-economics - Geo-political factors - Environmental factors Most CFOs cover all these. Great CFOs know where the most value is created. PS. How are you optimizing these drivers? ---------- 📺 FinanceMaster on YouTube: https://bit.ly/4bSBut6 📢 Join our WhatsApp channel: https://bit.ly/3WWGOrc 👩🏫 Our LinkedIn Learning course: https://bit.ly/4a5fB9l 📻 FinanceMaster Podcast: https://bit.ly/3NLSt73 📄 FinanceMaster resources: https://lnkd.in/eC_zuCU4

Accruals and Provisions (by Abdul Khaliq) The Confusing Duo of Accounting. Let's Demystify! Understanding the difference between accruals and provisions is fundamental for accurate accounting and financial reporting. It is not unusual for business owners or even us accountants to confuse the two. But it doesn't have to be that way. Not, at least, after the information I have put together to demystify the confusion. This is what you will find in the PDF attached: 1- The Confusion 2- The Reason for the Confusion 3- Why Understanding the Difference is Important? 4- Impact of Incorrect Classification? 5- The Concept 6- The Purpose 7- The Recognition 8- The Estimation 9- The Timing 10- The Reversal 11- The Adjustments 12- The Examples 13- The Impact on Cash Flow 14- The Accounting Treatment Process Flow Do you now understand the differences? ---------- 📺 FinanceMaster on YouTube: https://bit.ly/4bSBut6 📢 Join our WhatsApp channel: https://bit.ly/3WWGOrc 👩🏫 Our LinkedIn Learning course: https://bit.ly/4a5fB9l 📻 FinanceMaster Podcast: https://bit.ly/3NLSt73 📄 FinanceMaster resources: https://lnkd.in/eC_zuCU4

The CFO role is changing! Let me tell you about the changes... A McKinsey survey has highlighted how the CFO role is changing. It's not all by addition, though. Let's take a look. +++ Procurement +++ Investor relations ++ Mergers & Acquisitions ++ Digital ++ Enterprise transformation ++ Postmerger integration ++ Cybersecurity + IT + Board engagement - M&A strategy -- Risk management -- Corporate strategy -- Regulatory compliance -- Pricing --- Internal audit What are the key takeaways from looking at this list? 1️⃣ The influence of indirect functions such as procurement and IT is growing 2️⃣ There's more involvement in the transformation of the company 3️⃣ Digital and cybersecurity are growing areas of involvement 4️⃣ Strategic influence seems to be on the downturn 5️⃣ Less time and resources are spent on classic finance areas such as risk and compliance I'm positively surprised about the increased involvement in transformation since all companies are continuously going through this. I'm negatively surprised by the diminishing involvement in strategy since this is where CFOs can make a crucial difference in ensuring companies are making the right choices. The team at McKinsey goes on to have a broader conversation about what this means for the CFO. Specifically, they highlight the following points... » There's a need for broad-based talent in Finance » You need data science and engineering capabilities » It's more important than ever to link strategy with finance » FP&A needs the right tools and capabilities for tracking early warning signals of where the business is heading » Lastly, CFOs (and finance in general) must be great business partners to senior business leaders It's certainly not becoming less challenging to be a CFO. Despite that, it's a land of opportunity for driving value creation throughout the company. Which of the changes to the CFO role do you find most interesting and why? ---------- 📺 FinanceMaster on YouTube: https://bit.ly/4bSBut6 📢 Join our WhatsApp channel: https://bit.ly/3WWGOrc 👩🏫 Our LinkedIn Learning course: https://bit.ly/4a5fB9l 📻 FinanceMaster Podcast: https://bit.ly/3NLSt73 📄 FinanceMaster resources: https://lnkd.in/eC_zuCU4

CFO vs. Accountant vs. Bookkeeper (by Oana Labes, MBA, CPA) A CFO is not an Accountant. However, to effectively drive financial strategy and policy, they need accounting. An Accountant is not a Bookkeeper. However, for accurate and complete financial reports, they need bookkeeping. Here’s what you need to remember: 🎯 The CFO Role: ➡️ Requires strategic knowledge of accounting to shape financial strategy and policy. ➡️ Oversees financial reporting & compliance, risk management, and investment decisions. ➡️ Directs the company's financial future and advises on strategic business initiatives. 🎯 The Accountant Role: ➡️ Requires professional-grade knowledge of accounting to manage financial reporting. ➡️ Ensures accuracy, timeliness, relevance, and compliance of financial reports with accounting standards and tax laws. ➡️ Provides budgetary input and financial analysis. 🎯 The Bookkeeper Role: ➡️ Requires a basic accounting understanding to ensure accurate financial transaction recording. ➡️ Prepares preliminary financial statements and manages invoices and receipts. ➡️ Organizes financial data for review by accountants and auditors. What would you add? ---------- 📺 FinanceMaster on YouTube: https://bit.ly/4bSBut6 📢 Join our WhatsApp channel: https://bit.ly/3WWGOrc 👩🏫 Our LinkedIn Learning course: https://bit.ly/4a5fB9l 📻 FinanceMaster Podcast: https://bit.ly/3NLSt73 📄 FinanceMaster resources: https://lnkd.in/eC_zuCU4

CFO challenges... How are you managing your finance processes? Answer: Build The Finance Process House. It's an overview of all the core processes in Finance. Here are the 21 core processes for CFOs to master:  1. Financial Planning & Analysis  2. Financial Reporting  3. Accounting  4. Treasury Management  5. Tax Management  6. Risk Management  7. Capital Allocation  8. Financial Systems and Technology  9. Cost Management 10. Financial Compliance 11. Strategic Financial Management 12. Financial Communication 13. Employee Benefits Management 14. Financial Policy Development 15. Vendor and Supplier Management 16. Financial Education and Training 17. Sustainability and ESG Reporting 18. Financial Analytics and Business Intelligence 19. Asset Management 20. Cash Handling and Banking 21. Regulatory Compliance It's challenging to manage these on a high level. Instead, divide each into subprocesses. That's when you can start to develop process excellence. To manage these, CFOs need a great team! Download our overview of a great finance team here: - https://lnkd.in/e4XkFzBi Share your thoughts about the finance process house 👇 ---------- 📺 FinanceMaster on YouTube: https://bit.ly/4bSBut6 📢 Join our WhatsApp channel: https://bit.ly/3WWGOrc 👩🏫 Our LinkedIn Learning course: https://bit.ly/4a5fB9l 📻 FinanceMaster Podcast: https://bit.ly/3NLSt73 📄 FinanceMaster resources: https://lnkd.in/eC_zuCU4

AI vs Excel (by Nicolas Boucher) Is AI going to replace Excel? This is the question Nicolas gets in all his courses and keynotes about AI for Finance. First: AI and Excel are two different types of technologies AI is good at processing extensive data and simulates human intelligence While Excel is excellent (pun intended) at doing spreadsheet activities Second: In our world, we don't need a mega brain for all activities. To do 2+2=4, you don't need a calculator; you use your brain or fingers. For AI and Excel, this is the same. For many activities, Excel is better, more reliable, easier to audit, faster, and more energy efficient. But the best is when you combine both! Here is when to use AI, when to use Excel, and when to combine both! 🧠 When to use AI: • Natural Language Processing NLP can automatically extract relevant information from large volumes of text • Big Data Processing Handling and analyzing large datasets beyond Excel's capacity • Complex Decision Making AI can process vast amounts of data to support complex decisions • Pattern Recognition Identifying trends and anomalies in data more efficiently • Predictive Analytics Use machine learning models to predict outcomes • Optical Character Recognition OCR automates invoices & documents processing 📊 When to use Excel: • Data Manipulation Ideal for data entry, sorting, and simple calculations • Reporting Creating straightforward reports and charts • Formulas and Functions Extensive library of native formulas for data analysis • Macro and VBA Automation within the scope of spreadsheets • Budgeting and Forecasting Setting up and adjusting budgets with direct input for SMEs • User Control Direct manipulation and immediate error correction. 🤝 When to combine both: • Automation Get AI to code automation via VBA or Python and use Excel either as data input or data output • Scenario Analysis Create reports in Excel using insights generated from AI analysis • Enhanced Reporting Create reports in Excel using insights generated from AI analysis thanks to • Budgeting with Predictive Insights Use AI to predict future trends and Excel to manage and adjust budget allocations accordingly 👉 Do you agree with this analysis? ---------- 📺 FinanceMaster on YouTube: https://bit.ly/4bSBut6 📢 Join our WhatsApp channel: https://bit.ly/3WWGOrc 👩🏫 Our LinkedIn Learning course: https://bit.ly/4a5fB9l 📻 FinanceMaster Podcast: https://bit.ly/3NLSt73 📄 FinanceMaster resources: https://lnkd.in/eC_zuCU4

Is your finance team involved in strategic planning? Learn how to 👇 Most strategies fail. Finance could change that. It's all about strategic planning. Here are five hacks to get involved: 1️⃣ CFO Challenge 2️⃣ Strategic finance summit 3️⃣ Financial innovation fund 4️⃣ Scenario planning workshops 5️⃣ Finance-driven strategic initiative Learn more about each 👇 We reviewed these in the last FinanceMaster Show. Watch the replay here: https://lnkd.in/dUdSKa_J Also, help us reach 1,000 subscribers on the channel 👏 How are you involved in strategic planning? ---------- 📺 FinanceMaster on YouTube: https://bit.ly/4bSBut6 📢 Join our WhatsApp channel: https://bit.ly/3WWGOrc 👩🏫 Our LinkedIn Learning course: https://bit.ly/4a5fB9l 📻 FinanceMaster Podcast: https://bit.ly/3NLSt73 📄 FinanceMaster resources: https://lnkd.in/eC_zuCU4