ModeLoop: Financial Modelling in Excel

15 Excel keyboard shortcuts every financial modeller should know. Learn to jump around large models, select whole rows and columns, and switch between worksheets without touching the mouse. This is the muscle memory that makes top modellers fast.

In this episode:

• Ctrl + arrow keys to jump across data
• Selecting rows, columns and blocks quickly
• Switching worksheets with Ctrl + Page Up / Page Down
• Go To and navigation shortcuts for large models

📖 Full blog post: https://modeloop.net/Blog/P2E1-Mastering-Excel-Navigation-15-Shortcuts-That-Will-Save-You-Hours
📺 Watch the video lecture: https://youtu.be/khkWVNYVbPo
🎓 Courses: Excel for Financial Modelling | AI in Project Finance Modelling
🌐 modeloop.net

ModeLoop is hosted by Samir Asadov, CFA, ranked top 3 financial modeller worldwide (FMWC), with 15 years in M&A and project finance for renewables.

A plain-English glossary of the financial modelling terms you need to know: three-statement model, DCF, EBITDA, WACC, NPV, IRR, sensitivity analysis, GIGO and more. Use it as a quick reference as you work through the series.

In this episode:

• Three-statement model, DCF and LBO
• EBITDA, free cash flow and working capital
• WACC, NPV and IRR
• Sensitivity and scenario analysis

📖 Full blog post: https://modeloop.net/Blog/P1E10-A-Glossary-of-Must-Know-Financial-Modeling-Terms
📺 Watch the video lecture: https://youtu.be/E9Z2W9H_SS0
🎓 Courses: Excel for Financial Modelling | AI in Project Finance Modelling
🌐 modeloop.net

ModeLoop is hosted by Samir Asadov, CFA, ranked top 3 financial modeller worldwide (FMWC), with 15 years in M&A and project finance for renewables.

Build your first financial model in Excel, step by step, using a simple lemonade stand business. You will separate inputs from calculations, build a simple income statement and run what-if analysis by changing price and cost assumptions to see the effect on profit.

In this episode:

• Setting up an inputs section
• Building revenue and cost calculations
• Creating a simple income statement
• Running what-if scenarios on price and costs

📖 Full blog post: https://modeloop.net/Blog/P1E9-Your-First-Model-A-Simple-Lemonade-Stand-Business
📺 Watch the video lecture: https://youtu.be/g-w2dcESzik
🎓 Courses: Excel for Financial Modelling | AI in Project Finance Modelling
🌐 modeloop.net

ModeLoop is hosted by Samir Asadov, CFA, ranked top 3 financial modeller worldwide (FMWC), with 15 years in M&A and project finance for renewables.

The five most common beginner financial modelling mistakes, and how to avoid them. From hard-coding inputs inside formulas to failing to link the three statements, poor formatting and skipping error checks, this lecture shows the habits that make models fragile and the fixes that make them reliable. Each fix maps to the financial modelling best practices checklist on the ModeLoop site.

In this episode:

• Hard-coded numbers inside formulas
• Not linking the three financial statements
• Poor formatting and no colour coding
• Missing error checks and balance checks
• Over-complicating the model

📖 Full blog post: https://modeloop.net/Blog/P1E8-The-Top-5-Mistakes-Every-Beginner-Financial-Modeler-Makes
📺 Watch the video lecture: https://youtu.be/vkY28SNxu8I
🎓 Courses: Excel for Financial Modelling | AI in Project Finance Modelling
🌐 modeloop.net

ModeLoop is hosted by Samir Asadov, CFA, ranked top 3 financial modeller worldwide (FMWC), with 15 years in M&A and project finance for renewables.

Why is Microsoft Excel still the standard tool for financial modelling? This lecture looks at the features, flexibility and industry adoption that keep Excel on every analyst's desk, and how it compares with other spreadsheet and modelling tools.

In this episode:

• What makes Excel the industry standard
• Key Excel features modellers rely on
• Excel vs other spreadsheet tools
• Setting up Excel for efficient modelling

📖 Full blog post: https://modeloop.net/Blog/P1E7-Essential-Tools-for-Your-Modeling-Toolkit-Why-Excel-Reigns-Supreme
📺 Watch the video lecture: https://youtu.be/xHSnBaBvKS0
🎓 Courses: Excel for Financial Modelling | AI in Project Finance Modelling
🌐 modeloop.net

ModeLoop is hosted by Samir Asadov, CFA, ranked top 3 financial modeller worldwide (FMWC), with 15 years in M&A and project finance for renewables.

Garbage in, garbage out (GIGO) is the most important rule in financial modelling: your forecast can only be as good as your inputs. This lecture explains how flawed historical data and unrealistic assumptions produce convincing but useless results, and how to source, check and document assumptions properly.

In this episode:

• What GIGO means in practice
• Checking historical data before you use it
• Setting realistic, defensible assumptions
• Documenting sources so others can trust your model

📖 Full blog post: https://modeloop.net/Blog/P1E6-GIGO-The-Most-Important-Rule-in-Modeling-Garbage-In-Garbage-Out
📺 Watch the video lecture: https://youtu.be/B_EDYSMCc9w
🎓 Courses: Excel for Financial Modelling | AI in Project Finance Modelling
🌐 modeloop.net

ModeLoop is hosted by Samir Asadov, CFA, ranked top 3 financial modeller worldwide (FMWC), with 15 years in M&A and project finance for renewables.

What makes a great financial model? Structure. This lecture breaks down how a professional model is laid out, with separate sections for assumptions, calculations, the three financial statements and a summary dashboard, and why that layout makes a model easier to use, review and audit. This structure is the backbone of financial modelling best practices.

In this episode:

• Separating inputs, calculations and outputs
• Where the three financial statements sit
• Building a summary dashboard
• Why good structure makes a model auditable

📖 Full blog post: https://modeloop.net/Blog/P1E5-Anatomy-of-a-Great-Financial-Model
📺 Watch the video lecture: https://youtu.be/KnJPRIWbmtk
🎓 Courses: Excel for Financial Modelling | AI in Project Finance Modelling
🌐 modeloop.net

ModeLoop is hosted by Samir Asadov, CFA, ranked top 3 financial modeller worldwide (FMWC), with 15 years in M&A and project finance for renewables.

Financial modelling vs accounting: what is the difference? Accounting is the rear-view mirror that records what already happened. Financial modelling is the GPS that uses that history to forecast what comes next. This lecture explains how the two disciplines connect and why a modeller needs to understand both.

In this episode:

• Backward-looking accounting vs forward-looking modelling
• How the three financial statements feed a model
• Where accounting rules matter inside a forecast
• Common confusion points for beginners

📖 Full blog post: https://modeloop.net/Blog/P1E4-Financial-Modeling-vs-Accounting-Understanding-the-Key-Differences
📺 Watch the video lecture: https://youtu.be/gSxbaiBLzuM
🎓 Courses: Excel for Financial Modelling | AI in Project Finance Modelling
🌐 modeloop.net

ModeLoop is hosted by Samir Asadov, CFA, ranked top 3 financial modeller worldwide (FMWC), with 15 years in M&A and project finance for renewables.

What is a financial model actually used for? This lecture walks through the seven core uses of a financial model, from valuing a company and raising capital to budgeting, forecasting and strategic planning, with examples of the questions each type of model answers.

In this episode:

• Valuation (DCF) and M&A analysis
• Raising debt and equity capital
• Budgeting and forecasting (FP&A)
• Strategic planning and capital allocation
• Scenario, sensitivity and risk analysis

📖 Full blog post: https://modeloop.net/Blog/P1E3-The-7-Core-Uses-of-a-Financial-Model
📺 Watch the video lecture: https://youtu.be/yrntnjFFWU4
🎓 Courses: Excel for Financial Modelling | AI in Project Finance Modelling
🌐 modeloop.net

ModeLoop is hosted by Samir Asadov, CFA, ranked top 3 financial modeller worldwide (FMWC), with 15 years in M&A and project finance for renewables.

Why learn financial modelling? Because a good model lets you make decisions with numbers instead of guesses. This lecture shows how financial models help you make smarter decisions, manage risk and secure funding, and why modelling is one of the most valuable skills in banking, private equity, corporate finance and FP&A.

In this episode:

• How models support better business decisions
• Using a model to quantify and manage risk
• Why investors and lenders expect a model when you raise capital
• The career value of financial modelling skills

📖 Full blog post: https://modeloop.net/Blog/P1E2-Why-Financial-Modeling-is-a-Superpower-for-Business-Finance
📺 Watch the video lecture: https://youtu.be/nGhITjcCrEE
🎓 Courses: Excel for Financial Modelling | AI in Project Finance Modelling
🌐 modeloop.net

ModeLoop is hosted by Samir Asadov, CFA, ranked top 3 financial modeller worldwide (FMWC), with 15 years in M&A and project finance for renewables.