Finance Classes in NYC or Live Online

What is Finance?

Finance is concerned with how money works; whether it’s coming or going from your company. It consists of learning how to use and save money wisely, whether you’re an individual, a business, or a government entity. Specifically, finance can be broken up into three distinct types: personal, corporate, and public finance. Each of these areas is concerned with wealth management and maintenance, regardless of whether it’s businesses handling their cash flow or governments handling debt. Finance is also concerned with investment to increase your net worth through stocks, bonds, and real estate. Furthermore, finance is invested in mitigating financial losses from risky investments or poor decisions. All in all, finance is not only a skill suitable for a solid, highly sought-after career but also a necessary life skill. Anyone who wants to budget, save, and invest responsibly should learn a little more about finance so they can lead lives with fewer stresses and retire comfortably.

Ancient civilizations took part in early forms of trade and lending, which is, at its core, where finance truly began. Merchants would sell goods and services in the busy streets and temples began affording citizens loans. These temples would meticulously account for each loan, recording interest rates and unknowingly laying the foundation for modern banking. The founding of the Amsterdam Stock Exchange in 1611 officially established the stock market, followed quickly by those in London and New York. But what about today? The concept of money has evolved considerably throughout the centuries, from ancient coins found in Greece and Italy to more developed forms of banking such as bills and checkbooks and, inevitably, credit cards and other digitized forms of payment. Finance is more evolved than ever before and both incredibly complex yet streamlined thanks to the rise of the internet. Online banking took off in the 1990s, and in the 2010s, a FinTech boom occurred. From that moment, there was no stopping the shift towards more advanced and digital forms of finance. Whether you consider cryptocurrency, Neobanks, mobile payments, or artificial intelligence (AI)–driven systems, it is easy to see just how drastically the finance world has been modernized.

Why Learn Finance?

If you’re considering learning finance, there is no better time to start than now. Finance is a broad field that employs a significant portion of the United States workforce. You could work in banking, investing, corporate finance, and risk management. If you know finance, you know you’ll have many job opportunities, some of which are rather lucrative. One of the biggest perks of learning finance is knowing that there is job stability. No matter what you do or where you reside, there is a high likelihood that you will have a job since finance is the basis on which society runs. Additionally, companies across all industries need to hire people who understand financial concepts, so you don’t have to work in one sector. You could work in healthcare or education just as easily as you could in entertainment or hospitality.

When you learn finance, you get a wide variety of opportunities, but you also adopt a broader perspective from working in this diverse, complex field. Regardless of your specific title, you’ll likely complete various work projects and tasks while also learning more about finance through a sociological framework. One day, you may work on the latest company budget, and the next, you’ll conduct financial analysis to mitigate any potential risks for profit loss. Each day brings something new. Additionally, finance training helps you understand more about the world around you. For instance, during your finance education, you will gain a sense of how the global economy works, which helps you understand geopolitical trends like international trade and how global markets operate. If you’re traveling abroad, learning about their financial system is a great way to understand more about the way the country functions. Overall, finance can help you secure a stable, well-paying job that broadens your horizons in more ways than one.

While there are many professional reasons to learn finance, there are some major personal benefits as well. One of the most important personal reasons to learn finance is that you’ll have better control over your money. Learning finance helps you make smarter decisions and work more closely within a fixed budget. You’ll become more equipped to save, invest, and plan for the future, whether you want to buy a new car or retire early. In addition, you’ll be more educated on complex financial topics like credit, loans, and interest rates. This can save you a lot of headaches and stress in the future when you know how to approach financial situations like a pro. Beyond that, it’s simply important to have some knowledge of finance because it helps make life easier. Understanding how the economy works gives you a better understanding of how the world works and the bigger picture. This enables you to be smart with decision-making, invest your money intentionally, and be less likely to stress if the economy shifts. If you’re equipped with financial knowledge, you’ve got a valuable life skill that can help you professionally and personally.

What Will You Learn in a Finance Course?

A finance course will equip you with a wide variety of skills and knowledge to help you navigate financial decisions for personal or professional situations. You’ll learn to manage money, analyze financial data, and prepare for the future throughout a finance course, but some skills will be more specialized than others. For instance, many finance courses will teach risk management, forecasting, and budgeting. Some will specialize in analytics and cover financial analysis, modeling, and visualization. On the other hand, some classes take a deep dive into specific software, programming languages, and tools such as a Tableau bootcamp or an Excel course.

Financial Analysis

In a finance course, particularly one focusing on data analytics, you’ll learn the necessary and industry-standard financial analysis skills to assess business performance and investment opportunities. Specifically, in a finance course, you may complete projects that allow you to assess a company’s financial performance by analyzing income statements, cash flow statements, and balance sheets. You may also learn about different ratios such as solvency, liquidity, and profitability ratios. Moreover, you’ll learn how to identify patterns in financial data over time so you can gain more insight and enhance decision-making even further. This may include analyzing and interpreting revenue growth metrics, cost changes, and profit margins. Overall, each financial analysis or finance course will differ, but this is a commonly taught skill as it helps with everything from evaluating investments and assessing company performance to making informed budgeting decisions and acquiring new businesses.

Risk Management

Many finance courses teach risk management and provide techniques to identify, assess, and mitigate any financial risks. At the beginning, you’ll learn about market, credit, operational, and liquidity risks, all of which impact a business or investment. Then, you’ll learn how to evaluate the risk, determine the severity of the risk, and explore strategies to mitigate the risk. By understanding the risk-return trade-off and using techniques like stress testing, you’ll learn to make investment decisions and manage portfolios to receive maximum benefits while ensuring that organizations make smart decisions and protect themselves from financial loss.

Financial Modeling

Financial modeling refers to the detailed projections and valuations that simulate a company’s financial future. In a finance class, you may practice building models for valuation, forecasting cash flow, and assessing project feasibility. You’ll likely cover scenario analysis such as sensitivity analysis, to see how sales growth or interest rate changes could affect a model’s outcomes. Essentially, financial modeling is necessary to make better decisions about investments, business strategies, mergers, and acquisitions as it provides more insight into projected trends and financial performances.

Software, Programming Languages, and Other Tools

Becoming proficient in certain finance tools makes everything from budgeting and reporting to data analytics and visualization far easier. For example, you will likely study or use Excel in a finance course. This is the most industry-standard application for finance professionals as it has numerous functions. You’ll likely learn PivotTables and charts as well as advanced formulas and calculations. On the other hand, you may learn Power BI and Tableau, two of the most powerful data visualization platforms for presentations and reporting. Some classes may emphasize QuickBooks as well, which is a popular tool that assists with accounting, bookkeeping, and financial reporting. Lastly, some finance roles may benefit from learning programming languages such as Python and R. These languages are increasingly important for finance roles, especially those working in data analysis, financial modeling, and trading. These languages can help handle large datasets, automate tasks, and perform more complex statistical analyses. While some of these tools are necessary for some roles more than others, learning the finance tools relevant to your preferred job is the key to performing your role well.

Accounting

You may also opt for accounting classes, in which case you’ll likely learn more about expense reports, revenue management, and ways to evaluate the financial health of a company. This includes understanding financial statements such as balance sheets, income statements, and cash flow statements. In addition, you may practice bookkeeping methods such as recording transactions and maintaining accurate records. In more basic classes, you’ll start with the basics. For instance, you may learn the difference between accrual and cash accounting or learn to write important financial documents. It all depends on the length and depth that the course goes into, but many accounting-heavy finance classes will teach students these standard skills.

Forecasting and Budgeting

The ability to forecast future trends and budget accordingly is an essential skill and helps businesses plan more for the future and plan resource allocation efficiently and appropriately. In a course, you’ll likely learn various methods to predict financial trends such as regression analysis and various economic indicators. You’ll explore quantitative and qualitative methods as well as statistical models. Inevitably, you will learn how to create different financial scenarios and plan for each one accordingly. With budgeting, you will learn how to manage different types of budgets such as cash flow budgets or those associated with a specific project.

What Types of Companies Use Finance?

Nearly every professional field uses finance in some way, but there are a few companies and fields in particular that have strong ties to the finance industry and rely heavily on financial experts to ensure growth, maintain sustainability, and keep operations moving smoothly. If you are looking to develop your professional financial skills and turn them into a career, you may want to consider the type of company you would like to work for and your role within the company. Since finance is such a broad field, you have plenty of options for what you’d like to do on a day-to-day basis.

Banks

Banks are perhaps the most obvious users of finance, as they directly deal with money management, loans, investments, and other financial services. For example, commercial banks provide services like savings accounts, loans, and mortgages. Finance knowledge would be necessary for managing interest rates, ensuring liquidity, and calculating loan risks. Ultimately, they help you make smarter financial decisions. Investment banks will facilitate mergers and raise capital for companies. They also have to stay on top of their risk management skills. Alternatively, credit unions offer competitive rates for consumers while still remaining profitable. This requires strong finance knowledge and aptitude.

Retailers

The term “consumer goods” includes every kind of retailer, from supermarkets to department stores. As such, this wide-ranging industry requires finance teams to keep up with the changes, advancements, and sales. Retail businesses, whether brick-and-mortar or online, rely heavily on finance professionals to manage their daily operations and sustain long-term growth. With the huge boom in ecommerce platforms, finance professionals can help determine product pricing and fair shipping costs, and help retailers prepare for an uptick in market demand. Additionally, they assist with the supply chain and distribution processes, which helps companies allocate funds for shipping, warehouse, and inventory management. Finance is used in virtually every aspect of the retail business, whether your retail company needs to assess supplier contracts or forecast consumer needs.

Investment Firms

Investment firms are predominantly concerned with two main things: managing and growing wealth. A private equity firm will invest in private companies to restructure the business and ultimately increase its value. Strong finance acumen is needed to confirm the potential of a particular investment as well as improve it tenfold. On the other hand, a hedge fund uses financial analysis and market predictions to develop investment strategies. Lastly, a venture capital firm will invest in startups that have a high growth potential. Without finance skills, it’d be impossible to tell which business models are worth investing in, assess the risks associated with the investment, or understand the importance of maintaining a well-organized and developed investment portfolio.

Technology

Finance and tech are tightly bound to one another. Tech companies, especially startups, need finance teams to help fuel their growth and manage their operations. For instance, many tech startups rely on finance knowledge for funding, through venture capital or investors. This includes managing cash flow and preparing a future budget. A startup should know how much funding they’ll need and where they have the best chance of obtaining funding based on the research and development needed for the next project. Finance professionals will work to ensure the company has enough working capital to fund the daily operations while investing in further research, product development, or improvements. However, larger tech firms such as software companies also use finance to manage cash flow, fund product development, manage stock options, and consider employee benefits. By managing these appropriately, the company can attract serious tech talent and remain relevant in a competitive industry. Whether a startup or an established tech giant, finance teams are needed to manage the company’s growth, profits, and long-term financial health.

Educational Institutions

Universities and colleges need well-equipped finance teams to manage tuition fees, funding, endowments, grants, and research projects, to name a few. Beyond educational processes, an educational institution’s financial concerns may also include infrastructural projects such as campus maintenance and beautification efforts. Even something as simple as lawn maintenance costs money and will need to be factored into the budget accordingly. Regardless of the particular subject at hand, many financial decisions made by educational institutions are made carefully and strategically due to a strict budget. For instance, universities need finance experts to set tuition fees and follow a particular budget that accounts for faculty salaries, campus maintenance, and student services. These institutions may also rely on finance to manage grant-funded projects and ensure that costs are tracked and reported accurately. Educational institutions are businesses at their core, which means they’ll need knowledgeable, skilled teams to help guide them through the complexities of financial management.

Hospitals

Like any large organization, hospitals have to ensure they have the funds to provide quality care, maintain company needs, and operate efficiently. Hospitals must have incredibly detailed budgets that outline expected revenue, including things like patient care, insurance reimbursements, and government funding. They also have to factor in costs such as staff salaries, medical supplies, equipment, and utilities. With a detailed financial plan and budget, the hospital will be able to run as intended. Furthermore, some hospitals have patient payment plans for those with particularly high costs. A financial expert at the hospital would set up, maintain, and oversee the financial arrangement with the patient, that way the hospital gets payment over time without damaging cash flow considerably. Hospitals also prepare financial statements, comply with numerous regulations (such as the Affordable Care Act and HIPAA), and undergo internal or external audits to ensure the hospital’s financial standing is sound, secure, and honest. Overall, finance is at the core of every decision a hospital makes. Whether through budgeting, managing insurance, or securing funding, a financial expert will be needed to keep things running smoothly.

Finance Careers

In finance, you can work in numerous specialties, industries, and companies. Some finance professionals focus more on analytics than accounting, and their jobs will differ despite having similar skill sets. If you are interested in a finance career and want to explore your options, read below to learn more about these common finance jobs.

Financial Analyst

A Financial Analyst investigates all the company data, tracks market trends, and helps businesses make decisions based on the data. By interpreting company financial reports and considering things like profit margins, sales data, and forecasts, a Financial Analyst can help companies prepare a better budget and recommend strategies to boost the company’s profits. Essentially, they ensure the company’s financial plan is sufficient and can be a key part of their success and growth as a business. Glassdoor shares that a Financial Analyst in the United States earns anywhere between $63,000 and $99,000, but the average is closer to $79,000.

Bookkeeper

Often considered the backbone of financial recordkeeping, a Bookkeeper handles daily tasks such as tracking financial transactions like sales, expenses, and payroll, and keeps all records organized. They will make sure the books are balanced, the numbers add up, and everything is operating smoothly so the company can continue its regular practices. Reports to Indeed share that the average base salary for a Bookkeeper in the U.S. is close to $46,000 but higher-level positions can rise to $67,000. The salary expectations also vary based on location, as bigger cities like New York City and Los Angeles typically offer higher salaries to account for the cost of living.

Certified Public Accountant

As a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), you will be known as an expert in managing finances. A CPA handles everything from filing tax returns and auditing financial statements to offering financial advice and consultancy. They ensure businesses and individuals are complying with financial regulations, keeping their clients out of any legal trouble as they attempt to grow their overall net worth. Glassdoor estimates that the average CPA in the U.S. earns $134,000 per year on average. However, the range could be anywhere from $100,000 to $184,000.

Private Equity Associate

Private Equity Associates work in the fast-paced world of investing and are typically focused on purchasing and improving private companies. They will analyze potential investment opportunities and decide whether the deal could lead to major profits or if there is too much risk. They help companies thrive and become more profitable by restructuring business plans and budgets or by offering capital. Their work requires strong skills in risk assessment, investments, and generalized finance knowledge. Data from Indeed suggests the average annual base salary for this role in the U.S. is close to $129,000. However, it all depends on location. Those in Boston may see salaries closer to $103,000 whereas those in Washington, D.C. are upwards of $254,000.

What Finance Courses Are Available?

Noble Desktop has numerous finance courses for students to choose from such as the Financial Accounting Bootcamp. This course begins with an introduction to financial accounting and statements, which covers everything from income statement line items and financial metrics to balance sheets and cash flow statements. Then, the course shifts into more advanced concepts like how to work with deferred taxes and manage intercompany investments. By the end of the course, you’ll leave with a true understanding of how accounting, bookkeeping, or other finance-related professionals work.

However, if you are interested in analytics, you could enroll in the Financial Analyst Training Program. Those interested in a career in financial analysis would benefit greatly by building a strong foundation in Excel, surpassing the base-level skills, and learning more about accounting, corporate finance, and valuation. Specifically, using current financial data, you’ll study different modeling techniques and create a DCF model for a public restaurant company. In addition, you’ll learn how to review company presentations, earnings, releases, and financial reports.

The FinTech Bootcamp at Noble Desktop offers a deep overview of FinTech skills, including Python programming, machine learning, data science, financial analysis, and data visualization. You’ll start by learning topics like WACC, NPV, and IRR before moving on to different data types, like integers, strings, and floats. Then, you’ll practice methods for analyzing financial statements, create visualizations and dashboards, and learn to work with data using a graphical user interface. The instructor will also cover advanced querying techniques like subqueries and timestamp functions. Through various hands-on projects, you’ll be able to start a career in FinTech, data analysis, data science, and other finance and tech-related fields.

Additionally, the Excel Bootcamp helps you become fully capable of using this popular spreadsheet application. Many finance professionals use Excel regularly, so this course teaches you everything from calculations and basic functions to graphs and formatting differences. In addition, you’ll learn how to use the various functions, use PivotTables for data management, and filter through various databases. You’ll also use What-If Analysis for data tables and create basic macros. By advancing through all levels of Excel, you’ll leave feeling confident using the application in your daily work life.

At NYC Career Centers, the Financial Analyst Training Program is a five-day dive into Excel for financial modeling, corporate finance and accounting principles, and financial modeling practices. Students will learn how to use different Excel shortcuts, tricks, and functions, like VLOOKUP, INDEX-MATCH, and SUMIF. Through various projects, students will become competent in financial analysis as well. By the end of the course, students will know different financial concepts like enterprise value, stock, bonds, and options while also understanding revenue projections and expense reports, so this program offers a well-rounded, varied education.

The Stock Market Investing Fundamentals course from NYIM Training is an overview of the most essential skills, terms, and concepts for stock market investing. Through six hours of training, students will explore stock investing, valuation, movements, and options. Specifically, students will understand liquidity, market capitalization, and options strategies. By completing several activities, you’ll learn how to find financial reports, earnings estimates, and other important financial information. The instructor will also cover various investing principles that sustain growth and increase profits.

Wall Street Prep hosts a Financial Planning and Analysis Bootcamp that covers corporate finance skills like accounting, corporate strategy, business modeling, data visualization, and FP&A best practices. Students will spend three days learning everything about the world of finance, which is perfectly suited for those interested in starting a career in business or finance.

Likewise, the Financial Modeling and Valuation course from the Investment Banking Institute targets those interested in an analyst, business, or finance position. Students will learn how to build financial models through hands-on projects, including DCF, LBO, and M&A modeling. In addition, students will discuss the best practices for tying together financial statements and researching financial information from various sources.

Certstaffix Training offers an Excel: Dashboards course for those who want to expand their knowledge of dashboard use in Excel. This program spans one day and covers advanced workbooks and worksheets, then covers ways to use them to create dashboards. This makes business data management far more streamlined, accessible, and ready for analysis and, ultimately, decision-making.

Advantages of Taking a Finance Course

Taking a finance course can offer numerous advantages, both professionally and personally. Considering finance plays a role in every industry, from tech startups to hospitals, you can find a job almost anywhere. Every company hires adept financial experts to manage budgets, make financial decisions, and plan for future expenses. Whether you work in corporate finance or FinTech, you’ll have access to dozens of interesting and exciting roles. Essentially, finance professionals are always needed, meaning there’s strong job security and plenty of opportunities.

Additionally, finance opens a huge range of career paths. Between investment banking, asset management, financial analysis, risk management, and financial advisory roles, you can explore something new when you feel the need to switch gears. This keeps things interesting and means you’ll never get bored. Plus, the finance field is always evolving and shifting, which means you’ll learn to keep up with the changing dynamics and learn new things along the way. If you like to stay on your toes and build upon your current skills, finance is the field for you. Plus, there are so many finance classes to choose from that you will never have trouble finding a provider and class that aligns with your needs and goals. You can choose from short courses, bootcamps, or certificate programs that all vary in depth, length, and intended purpose. The sheer variety across the board is what makes taking a finance class so advantageous.

However, there are many personal benefits to learning finance. For instance, taking a finance course could lead to making smarter financial decisions. You can learn how to apply skills in your everyday life to improve your money management and budgeting skills. Whether you’re monitoring your credit card debt or learning how to find the best investment opportunities, you’ll learn how to make smarter spending, saving, and investing choices. This enables you to build your wealth and feel confident handling the fluctuating market. Truly, taking a finance course can help you achieve long-term goals and feel secure in your financial future.

A finance course can provide you with a solid understanding of how the financial world works, both at the personal and professional levels. Whether you want to improve your financial literacy to enhance your career prospects or just make smarter financial decisions, the knowledge you obtain from a finance class is incomparable. You could apply these skills to nearly every aspect of your life or turn them into a meaningful career in a diverse range of positions, like data analysis, banking, investment, risk assessment, and beyond. Finance is a unique and rare skill that would pay off no matter why you choose to learn it, which is why it’s worthwhile enrolling in a finance course.