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FP&A: Budgeting, Forecasting, and Business Decision-Making
Rating: 3.1 out of 5(11 ratings)
231 students

FP&A: Budgeting, Forecasting, and Business Decision-Making

Learn FP&A fundamentals including budgeting, forecasting, and financial analysis.
Created byExcel Mojo
Last updated 5/2026
English

What you'll learn

  • Understand the complete FP&A cycle from planning to analysis
  • Build and interpret budgets used by businesses
  • Differentiate between budgeting and forecasting
  • Apply forecasting techniques to estimate future performance
  • Analyze financial statements for decision-making
  • Evaluate company performance using financial ratios
  • Understand cost structures and cost drivers
  • Apply capital budgeting techniques like NPV and IRR
  • Understand how FP&A supports mergers and business decisions

Course content

1 section • 22 lectures • 2h 8m total length

  • Introduction to Financial Planning & Analysis3:48

    Understand what FP&A is, why it matters in business, and how FP&A teams support planning and strategic decisions.

  • Basics of FP&A Cycle Explained8:43

    Learn the complete FP&A cycle, from planning and budgeting to forecasting, performance tracking,

    and analysis.

  • Understanding Budgeting2:14

    Learn what budgeting is, why businesses prepare budgets, and how budgets help control costs and

    plan growth.

  • Budgeting vs. Forecasting3:19

    Understand the differences between budgeting and forecasting and how both are used together in

    FP&A.

  • Types of Budget12:22

    Explore different types of budgets used by businesses and when each budget is applied.

  • Fixed Budget Example6:05

    Understand fixed budgets with a simple example and learn where fixed budgeting works best.

  • Flexible Budget Example6:24

    Learn how flexible budgets adjust with activity levels and why they are useful for performance

    evaluation.

  • Forecasting Techniques – Part 16:40

    Get introduced to basic forecasting concepts and methods used to estimate future performance.

  • Share Your Learning Experience0:53
  • Forecasting Techniques – Part 25:49

    Learn advanced forecasting approaches and understand the role of assumptions in projections.

  • Financial Statements3:07

    Understand the purpose of financial statements and how they work together in financial analysis.

  • Income Statement5:00

    Learn the structure of the income statement and how profits are calculated.

  • Balance Sheet4:25

    Understand assets, liabilities, equity, and how a balance sheet shows financial position.

  • Cash Flow Statement6:20

    Learn how cash flow statements track cash inflows and outflows and why cash flow matters.

  • Ratio Analysis Introduction3:24

    Get an overview of ratio analysis and its importance in evaluating company performance.

  • Liquidity Ratios7:49

    Learn liquidity ratios and how companies assess short-term financial health.

  • Profitability Ratios11:09

    Understand profitability ratios and how companies measure efficiency and returns.

  • Cost Management9:35

    Learn cost concepts, cost classification, and cost drivers used in FP&A

  • Role of FP&A in Mergers5:52

    Understand how FP&A supports mergers and acquisitions before and after the deal.

  • Capital Budgeting: NPV9:59

    Learn how Net Present Value is used to evaluate investment and acquisition decisions.

  • Capital Budgeting: IRR4:59

    Understand the concept of Internal Rate of Return and how it is used alongside NPV.

  • Conclusion0:34

Requirements

  • No prior FP&A knowledge required
  • Basic understanding of business concepts is helpful but not mandatory
  • Willingness to learn step by step
  • Access to Excel

Description

This course contains the use of artificial intelligence.

Understand how businesses plan, forecast, and make financial decisions.

If you’ve ever wondered how companies decide budgets, forecast future performance, and evaluate financial decisions, this course will give you a basic understanding of how it actually works.

Financial Planning & Analysis, or FP&A, is not just about numbers. It’s about using financial data to plan ahead, control costs, and support business strategy.

In this course, you will learn how FP&A teams operate, how budgets are created, how forecasts are built, and how financial performance is analyzed to support decision-making.

You’ll start by understanding the FP&A function and the complete planning cycle, from budgeting to forecasting and performance tracking. Then, you’ll explore how businesses create different types of budgets, including fixed and flexible budgets, and how these are used in real scenarios.

You’ll also learn forecasting techniques and understand how assumptions drive future projections.

To strengthen your financial understanding, the course covers financial statements, ratio analysis, and cost management, helping you connect planning with real financial performance.

Finally, you’ll explore how FP&A supports major business decisions, including capital budgeting using NPV and IRR, and its role in mergers and acquisitions.

By the end of this course, you will be able to understand how companies plan their finances, evaluate performance, and make informed financial decisions.

How This Course Helps You

  • Build a strong foundation for financial analyst roles

  • Understand how finance teams support business decisions

  • Improve your ability to analyze company performance

  • Prepare for careers in FP&A, finance, and business analysis

What Makes This Course Different

  • Covers the complete FP&A workflow, not just one topic

  • Focus on understanding how decisions are made, not just concepts

  • Learn via a structured approach from basics to business applications

  • Combines planning, analysis, and decision-making

By the End of This Course, You Will Be Able To:

  • Understand how companies build budgets and forecasts

  • Analyze financial performance using key concepts

  • Evaluate financial decisions using structured thinking

  • Connect planning, analysis, and business outcomes

  • Think like an FP&A professional

About the Course Director

This course is designed and guided by Dheeraj Vaidya, Co-Founder of WallStreetMojo and ExcelMojo, with over 20 years of experience in finance training and professional education.

He holds credentials including IIT, IIM, CFA, and FRM, and has trained 100,000+ students and professionals across multiple industries. His professional experience includes working with organizations such as JPMorgan, CLSA, Bennett Coleman, and Adventity, where he gained deep exposure to real-world financial analysis and business decision-making.

As Course Director, he ensures that the content is practical, structured, and aligned with how financial planning and analysis concepts and techniques are applied in real business environments.

The course is delivered by an experienced ExcelMojo trainer, following a structured methodology designed under his guidance.

Who this course is for:

  • Beginners who want to understand how businesses plan finances
  • Students preparing for careers in finance or analytics
  • Professionals looking to strengthen financial decision-making skills
  • Entrepreneurs and business owners who want to understand budgeting, forecasting, and financial performance
  • Anyone interested in budgeting, forecasting, and business finance

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