Seminars

09/02/2017 By myfinancialmodeling.com Leave a Comment

Upcoming Financial Modeling Seminars schedule

Check the schedule for our upcoming financial modeling courses and feel free to contact us for further details or for special requests (in-house financial modeling training or 1-on-1 courses):

ATHENS – Greece

1. “FAST Financial Modeling & Risk Analysis using Excel”, Athens – Greece

Monday, March 20th from 5pm till 9pm
Tuesday, March 21st from 5pm till 9pm
Thursday, March 23rd 5pm till 9pm
Friday,March 24th 5pm till 9pm

Total seminar duration: 16 hours

Click here for more details on this FAST accredited financial modelling course in Excel or email us at info[@]myfinancialmodeling.com

2. “FAST Financial Statements Modeling and Risk Analysis” , Athens – Greece

Monday, March 27th from 5pm till 9:30pm
Tuesday, March 28th from 5pm till 9:30pm
Thursday, March 30th from 5pm till 9:30pm
Friday, March 31st 5pm till 9:30pm

Total seminar Duration: 18 hours

Click here for more details on this advanced financial modeling seminar based on FAST Modeling Standard or email us at info[@]myfinancialmodeling.com with any possible questions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What if I want to take the FAST Modeling Standard Level I Certificate?

In order to be well prepared for FAST Level 1 Certificate exam and be in position to use the FAST modeling Standard in a business environment you can attend the FAST Financial Modeling & Risk Analysis seminar but if you really want to master the FAST Modeling Standard we suggest you to invest in our combo-seminar deal, starting with the FAST Financial Modeling using Excel seminar and then move on with the FAST Financial Statement Modeling & Risk Analysis.

Are you interested in our 3-day financial modeling course in London, but still have some questions? We have created this page with frequently asked questions related to this seminar in order to help you decide. Feel free to contact us if you have more questions.

Q: What are the seminar prerequisites?

No modeling experienced is required, just basic Excel knowledge, a laptop and passion to learn. For those with no modeling experience, this seminar provides a solid introduction to real-world financial modeling preparing participants to sit for FAST Level 1 certificate exam but most importantly to build flexible and transparent business models based on financial modeling best practices. For those with modeling experience this seminar will help the quality and productivity of your modeling and through the FAST Certification improve their personal “branding” and career prospects.

Q: What do I need to bring to the seminar?

Participants should bring their own laptop, ideally one they are accustomed to using, with a Microsoft Windows operating system and Microsoft Excel 2013 or 2016 installed and have a basic understanding of MS Excel (e.g. syntax of IF statement, purpose of $ for anchoring cell references).

The Mac version of Excel is dramatically different and it is not advised to use it during the seminar. If you have a Mac laptop you can join this seminar provided you have Windows and the Windows version of Ms Excel installed (using Parallels or Bootcamp)

Q: Is this financial modeling seminar accredited?

A: Our course is one of the few financial modeling courses in the EU market that is accredited and will allow you to sit for the FAST Standard Level 1 certificate exam. We have been accredited by the FAST Standard Organization (FSO) to provide training based on FAST Modeling Standard.

If you are seeking to build more flexible and transparent spreadsheet models this is an option to learn and certify your modelling skills. The FAST Standard has been developed by professional financial modelers across the globe and provides a set of guidelines for building spreadsheets.

Q: What exactly is the FAST Level 1 Certificate?

A: The FAST Level 1 Certification awarded by the FAST Standard Organisation (FSO) provides evidence of your modeling skills and will be useful to present a case to potential employers of your financial modeling credentials and experience. (Financial Arena is one of the first to be accredited to provide FAST Modeling Standard training as listed in the FAST Standard Organization’s website.)

If you want to learn more about the FAST Standard Level 1 certificate exam read our post here.

Q: Are there any extras to this seminar offer?

A: Yes, your registration comes with many extras so please check our seminar page:

You are entitled to a 3-hour online mock exam where you will be given a case study to solve and then discuss the solution and your mistakes with the instructor so that you are better prepared for the FAST Certificate exam. One of our unique offerings in this training is the 1-on-1 session with the instructor once you have completed your practice and want him to check your model solution before registering for the exam. You will get personalized support and feedback that will help you improve and master FAST ahead of the FAST Level 1 certificate exam.

Q: Do you provide any post-seminar support?

A: Of course, once you are done with the seminar, it will be important to practice – especially if you plan to take the FAST Certificate exam. We will provide you with some additional case studies to work and once you send us your solution, the instructor will send you detailed feedback and if needed schedule a follow-up 1-hour webinar (free of charge).

Q: Will the seminar help me with my career? Why your financial modeling training is unique ?

A: We believe that attending this seminar will give you an edge and if you follow our instructions and practice and take the FAST Certificate you will be one of the first in the market with a Financial Modeling certification. The Standard is being around for 16 years and it is used by many firms like PwC, Grant Thornton, Mazars etc but the Certificate came out only in 2016 so it is a unique opportunity to lead and distinguish from your peers. You can use these skills not only in Finance but almost in any company that is performing business analysis and valuation and uses advanced Excel. Literally, people with good financial modeling skills are highly sought in the industry.

Q: Is there any extra discount / offer ? What if I bring a friend?

We can offer an extra 10% on seminar price in case you register with a friend, so contact us now for details.

Q: I need to read what past participants are saying about your trainings. Are there any extra testimonials available?

A: We have trained more than 1,500 business and finance professional in Finance, Investments and Financial Modeling. You can read some of the testimonials of our courses and seminars at our financial modeling site here: http://www.myfinancialmodeling.com/about/testimonials/

All our seminars are either offered 100% in-person or in a blended delivery mode (60% face-to-face & 40% online) depending on the group size.

In the case of face-to-face / live seminars, we rigorously uphold our policy of purposely limiting the number of individuals that can attend each financial modeling seminar up to 10 persons so that participants receive the optimal amount of personal training from our instructors and to ensure the quality of training.

Seminars will take place at our offices in London (Regent street) and in Athens (Chalandri – near Ygeia hospital).

Email us to learn for our special combination offers. There is an extra discount in case more than one delegate / participant from the same firm joins.

For more information / feedback please contact us at customercare[@]financialarena.co.uk or at info[@]myfinancialmodeling.com

Check our Facebook Fan page for up-to-date news on our offerings and topics related to financial modelling and do not forget to share our page with friends and colleagues that might be interested.

As of January 2016, our firm is one of the first globally to become a FAST accredited provider, as we have gone through a formal accreditation process with the FAST Standard Organisation (“FSO”). We are offering financial modelling training courses that have been subject to a formal accreditation process with the FSO and prepare our seminar participants for the FAST modelling certification.

18/11/2016 By myfinancialmodeling.com Leave a Comment

GET CERTIFIED IN FINANCIAL MODELING & RISK ANALYSIS USING EXCEL

Join Financial Arena’s upcoming financial modeling and risk analysis in London and get prepared for FAST Level 1 Certification
Attend a career booster 3-day Accredited Financial Modeling seminar
Get 3 hours of personalized post-seminar 1-on-1 coaching
Seminar Dates: 24 JAN. 2016 – 26 DEC. 2017

Seminar Location: FINANCIAL ARENA LIMITED, 207 REGENT STREET, 3RD FLOOR, W1B 3HH, London, UK

BE AMONGST AN ELITE OF PROFESSIONALS THAT CAN PROVE THEIR EXPERTISE AND ADVANCE THEIR CAREER

SEMINAR PREREQUISITES: No modeling experienced is required. Basic Excel knowledge, a laptop and passion to learn.

WHAT DO THE SEMINARS INVOLVE?

The seminar teaches you the core financial model design and construction techniques that every modeler should know so that to be able to perform sophisticated business analysis, analyze financial statements and build pro-forma financial statements without errors.

On the 3rd day of the seminar, participants will learn how to perform risk analysis and perform Monte-Carlo simulation on business models so that to transform their analysis from static to a sophisticated, dynamic one and capture any uncertainty in their model.

By attending this seminar you will learn how to build financial forecasts that are essential in any business plan and facilitate the decision making process. Get the knowledge and the tools to structure your model strategy according to business needs, Combine multiple data for advanced scenarios applying FAST modeling principles (a widely accepted method) and get ready to sit for the FAST Level 1 certification exam.

WHY SHOULD I GET CERTIFIED IN FINANCIAL MODELING?

The FAST Modeling Standard Certificate is a concrete evidence of an individual’s understanding of the FAST Standard and its correct application in building spreadsheet models that are flexible, appropriate, structured and transparent.

Having the FAST Level 1 certificate in your skills’ set, you prove your competence in the field, increasing your chances to get targeted job offers or promotions.

23/04/2016 By myfinancialmodeling.com 2 Comments

FAST Standard Level 1 Certification

Businesses of any shape and size realize the risks of using spreadsheets that are not well structured and contain errors that might cost millions. If you are seeking to build more flexible and transparent spreadsheet models there is an option to learn and certify your modelling skills. The FAST Standard has been developed by professional financial modelers across the globe and provides a set of guidelines for building spreadsheets. The FAST Standard Level 1 Certification is evidence of an individual’s understanding of the FAST Standard and the application of the Standard in building spreadsheet models that are Flexible, Appropriate, Structured and Transparent. Financial Arena is offering accredited preparatory courses for the FAST Standard Level 1 certification and is one of the first accredited training providers by FSO.

The FAST Level 1 Certification awarded by the FAST Standard Organisation (FSO) provides evidence that an individual has proved competent on a specified date in understanding and applying the FAST Standard.

The certification will be useful for individuals that are seeking to present a case to existing or potential employers of their modelling credentials and experience.

1. Preparing for the FAST Level 1 Certification

Our accredited FAST Standard Level 1 seminar provides the opportunity to gain certification in FAST Standard.

An individual who is ready to apply for the FAST Level 1 Certification, and do well in the assessment procedures is likely to be able to:
– describe in some detail the contents of the FAST Standard;
– explain what the FAST Standard is trying to achieve;
– recognise what a FAST compliant model should look like; and
– apply the FAST Standard to simple modelling assignments.

The test is designed to assess how well you understand the FAST Standard and how well you can apply it to a practical modelling situation.

You will be given one attempt to complete the assessment procedures and submit your results. If you wish to undertake the assessment procedures again, then you must apply to take a new test and pay any associated fees.

In helping you prepare for the assessment procedures FSO recommends that you undertake a practice model build assignment: Biomass. Biomass is representative of the level of complexity you might expect in the assessment procedures.

You will find:
Biomass modelling assignment
Biomass “start” model for modelling assignment
Biomass solution model

2. Sponsoring bodies

Each individual is required to supply details of a sponsoring body who will be asked by the FSO to provide assurance that the test undertaken and submitted was the individual’s own work.

Financial Arena is one of the first training organisations registered with FSO as a FAST sponsoring body that provides training on the FAST Standard and preparation for the certification examination. Contact us to learn more about our training offerings that will allow you to get the FAST Standard Level 1 certification.

3. Obtaining the FAST Standard Level 1 Certification

A certificate will be issued to an individual once they have:

– passed a test of their competence;

– provided confirmation by an appropriate body that the test attempted was their own work; and

– paid an appropriate fee.

In assessing whether an individual has done well enough in their test to receive a certificate, the FSO will undertake a quantitative and qualitative assessment of an individual’s test submission and confirm whether the individual has passed or failed the test.

Financial Arena is a strong promoter of the FAST Standard as we have realised through discussions with HR professionals that firms are looking for job candidates with strong financial modelling skills.

Getting this financial modelling certification you verify your competence in the field and increase your chances to get targeted job offers. Contact us today to learn how we can prepare you to become a certified financial modeller.

23/04/2016 By myfinancialmodeling.com 7 Comments

The FAST Modeling Standard

The FAST Standard is a set of rules on the structure and detailed design of spreadsheet- based models. The FAST Standard, which was founded over 15 years ago and is used by thousands of Excel modelers worldwide, was written to provide clear guidance for the complex world of spreadsheet based Financial Modeling.

Flexible: models must be easily adaptable when new information becomes available
Appropriate: models must faithfully reflect key business assumptions and avoid unnecessary detail
Structured: maintaining model integrity over time relies on rigorous consistency
Transparent: to make models easily understandable, calculations must be simple and clear

This standard set of rules provides both a clear route to good financial model design for the individual modeller, and a common style platform on which modellers and reviewers can rely when passing models amongst themselves.

The Signatories to the FAST (flexible, appropriate, structured, and transparent) Standard believe financial models must be as simple as possible, but no simpler. Any model that is unnecessarily complicated is not good. Without simplicity supported by rigorous structure a financial model will be poorly suited to its sole purpose – supporting informed business decisions. Some of the companies that support the Standard are:

FAST Standard signatories

The Standard has been developed from the experience of industry practitioners who have learned simple techniques to replace overly-clever ‘good ideas’ that proved bad in practice over time. It documents a skilled craft that is functional within the realities of the business environment. As a minimum objective, models must be free of fundamental omissions and logical errors, and this outcome must be achieved under short lead times.

However, a good model must achieve more than this minimum standard. It must be easily used and reviewed by others and readily adaptable as circumstances change.

The FAST Standard speaks predominantly about outcomes, i.e what the final model should look like. It dwells little on the trade-craft of executing spreadsheet models, with specifics related to Microsoft Excel-based execution. For instance, it does not detail the use of recommended Excel keystrokes or so-called shortcut keys – vastly superior to using a mouse in almost all circumstances – on which the FAST Standard relies.

23/04/2016 By myfinancialmodeling.com 1 Comment

FAST Modeling Standard accredited provider

Financial Arena is one of the first training providers globally that became a FAST Modeling Standard accredited provider. Our firm offers accredited seminars for individuals that want to get the FAST Standard Level 1 Certification and demonstrate their competence in financial models using the FAST Standard.

Studies have found that up to 90% of spreadsheets contain errors and some of them can be quite critical costing money, time and damage to a firm’s reputation. FAST Standard is an industry-recognized standard, also recognized by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW).

As of January 2016, our firm is one of the first globally to become a FAST accredited provider, as we have gone through a formal accreditation process with the FAST Standard Organisation (“FSO”).

We believe that financial modeling skills require a structured approach and it is not just about good Excel knowledge. Any serious modeller, no matter the industry he is involved, needs to be able to design and construct a solid spreadsheet model by following a standardised, structured approach. Top managers seek to get useful insights and make key decisions based on a properly created model.

FAST Modeling Standard accredited provider – Prepare for the FAST Standard Level 1 Certificate

We are signatories to The FAST Standard as we believe financial models built and maintained according to the FAST Standard significantly increase efficiency and reduce risk.

We are an accredited training centre for The FAST Standard Level 1 Certificate and our FAST Standard seminars material has been reviewed and accredited by The FAST Standard Organisation(FSO).

We believe that the core principles within the FAST Standard can be applied to all types of Excel modelling to reduce the risk of using spreadsheets within critical business processes.

We are passionate about encouraging all Excel users to take a standardised approach to using Excel within their organisations.

Why to pursue FAST Standard Level I Certification

The FAST Level 1 Certificate is evidence of an individual’s understanding of the FAST Standard and the application of the Standard in building spreadsheet models that are flexible, appropriate, structured and transparent.

Click here to learn more about the FAST Standard and the newly launched FAST Level 1 Certification.

Contact us today to learn about our upcoming financial modeling seminars schedule and get prepared to take the exam for the ccredited training centre for The FAST Standard Level 1 Certificate.