Online Class: Accounting Level 3 — Financial Planning

Name: Accounting Level 3: Financial Planning
Price: 95.00 USD

The crux of financial analysis lies with its purpose. It may be the company's focus on short-term liquidity or its long-term planning

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$120.00 (with CEU Certificate)

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12

Lessons
19

Exams &
Assignments
735

Students
have taken this course
7

Hours
average time
0.7

CEUs

Course Description

The crux of financial analysis lies with its purpose. It may be the company's focus on short-term liquidity or its long-term planning. Financial statements provide a picture of the company's financial condition. Forecasting involves analyzing these statements to project calculated scenarios and probabilities.

Definitively, financial planning and control (aka financial management) analyzes the firm's financial mission and goals, to achieve various milestones and planned goals.

The field of finance is intertwined with economics, accounting, and the human element responsible for accurate analysis, forecasting, and practical quantitative applications.

· Economics provides structural data for decision-making;

· Accounting provides financial / cash flow data;

· The financial manager collects, interprets, processes, and allocates the firm's resources.

This course addresses principles and the process of strategic financial planning for any organization, large or small. You will learn that financial planning must include not only financial management methods (basic accounting) but also strategy(ies) necessary to decide how to accomplish corporate financial goals. We will provide useful information regarding the interpretation and application of:

· qualitative (economic activity) information, data, and statistics,

· quantitative data, analysis, and formulas (accounting), and

· forecasting methods to meet short-term and long-term corporate goals.

Financial planning is managing your finances over time in such a way that you can meet your business needs. Strategic planning is the process of determining the direction your company will take, the goals you have for the business and how to achieve what you want. Both types of planning involve defining objectives, gathering and analyzing data, implementing the plan and monitoring the results.

The goal of this course is to provide comprehensive information on financial analysis in areas of planning and control suited to anyone on any level desiring this information for either professional or personal use.

Objectively this course qualitatively and quantitatively defines, reviews, and illustrates the principles of corporate finance, including: profit/loss, asset and cash management, operational budgets, cost analysis, profitability, leverage, and decision and risk. Various industry approaches, cases, means and methods will be presented. The 12 Lessons will generally be organized into major areas of:

· Principles of Corporate Planning and Control

· Financial Statements and Reports

· Ratio Analysis

· Cost of Capital

· Cash Management and Cash Analysis

· Operations Budgeting

· Working Capital Management

· Capital Budgeting

· Financial Decisions and Risk.

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Completely Online
Self-Paced
6 Months to Complete
24/7 Availability
Start Anytime
PC & Mac Compatible
Android & iOS Friendly
Accredited CEUs

Universal Class is an IACET Accredited Provider

Course Lessons

Lesson 1. Mastering Corporate Financial Strategy for Long-term Success
While profit maximization is a fundamental aim, relying solely on this metric can expose companies to risks and diminish long-term value creation. Emphasizing the time value of money, risk relationships, and inflation’s impact, this lesson highlights the need for a balanced approach in financial decision-making.
Lesson 2. Demystifying Financial Statements: The Key to Understanding a Company's Health
Financial statements are essential tools identifying a company's financial status and guiding strategic decisions for investors, management, and creditors. They include the Income Statement, Balance Sheet, and Statement of Cash Flows, each highlighting profitability, financial position, and liquidity, respectively.
Lesson 3. Decoding Financial Statements through Ratio Analysis
Trend analysis extends ratio examination by identifying patterns over time, enhancing decision-making and minimizing single-year data distortions. Contextual interpretation of trends helps businesses understand underlying financial realities, as exemplified by companies balancing profitability with asset efficiency amidst competitive pressures.
Lesson 4. Capital Cost Unveiled: A Strategic Insight
The lesson unravels the intricate dynamics of the cost of capital, a crucial metric guiding firms in their strategic investment decisions. It emphasizes understanding debt and equity costs, calculating returns, and applying the Modigliani-Miller Theorem to discern a firm's value.
Lesson 5. Optimizing Business Liquidity and Profitability
Mastering cash management allows businesses to strategically navigate financial challenges and capitalize on opportunities. Through cash operations, budgeting, and modern market securities, this lesson builds a foundation for sustainable profitability.
Lesson 6. Cost Analysis Essentials
The art of discounting transforms static future valuations into actionable present-day figures, anchoring investment choices amidst dynamic conditions. By leveraging discount rates, investors navigate radical market shifts with clarity and foresight.
Lesson 7. Navigating the Intricacies of Operational Budgets for Business Growth
The operating budget serves as a vital tool for estimating income and expenses to support daily business activities, crucial for staying aligned with broader organizational goals. Through detailed examination, this lesson empowers learners to craft nuanced budgets, fostering informed decision-making and resource management.
Lesson 8. Navigating the Financial Landscape: Mastering Leverage and Risk Management
Cost-Volume-Profit (CVP) Analysis aids businesses in assessing the relationship between costs, volume, and profit, guiding strategic decisions. This tool helps identify the break-even point and optimize product pricing and marketing strategies.
Lesson 9. Working Capital at a Glance: A Quick Guide
The essence of working capital management lies in maintaining liquidity, which allows companies to cover short-term debts and avoid operational disruptions. By optimizing current assets like cash and inventory, firms can bolster financial health and support growth.
Lesson 10. The Cornerstones of Asset and Debt Management
Understanding asset management is vital in this lesson, as it acts as the cornerstone of revenue generation and operational efficiency. Key financial ratios such as inventory turnover, fixed asset turnover, and cash conversion cycle are explored to demonstrate their critical role in asset optimization.
Lesson 11. Navigating Complex Financial Decisions Through Capital Budgeting
Effective cash flow analysis and budgeting provide insight into a business's financial health, helping manage liquidity and anticipate cash shortfalls. This proactive approach aligns financial strategy with organizational goals, enabling stable growth and strategic planning.
Lesson 12. Strategic Financial Decision-Making and Risk Management
This lesson highlights the importance of strategic decision-making in capital budgeting and risk assessment, with techniques such as the Payback Period and NPV providing frameworks for evaluating investment feasibility. Understanding risk enables better preparedness against potential challenges, aligning investments with long-term goals.

Learning Outcomes

By successfully completing this course, students will be able to:

Define the relationship between risk and return in corporate finance and demonstrate its impact on investment strategies using real-world examples.
Evaluate different capital budgeting methods, such as NPV and IRR, and apply them to assess the viability of potential corporate projects.
Calculate and interpret liquidity and profitability ratios using financial statements to assess a firm's financial health and make informed strategic decisions.
Identify and describe the key components of the income statement, balance sheet, and statement of cash flows for understanding a company's financial performance.
Demonstrate the ability to apply ratio analysis and trend analysis to interpret a company's financial health and operational efficiency.
Recognize and categorize different types of financial ratios, such as liquidity, utilization, and leverage, based on their purpose and measurement criteria.
Calculate the Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC) for a given company using specified variables and interpret the results.
Define the cost of capital and differentiate between the cost of debt and the cost of equity.
Demonstrate the ability to define and differentiate between the core components of cash management, including cash, cash budgets, and short-term market securities.
Identify and apply effective cash management practices to optimize financial efficiency, ensuring sufficient liquidity while minimizing idle cash holdings.
Calculate Net Present Value (NPV) and interpret results to assess project feasibility using a provided dataset.
Differentiate between variable and fixed costs by providing examples from real-world business scenarios.
Define and differentiate between operating budgets and capital budgets, explaining their unique functions and significance.
Demonstrate mastery of lesson content at levels of 70% or higher.

Additional Course Information

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Course Title: Accounting Level 3: Financial Planning

Course Number: 57700110

Languages: English - United States, Canada and other English speaking countries

Availability: This course is available online in all U.S. states, including California, Texas, Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Ohio, and Georgia. It’s also offered in English-speaking countries, including the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Last Updated: June 2024

CEU Value: 0.7 IACET CEUs (Continuing Education Units)

CE Accreditation: Universal Class, Inc. has been accredited as an Authorized Provider by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET).

Grading Policy: Earn a final grade of 70% or higher to receive an online/downloadable CEU Certification documenting CEUs earned.

Course Type: Self-Paced, Online Classes

Assessment Method: Lesson assignments and review exams

Instructor: Linda Zavadil

Syllabus: View Syllabus

Course Fee: $120.00 U.S. dollars