NEW Financial Modeling Training Courses

We are super excited to announce 6 new WSO courses to help you develop the most critical skills to succeed in your finance career! We are offering a major package discount with lifetime access for all 6 courses.

New WSO Courses:

WSO Elite Modeling Package (6 courses above) - Learn More

 

For over a decade, we have partnered with two great training providers and we endorsed their courses as a great way to help anyone looking to gain an edge and improve these critical skills…so the obvious question is...

 

Why create -- yet another-- Financial Modeling Training package?

It really came down to three primary reasons:

  1. Access to Elite Pros. Given 1 million+ visits each month, the 750,000 registered members, and the 700+ mentors already working with WSO, we knew we could cherry-pick the best rock-star pros to develop and teach each course. ---- For example, instead of one person trying to teach all of the courses, we selected a megafund private equity pro to teach LBO modeling and a bulge bracket M&A investment banker to develop the M&A course and an M&A Director from an elite boutique to deliver the content. ---This allows our instructors to always give real-world context to the modules and lessons. On top of that, we lean on WSO’s network to also surround each instructor with a team of 3 co-instructors (other rock-star professionals in that niche) to help vet each lesson. These pros come from Morgan Stanley, Goldman, MDP, Barclays, Moelis, KKR, Evercore (+ more) with direct relevant experience to the course material.
     
  2. Better learning experience. - No more long boring lessons -- all microlessons, each with its own distinct learning outcome (well researched to help with retention) - Gamification (bananas!) to work toward real-life rewards (real incentive). - High-quality post-production on every video to help you focus on critical concepts and stay alert - Max the monkey! Alongside our expert instructors, Max will make the lessons a lot more fun.
     
  3. Community and Mission. At the core, WSO is and always will be a community -- what better place to learn than in a community of like-minded students and professionals? One of the 3 missions we highlighted 14 years ago for WSO was...

To help every student and professional around the world, regardless of their background, develop superior career skills and access the same opportunities as those with the most privilege.

We truly believe that these courses are a critical step so that we can meet this final mission with more purpose. Our first announcement on this front was the launch of the WSO Financial Aid Program just a few weeks ago!

If you have any questions, we are happy to answer them in the comments or feel free to click through to the course descriptions below to get a better feel of what’s included.

New WSO Courses:

WSO Elite Modeling Package (6 courses above) - Learn More

 

As always, thank you to all of the WSO members that make this community so strong and we look forward to serving all of you in this next exciting chapter! The WSO Team

 

UPDATES [March 2021]:  The team has been hard at work and we have the following updates...

PACKAGE CHANGES:  The WSO Foundations Package changed slightly.  We replaced the Financial Statement Modeling Course ($197) with the Accounting Foundations Course ($97) so we also lowered that price by $50 to reflect a bundled discount.  We felt like less overlap with the Elite modeling package made sense and Accounting truly is a foundational skill along with Excel and PPT, so it fit the package better.

ON DECK:  An Advanced Accounting course is in the works, ETA July 2021

RELATEDPublic Training Bootcamps are now LIVE (insanely discounted compared to what else is out there so they are selling out) and WSO is coming to a bank near you as we roll out more live corporate training.  Interestedin helping your employees get more efficient?  Book a Call

 

thank you! It has been a LOOOONG road, but I'm very happy with how they are coming out :-)

and thank you to all of the beta users that helped us improve the LMS over the past few months! We've made a ton of minor changes over the past 8 weeks... when combined actually make a big difference in the UX:

  1. Autoplay with lesson caching for quickjumps
  2. Close captioning on all videos
  3. UI/UX improvements with for lesson nav
  4. File downloads attached into specific lessons...

...those are only a few and more improvements coming.

-Patrick

 

UPDATE: All Courses in Elite Package are 100% Complete AND now offer Certificates for Students!

Update on courses [11/1/20]:

1.  All 6 courses in the Elite package are 100% complete.  M&A Modeling, Excel Modeling, Financial Statement Modeling, LBO Modeling, and Valuation Modeling DCF Modeling Course!

2. Professional Support from IB/PE pros - we've successfully scaled up this team and implemented a process so now that any technical comments about the course/material will quickly be answered by qualified pros that still work in the industry. We are super excited about this and think that it's a HUGE value add for students and one way we are leveraging our MASSIVE team of amazing WSO mentors (over 700 members now!)

5. Courses on the Docket ... We are currently pre-selling a PowerPoint for Finance course, a Real Estate Modeling Course (this already has 4 modeling tests/cases live and counting) and a Venture Capital Course I'm super excited about (better material than VC bootcamps that charge $6,000/head) ...we expect to have more announcements coming soon for those. Course development for a Basic Accounting and Advanced Accounting Course have also started and will be 2021 releases.

We are still on the hunt for several instructors to start development on a Bond Course - Fixed Income and a Restructuring Modeling Course...if you and/or anyone you know you think would be a great person to help develop these, please reach out!

Stay tuned!
Patrick

ps - we also aren't resting with our more famous older courses -- we have leveraged the WSO community reach to make the Private Equity Interview Course even more of a powerhouse.  We just crowdsourced over 10 more modeling tests from top PE firms and we are in the process of scrubbing and uploading these to the course (some of them we'll walk through and add additional modules to help make sure students see the best way to approach them)...

 

Hey Patrick, Just a couple questions

1) Once I pay for the Elite Modeling Package, is it accessible for 12 months from the billing date?

2) Once all the content is ready & available for this package, would I have to pay anything extra or the amount I pay now covers for it?

3) Do I get a certificate or so as well?

Thank You!

 

Any chance of releasing a package without the LBO and M&A modelling course for ER? The other four would be super useful, but paying for the full thing when using only 4/6 is overkill

 

We also have the WSO Foundations Package option which is currently discounted since PPT for Finance is still in development.

It includes 1) Excel Modeling Course 2) Financial Statement Modeling and 3) PowerPoint for Finance...but if you get that for $247 now and then wait for the Valuation + DCF courses to be released, even if we make a less expensive bundle (say $247 instead of $294), when you add those it will undoubtedly be more than the current package price -- already heavily discounted since 3 of the courses are in still process.

I can say in terms of release schedule, we're likely looking at late June/early July on the Valuation, mid-late August on DCF, M&A and PPT.

 

Thanks! Is the PPT for Finance a part of the Elite package or is that going to be sold separately?

 
Most Helpful
LDNFinance:
Congrats Patrick. I recall WSO used to partner with Wall Street Prep ('WSP') as course provider, is this no longer the case? Also how does this course compare with others such as WSP, the screenshots look kinda similar so I'm just wondering if this is a joint offering or something separate entirely. Thanks

That's correct, we partnered with WSP for almost a decade (and BIWS before that)! I think they both (and several others) offer a great program, we just thought there were ways to improve upon them. This is a separate package entirely.

It's probably first easier to say how we are similar:

  • Learning outcomes we are trying to achieve = financial modeling mastery
  • Many of the courses use a case study framework (Nike in our case)

What is different in the WSO package:

  • The instructors were selected based on specific niche expertise to make sure real world context was included across all of the lessons. In the other packages, often there is just 1 teacher (the CEO) across all (or most) of the courses -- LBO or M&A courses, for example, taught by somene that never worked in private equity or M&A and/or has been out of the industry for a while. We think this matters.

  • The delivery of the courses is very different. We thought we could significantly improve the way the courses were delivered to help increase student engagement/retention including:

    • No more long boring lessons = all microlessons, each with its own distinct learning outcome (well researched to help with retention)

    • Gamification (bananas!) to work toward real-life rewards (real incentive).

    • High-quality post-production on every video to help you focus on critical concepts and stay alert

    • Max the monkey! Alongside our expert instructors, Max will make the lessons a lot more fun

Hopefully that makes things more clear... Thank you for the questions! Patrick

 

Great question. The PE Interview Course has 9 LBO modeling tests and a long section on LBOs in the PDF textbook that comes along with the course, but it is much more focused on reps and acing these tests in an interview context rather than developing the full-blown LBO modeling skills needed for an associate at a top PE fund.

This is also why in the PE interview course we also have audio recordings we provide of actual PE pros walking through previous deals in the context of a PE interview (with cheat sheet templates we provided them and you can use).

While the LBO modeling tests are great for landing the job, they do not have detailed dives on 1) how to deal with 2017 Tax reform in a modeling context 2) how you would model in a dynamic dividend recap 3) how you would model a roll-up strategy dynamicly with add-on acquisitions... The LBO Modeling course does all of those (+more) and also goes into a lot more depth on LBOs from a *modeling* context (theory as well, of course) -- it is simply a badass course and one that covers more than any other LBO modeling course out there (the benefit of spending $$$ and hiring several top private equity professionals to help develop it :-)

Hopefully that helps! Thank you for the question.
Patrick

 

Congrats on the roll out Patrick, this is fantastic. Having already purchased the PE interview guide, I am definitely interested in the discounted LBO modeling course. Sounds like the email will contain instructions on how to add on, but let me know if easy to upgrade off the website.

Thanks again for all the help, WSO was huge in both locking up my IB job and my next PE job. Can't say enough good things.

 

Damn if I had waited on buying the WSP package a week I would've gone with this... I did use the WSO referral code so hopefully you guys got something out of it.

Pat/Team; How would you say your course is similar/different/better than what WSP has to offer?

Go all the way
 
TheFlyingKiwi:
Damn if I had waited on buying the WSP package a week I would've gone with this... I did use the WSO referral code so hopefully you guys got something out of it.
No worries at all man. Yes, that did help the community if you used the referral/affiliate link. Thank you. I think they do have a refund policy if you want to switch :-)
Pat/Team; How would you say your course is similar/different/better than what WSP has to offer?
I gave a detailed description of how we are similar and different in response to LDNFinance up above. If you have any other questions please let me know.

For those of you that have been trying to purchase today, of course because of Murphy's Law, Paypal limited our account earlier today (we really need to switch payment processors)...I think because of the higher volume of new purchases at a new price point. (so dumb)

Anyways, we are back OPEN FOR BUSINESS. :-)

-Patrick

 

Thanks Pat, I glanced over that.

Are you able to say how many hours the 6 courses total? Or a break down of hours of content per course would be great too.

I'm already ~5 hours into the WSP course... I'll have to hop on the phone with them and see if I can work something out. This package is a deal for me haha.

Go all the way
 

You mentioned above there is a RE modeling course in the works. Is there RE specific version of this package WSO is thinking about putting together eg excel, accounting, RE modeling, etc.? I'm interested, but don't see much value in the current package given the DCF, LBO and M&A courses don't do much for me. Currently working at a debt shop and if I left would be looking to make the jump to REPE.

 

Hi EBITDA - while there won't be a "package" per se, there are discounts offered to previous clients so it will be easy to build your own (or just get in when we first announce the courses because that is the lowest price)... so lets say you purchase the Excel (standalone) and the RE modeling course once it's available (not saying accounting because we don't have that in dev yet)...then you'd have a RE oriented package.

That being said, just keep an eye out for the RE Modeling Course announcement because we are going to make it dirt cheap to start (probably $97) and the ratchet it up significantly as more and more tests and video lessons are added (and then even more once the full blown modeling course is built out inside of the LMS, not just the tests). I'd expect the final price to be closer to $497 for that course within ~6-9 months, so if you get in at $97, that's a great deal.

Stay tuned! Thank you for the question. Patrick

 

Hello Patrick, I'm really interested in this package. However I have some basic questions. I'm just a sophomore in Europe planning to study 2 years more of master's degree so please keep this in mind. 1º Until when is this package discount available? 2º Once I get this package, will I have free access to all the resources "forever"? 3º Is there any disadvantage in the package content for those who study and want to work in Europe? 4º Regarding the resources like the database, may I have a code in order to use the 1st year of the bonus content and also for the Elite Support whenever I want? 5º Will the content of this package be renewed or updated with the time? 6º How important is the Coronavirus economic crisis in the content of the package? Seems a really promising package. Thanks again.

 
fabianvillegas7:
Hello Patrick, I'm really interested in this package. However I have some basic questions. I'm just a sophomore in Europe planning to study 2 years more of master's degree so please keep this in mind. 1º Until when is this package discount available?
Up until we release the Valuation Modeling Course...which we estimate to be soemtime in the next ~4-6 weeks...so near end of June or early July. At that time it will jump to $497.
2º Once I get this package, will I have free access to all the resources "forever"?
Yes, you will have access to the courses (and additional modules/lessons we add over the years) forever. The only thing you won't have access to forever are two of the bonuses = WSO Company Database and the WSO Video Library which is 1 year of access from date of purchase (or we can delay this and give you access when you feel it would be most useful to you - like when you have interviews).
3º Is there any disadvantage in the package content for those who study and want to work in Europe?
The Excel modeling course i'd say no, there is no disadvantage (and I'd also lean that way on the financial statement modeling course)...given the difference in GAAP vs IFRS, I would say in the Purchase Accounting bonus module in the LBO course, there may be some differences there (will need to check with our instructors and it's a great question). On the M&A course we will make sure to outline specific differences in purchase accounting for GAAP vs IFRS.
4º Regarding the resources like the database, may I have a code in order to use the 1st year of the bonus content and also for the Elite Support whenever I want?
If you want to delay access to the bonuses and support + for a later date, that is no problem. Just send WallStreetOasis.com>[email protected] a message after checking out.
5º Will the content of this package be renewed or updated with the time?
Yes, just like our interview courses we expect to continue collecting feedback and add new modules and lessons as requested over the years to make sure they stay relevant.
6º How important is the Coronavirus economic crisis in the content of the package?
I'm not too sure what you're asking here, but think your question is getting to some of the market volatility around Covid-19 and how that might have impacted the courses. Given that the valuation and DCF courses do have some market elements to them (and/or projections), it does have an impact from a pure #s/returns/multiples standpoint, but it's kind of irrelevant to teaching the fundamentals of modeling and actually provides for a more interesting backdrop to discuss valuation, trading comps, LBOs, M&A, etc. But no, the courses don't dive heavily into any sort of Covid-19 discussions...I hope that answers your questions!
Seems a really promising package. Thanks again.
Thank you for the questions! I'll get back to you and update this once I speak more with the instructors about IFRS vs GAAP to try and give you a more detailed answer.

Thanks for considering! Patrick

 

Hi Fabian - more info from one of our main instructors on the LBO course and how relevant it is for countries outside the USA:

Everything is relevant with the exception of the Tax Schedule....that is very specific to new US tax laws. If running a model in any other country, they will have to model out their respective country's tax laws. Once they figure out what taxable income is and what cash taxes are, that all links to one line and they can link to the income statement which will then properly flow throughout the model...
 

Congratulations on the new addition to the platform. My uni ends in the beginning of July and starts again in September. I was hoping to smash out a modeling course over the summer. Do you perhaps know when in August the M&A and DCF modeling course are released? (Beginning, mid or end.)

 
tinus:

Congratulations on the new addition to the platform. My uni ends in the beginning of July and starts again in September. I was hoping to smash out a modeling course over the summer. Do you perhaps know when in August the M&A and DCF modeling course are released? (Beginning, mid or end.)

I don't want to promise early Aug because I think it's a bit optimistic (even though we're aiming for that we don't want to rush the process). It is more likely mid or late Aug, although we may end up releasing version 1 of the videos for Valuation, M&A and DCF (before a lot of the animation and post production work is finished) into the LMS to help with timelines.

This way, students in a rush can start those as the final editing and details are added over the following 2-3 weeks. Valuation will definitely be the next one released since its being recorded now (I think early-mid July release), but the exact timing of M&A and DCF (as well as PPT and Real Estate) are a bit harder to predict.

Thanks for the question! Patrick

 

Hi Patrick First of all congrats on putting out this project!

I’m interested to purchase the whole package, but I’m not sure if I should rather pick BIWS or WSP.

Is there a recommendation from anyone or from you which would be the most suitable for someone who has very little M&A experience, is about to graduate already and might lack fundamentals. Would like to use one of these courses to land some internships. Thanks

 

Hi SmallEyedMonkey -- Our course bundle includes a very foundational Excel course so I would think that if you have less experience (in M&A or modeling in general), ours might be a good fit for you.

In my response to LDNFinance above, I outlined how we are similar and how we are different to other financial modeling packages out there so you can get a better feel of what we tried to improve upon compared to what is out there already.

I hope that is helpful. Whatever you choose, good luck! Patrick

 

Hello Patrick

I’m a 2020 Spring intake-MS Finance student at Stevens Institute.

I was going through various online courses available & recently joined the WSO community.

I am seeking a future in Investment Banking/Venture Capitalism & wanted your inputs on what course/package do you recommend?

Since TTS, WSP are considerably expensive & I can get the early discounted rates at WSO, I was wondering if WSO courses would cover all the necessary knowledge required to seek an internship over next summer & a potential job later? (especially since the course doesnt cover Accounting & PPT) I just want to confirm since I’m fairly new to this & want to ensure the correct path.

I believe that the Elite Modelling Package would be a good fit but since I’m just a semester through my degree, I wanted your input.

Thank You.

Take Care (Go Bananas!)

Parth H. Somayya.

 
ParthSomayya:
Hello Patrick

I’m a 2020 Spring intake-MS Finance student at Stevens Institute.

I was going through various online courses available & recently joined the WSO community.

I am seeking a future in Investment Banking/Venture Capitalism & wanted your inputs on what course/package do you recommend?

Hi Parth!

If you are looking for specific guidance on how to land a job in IB, you are better off likely purchasing the IB interview course. The financial modeling courses are great to also help prep you for interviews, but they are obviously more focused on the actual skill developement (when the function of whether or not you can land an internship is still really much more of who you know = networking and your performance in the interviews).

Since TTS, WSP are considerably expensive & I can get the early discounted rates at WSO, I was wondering if WSO courses would cover all the necessary knowledge required to seek an internship over next summer & a potential job later? (especially since the course doesnt cover Accounting & PPT)
Yes, none of these "packages" include Accouting or Powerpoint as part of the modeling bundle, however, if you do decide to invest in one of these, I would push you to get one that has Excel as part of the main package since it is so foundational to make sure you are an expert in that program (no matter what finance career you follow).
I just want to confirm since I’m fairly new to this & want to ensure the correct path.

I believe that the Elite Modelling Package would be a good fit but since I’m just a semester through my degree, I wanted your input.

To be honest, given the IB/VC range of outcomes, I think you'd be much better served to try and figure out what you want because those two paths are VERY VERY different. While I think developing these skillsets is incredibly important to succeed on the job, given that you're coming from an MS Finance that I've never heard of, I'd say it's likely much more important you learn how to start meeting 10-20 people per week in these industries, now.
Thank You.

Take Care (Go Bananas!)

If you're already aggressively networking then you can ignore the advice above and yes, I think we'd be a great option for developing your financial modeling skills (just an FYI, there tends to be much less modeling in VC and we will likely be releasing a VC course in the next ~3-4 months as well).

Good luck with whatever you decide! Patrick

 

Hi Patrick, thank you a couple quick questions on the new lbo model being released. - does it include IPO as an exit? - does it include earnout optionality - are there lessons on how to merge balance sheets for add-ons with the platform acq - what about more idiosyncratic toggle features like convertible preferred debt, liquidation preference, warrants and equity co-invests. Will these be included in the model? Thank you

 

Thanks for the questions.

  • Does it include IPO as an exit?The assumptions of a sale at exit in functionally very similar...either way shareholders are cashing out, so I'm not sure what additional value that brings the student to assume it is an IPO.

  • does it include earnout optionality No, although we do plan on adding a discussion (and potetially modeling this out as part of our M&A Modeling course) with regard to earnouts. With other rare idiosnycracies, we had to balance length of the course with value. Adding a few additional hours to the course that can distract from the understandings of the core LBO we think could be detrimental. Students and IB professionals should understand earnouts and it may be something we add in as another bonus module, but for now given how long and how detailed the course already was, we decided it's a better fit for M&A.

  • are there lessons on how to merge balance sheets for add-ons with the platform acq The bonus module with the add on acquisition have flexible toggles based on year, size of acquisition and models out a representative acquisition target which flows into the model in a waterfall structure (based on timing). The balance sheet impact treats it as an asset acquisition as a simplifying assumption since it doesn't make a difference for calculating returns. If you had a specific acquisition with all of the specific balance sheet data, you could replicate the equity purchase price accounting that was done at entry for the LBO (the goal of the roll-up bonus module was more to be able to toggle add-ons and show the impact of buying down your multiple on returns)...

  • what about more idiosyncratic toggle features like convertible preferred debt, liquidation preference, warrants and equity co-invests. Will these be included in the model? Yes, we have a preferred stock + mezz stock structure (dilutive which we model out) with PIK toggles. There are endless numbers of other structures we could include...for example, we could we have a bonus modules showing the returns and sensitivities with a 2x liquidation preference on the senior debt or preferreds with a base/downside scenario-- I think this is great feedback and something we will strongly consider building out in additional bonus modules....that being said, the current course and what is included will really get you 99% of the knowledge base for a job in private equity.

Like all the WSO courses, we expect to continue investing to improve them over the years to help add more of these wrinkles. We will definitely keep everyone updated as more features are rolled out throughout the rest of this year!

Thanks, Patrick

 

Hi! first, thank you for offering such a great course! there’s one thing I want to know. Does it includes some kind of certification after the completion? I’m a 1st year student at uni, so without any relevant experience, I think it would help me a lot to show my interests in finance.

 

Thanks for the question D.K.!

This is definitely on the product roadmap and will be released sometime in the next ~3-6 months. If we have a simple certificate of completion it is much easier to implement and something that we could add sooner (and may do that).

However, I think it is more valuable to have a respected certification alongside the financial modeling training packages that tests the students for modeling mastery with an actual proctor so that the "certification" is not just a simple multiple choice exam that someone can keep taking until they pass. (this is obviously a much bigger lift but one I think we can pull off with enough time and I think it's important enough to warrant the investment).

So short answer is yes, it's coming and will be part of the package.

Thanks! Patrick

 

Hey Patrick! Congrats on the course release. Interested in the course but was hoping to know the reaction of people who might have tried these beforehand. Did you run a pilot and do you mind sharing the experience/ comments from the test group. I understand that I can try the course myself and with the no questions asked return policy, i’m not risking a lot. But just wanted to hear the review in general.

Thanks again for the course and also your podcast rocks!!

 

Hi Aaron - thanks for the questions!

Did you run a pilot and do you mind sharing the experience/ comments from the test group. I understand that I can try the course myself and with the no questions asked return policy, i'm not risking a lot. But just wanted to hear the review in general.

Yes, on top of having multiple "co-instructors" and many of the relevant professionals in our mentor network review the courses in detail, we also ran a very extensive pilot with ~30 beta users going through all of the courses and telling us anything/everything they liked and *, more importantly,* anything they felt was missing or could make the courses better (we plan on doing this for ALL courses).

The feedback was overwhelmingly positive -- many raved about the clarity of instruction and the context the instructors were able to deliver (how things were used on the job)...that being said, they definitely helped us get the platform to the next level before launch including:

1. Close captioning across all lessons to make them more accessible [done]
2. Improved navigation with countdown + autostart at the end of each lesson [done]
3. Speed with pre-load caching system so that the next lesson loads lightening fast after one finishes (this is out for Chrome, coming soon for Safari as well) [done for chrome, coming for Safari]
4. Better lesson labeling for easier navigation [done]
5. Scroll anchoring on left lesson bar for easier navigation within lesson views [done]
....among other small things (all put together they do add up to a major UX improvement)

They also helped us validate the benefits of a lot of interactive exercises and our product roadmap. One of our main priorities in the next few month is to add a lot more short quizzes throughout the courses to just reinforce the learning objectives of each module. (as mentioned above, this is also the precursor to adding a more robust certification that actually means something)

Thanks again for the course and also your podcast rocks!!
Thanks for listening!
Patrick
 

Just bought the course along with Rosenbaum's book (Investment Banking). It's looking like a scholarly summer--wish me luck!

Started listening to the podcasts as well. Everyone's calling to "Patrick," so I'm guessing that's your name, right?

Keep it up Patrick!

 

Patrick,

I have a subscription to the PE prep interview course and have done some courses on financial modeling before (Financial Statement Modeling, DCF, Comps, M&A, LBO) but find that they lack content on how to develop assumptions or the basis for projections. I am interested in WSO's Elite Modeling Package and would to ask a few questions:

1) Would you rate the level of the WSO courses (DCF, Comps, M&A, LBO) as Intermediate or Advanced? Reason for asking as I am looking for a more advanced course.

2) Will the course content contain any tips or best practices on modeling?

A few days to go before the discount ends, so wanted to find out the above before I make a final decision.

Thanks!

 

Thanks for the questions:

1) I would say they can take a beginner and bring them up through the advanced levels. You could call the Excel Modeling Course...a "beginners" course since it starts out very basic, however, by the end we are doing very complex work...so I hesitate to call any of them "intermediate" or "advanced". It is expected that there is at least some foundational knowledge in accounting (we are working on a foundational accounting course but that is likely a 2021 release)

The goal is that is a student or professional spends the time to go through these courses that they will come out on the other end with a much better grasp of how to build financial models in a variety of contexts...some people may call that intermediate...others may call it advanced, so I think it really depends on your perspective.

If you are looking for a very deep dive on how to develop assumptions, I don't think you would classify it as advanced since we are using the case-based methodology (Nike) to build out our projections and the focus on most of these is on the mechanics of the actual modeling, not in debating whether Nike's China division will grow at 6% or 7.5%...at the modeling level, your job will more likely be to build a flexible model that can dynamically adjust without breaking to a variety of different cases/scenarios...this is the focus.

2) Yes, absolutely...our instructors are really good at bringing in real world context into the lessons since we only hire top pros from top firms to teach these courses and I push them to ground the lessons -- this means a lot of tips on best-practices are included throughout the lessons/courses.

I hope that helps! Patrick

 

Hey Patrick, really been enjoying the course so far, the team has outdone themselves.

Quick bit of feedback about something that would really improve the interface/usability though. The scrollbar on the left where you scroll through the videos always resets up to Module 1 in a course when you go onto a new lesson even if you may be on Module 12. This can get really annoying if you want to quickly check out a video that's a few ahead/behind, or go back to a previous module. Scrolling from Module 1 all the way back to the current module you're on can get tedious if you're frequently jumping between videos that aren't directly preceding or next.

Overall though, it's been fantastic, but a small change like that would really improve the user experience so thought it'd be worth letting you know. Thank you!

 

Yes, we pushed this left bar scroll anchoring (we thought) several weeks ago so I'm surprised to hear about this... can you share what browser/system you're using and I'll send to the devs ASAP? Also, thanks for the kind words... I think people are going to be blown away by the depth of the Valuation Modeling Course once it's fully up :-)

 

Chrome on Windows 10, thank you that'd be a big help. I have no doubts at all, looking forward to it!

 

Hi Mr. Rogers - thanks for the question. From my response above to FlyingKiwi...

We don't have an exact hour count because several are being recorded right now, but I would expect between ~45-55 hours across the 6 courses (so I'd budget ~70-100hrs to complete and review it properly unless you like watching at 1.5-2x speed which could bring it down).

I'd be careful just looking at total time though because (for example) our LBO modeling course is a similar length to the other courses out there but 1) some are very dated and 2) almost none of them are taught by a professional with private equity experience and thus you see there are some gaps (same issue with M&A course).

Some examples just for LBO include (but not limited to) 1. not showing how 2017 Tax reform should be modeled dynically into an LBO to account for the rule changes through 2023 (pretty major) 2. not showing how to model in dividend recaps dynamically so you can quickly toggle assumptions to different years 3. not including dynamic modeling lessons on add-on acquisitions or roll-up strategies which are fairly common nowadays to "buy down your multiple."... among others...

Also, the Valuation Modeling Course which is now ~90% uploaded into the LMS is by far the most robust Valuation modeling course on the market with a ton of comps spread and detailed discussions on very nuanced adjustments and the rationale behind each and every one (but I think it's not much longer time wise, even at 170+ lessons and counting!).

  • the WSO Excel Modeling Course is included in the WSO Elite package whereas with other packages out there, there is a seperate "crash course" they charge extra for...

I hope that is helpful! Patrick

 

Hi,

Just going through the first course in my boundle. So far it looks very useful

Is it normal that every lesson starts muted and I need to click the speaker in the top right-hand corner to unmute ?

 

https://wistia.com/learn/product-updates/muted-autoplaying-videos

looks like in some browsers we can't enable autoplay with sound "Likewise, Apple announced future policy changes for autoplay. It all boils down to creating a better experience for the average consumer. Based on a viewer’s past behavior, browsers will decide whether or not autoplaying videos should begin playing with sound. Because autoplaying videos shouldn’t startle your audience and shout at them""

 

Hi,

I've recently just finished the Excel Modelling and Financial Statment Modelling courses and I must say that they were quite informative and conveyed information every well: not difficult to follow at all.

I do have a few questions however.

Is there a specific order to complete the courses in?

Could we get an ETA on the M&A and DCF course release date if thats possible?

For the Valuation course,do we have to build our own comps analysis table in excel? There doesn't to be any resources for the course and I'm about 50% through it

 

Hi Joshua! Thanks for the kind words.

  1. No specific order, however, I think Excel and FSM would definitely be the first two, followed by Valuation + DCF since those are the more fundamental modeling and valuation courses. LBO and M&A are a bit more advanced so I'd do those last if possible.

  2. ETA on M&A and DCF...I'd expect DCF+ M&A course to have videos in the LMS by end of August...That means final animations + post production work likely by mid/late Sept, but you should be able to dive in before end of August.

  3. Valuation is up but we haven't announced it yet because there is still a lot of work going into it and the videos are still getting edited, coure materials still getting added, etc. No, you will not have to build your own -- specific to that, we'll make sure to get those course materials up by tomorrow EOD for the people that have started that one already.

Thanks, Patrick

 

Update on the remaining courses since we are now in early September:

1.  95% of the M&A modeling course has been uploaded ...this will be finished this week so that students in a rush can dive right in. Final post-production work on the videos like animations, etc will be completed throughout the month

2.  ~50% of the DCF modeling course has been uploaded for students...  this will be finished by mid-Sept with final post-production work following the 2-3 weeks after that.

Once these final two courses of the Elite package are finished (ie post production done), they will also be available for individual sale.

We have some exciting announcements coming for the PE interview course as well as new courses getting announced soon, including a Venture Capital Course, a real estate modeling course and a PPT for finance course.  We're super excited how these are turning out with the talented team of instructors we've put together.

Stay tuned!

Patrick

 

Hi,

This looks excellent and I'm really tempted, I just have a couple of questions (apologies if these have already been addressed somewhere).

1 - How much explanation of the theory is given in the videos? I.e. is it assumed that people taking this course already have a solid understanding of accounting etc. or is there an explanation of the principles as the lessons go along?

2 - How long would you expect each of the 6 courses to take to complete approximately? I'm looking at doing this to fill the time since I deferred an exam from December to May but would probably only be looking to dedicate a few months to the modelling course before returning to my normal studies. Would it be realistic to complete the first 2 courses in this time then refer back to the remaining 4 in the future?

Thanks very much for any help and for putting out such useful content,

G

 

ChasingConvexity

Hi,

This looks excellent and I'm really tempted, I just have a couple of questions (apologies if these have already been addressed somewhere).

1 - How much explanation of the theory is given in the videos? I.e. is it assumed that people taking this course already have a solid understanding of accounting etc. or is there an explanation of the principles as the lessons go along?

It is helpful if the student knows basic accounting, however, the financial statement modeling course still starts our very basic and gradually gets more complex as you link up the 3 statements.  So while we would recommend at least doing a simple online course in accounting (we have that course coming out in 2021 but you can get one anywhere), it is not absolutely required to get through these courses and develop important modeling skills.  What I will say is before diving into LBO and M&A, you should start off with Excel + Financial Statement Modeling and then go to Valuation + DCF and save M&A and LBO for last since they are the most advanced.

2 - How long would you expect each of the 6 courses to take to complete approximately? I'm looking at doing this to fill the time since I deferred an exam from December to May but would probably only be looking to dedicate a few months to the modelling course before returning to my normal studies. Would it be realistic to complete the first 2 courses in this time then refer back to the remaining 4 in the future?

Yes, this is absolutely realistic.  If you spend ~2 weeks dedicated and drilling doing ~30hrs per week you could not only get through the courses, but likely get through them in a lot of detail with drilling.  Depending on your familiarity with the material, each course can take anywhere from 3hrs (if you are already familiar and are doing playback speed of 1.5x, for example) to up to ~15hrs if you are playing at normal speed, repeating/drilling exercises (which we recommend if you're not fast or need to listen to a lot of lessons 2 or 3 times).  An estimate of the time for each for someone with a decent understanding going in but still relatively new to most of the concepts would be:

1.  Excel - 10hrs (critical to develop the proper habits first)

2. FSM - 8hrs

3. Valuation - 12hrs

4. DCF - 8hrs

5. M&A - 5hrs

6. LBO - 10hrs

Thanks very much for any help and for putting out such useful content,

G

No problem, thanks for the questions!

Patrick

 

Patrick congratulations on the release. Seriously, you and Tim did an absolutely fantastic job and the quality of content is excellent. 
 

The M&A model needs work, but I am certain you and your team will provide a top-tier M&A course in the near future. 
 

Way to go WSO team. 

 

Exciting new bonus announcement for the Elite package....

On top of the...

  • 100+ hours of video content in the video library,
  • the thousands of interview insights + salary datapoints you get access to (Company DB access)
  • 2 years of pro support from actual industry pros with targeted expertise

We've released and packaged an additional 18 mini-courses that automatically get added to your Courses when you purchase the Elite package ($486 value alone)

On top of this, over the next few months you can also expect:

  • 6 months free Macabacus account ($120 value)
  • Major discounts to our mentor services
  • More mini courses getting added for no additional cost

That being said...pricing is going to bump soon with all of these extra bonuses.

Any questions, fire away!

Patrick

 

looking like closer to year end...we've had some hiccups and I want to make sure it's awesome when it comes out.  I'm hopeful for earlier but don't want to promise anything.  As we get closer to recording lessons you'll see the course start to populate with the videos (hopefully that starts in ~4-6 weeks) with the final wrap up likely closer to the 8-12 week range.

 

Hi!  Yes, the DCF and financial modeling courses can be used in Europe.  The main benefit of the courses is not the currency the courses are taught in but the practice of modeling.  There may be some purchase price accounting differences (short file expaining some of the differences here), but overall your job is less about accounting and more about Excel skills and being able to link up the 3 statements properly.  Good luck!  Patrick

 

We likewise have the WSO Foundations Package choice which is right now limited since PPT for Finance is as yet being developed. 

It incorporates 1) Excel Modeling Course 2) Financial Statement Modeling and 3) PowerPoint for Finance...but in the event that you get that for $247 now and, at that point hang tight for the Valuation + DCF courses to be delivered, regardless of whether we make a more affordable group , when you add those it will without a doubt be more than the current bundle cost - as of now vigorously limited since 3 of the courses are in still cycle. 

I can say regarding discharge plan, we're probably taking a gander at late June/early July on the Valuation, mid-late August on DCF, M&A and PPT.

 

The model, presentation and material will be largely unchanged, so it's not a complete redo, but the instructor narrating the videos did not give sufficient context when walking through the model so I don't feel like it's up to the standard of our other courses.  For this reason, we're going to get it re-recorded it with one of our top instructors that recorded our LBO modeling course and has gotten rave reviews.   Stay tuned :-)

 

Is there any timing update on when we can expect the revamped M&A course and the PPT course to be fully uploaded?

 

PowerPoint course videos are already getting uploaded to the LMS, expect all to be done end of Feb at the latest including editing of the videos, post production work, etc...along with that, the real estate modeling course just got some more modules and will likely get a new one every 3-4 weeks until it's fully done (likely in Q2). The Accounting Foundations course we also expect to start preselling soon with release in Q2 as well. 

M&A course re-recording is still TBD... I'm still looking for someone to help with that but I'm being very picky so we deliver top quality so I'd prefer not to commit to timing on this (yet). 

 

Hi Patrick, congrats for launching new courses.
Will you bundle/offer the power point course together with the elite modeling package someday (of course with higher price)?

Will you also offer student rebate/coupon code for student for your self study progammes in the future?

 

Hey Patrick thanks for offering these new courses. I was wondering how the 1 year WSO database access will work if I already have access. Will it just add on to what I already have? Let says I have 6 months originally and then I purchase this. Will I have 18 months or will I just have 1 year. Thanks!

 

You can delay the 1-year access to the company database to whenever you want it (just shoot support an email)...so that means if you still have 6 months of access based on an annual sub to WSO Premium, you can ping support in 6 months and ask them to grant the year access starting then from the Elite modedling package purchase...so 18 months is the answer.  Good question.

 

Thanks!
Basically looking for some advanced practice case studies to prepare for interview rounds.

So, the WSO library would have them?

 

WallStreetOasis.com  what order would you recommend to go through the courses?

I have the following below:

 

UPDATES [March 2021]:  The team has been hard at work and we have the following updates...

PACKAGE CHANGES:  The WSO Foundations Package changed slightly.  We replaced the Financial Statement Modeling Course ($197) with the Accounting Foundations Course ($97) so we also lowered that price by $50 to reflect a bundled discount.  We felt like less overlap with the Elite modeling package made sense and Accounting truly is a foundational skill along with Excel and PPT, so it fit the package better.

ON DECK:  An Advanced Accounting course is in the works, ETA July 2021

RELATEDPublic Training Bootcamps are now LIVE (insanely discounted compared to what else is out there so they are selling out) and WSO is coming to a bank near you as we roll out more live corporate training.  Interestedin helping your employees get more efficient?  Book a Call

 

As an upcoming undergraduate student, just finishing high school studies, what is the suitable order for me to take these courses?

I would like to take Accounting Foundation/PowerPoint first, then modeling package. Is this right?

 

Hi Patrick, 

Loved the LBO course and now looking to do the M&A course, however, I've read above that you are getting it re-recorded. 

Do you have any update on the proposed re-recording of this course, and can you confirm that for those of us that purchase the course prior to the re-recording, we will get access to the new M&A course when it is ready for no additional cost? 

 

Hey Patrick, just wanted to see where you were on the M&A course update. I was reading that you were planning on re-recording that and wanted to know if you have an estimated date that you’ll have it finished.

 

Hi. I'm matriculating into an MBA program this fall. I'm contemplating buying Elite package. Do you think this is helpful? I have no finance background and thinking of learning modelling by August. Thanks

 

Iste reprehenderit omnis animi magnam nisi dolorum similique. Aut odio ducimus laborum totam maxime. Et sit doloremque quaerat ipsam quia quo. Delectus corporis asperiores quod cupiditate quas voluptatem sunt. Ut blanditiis et magnam. Et facilis velit et enim.

Enim natus quo ab. Sunt eum vel a nisi. Dolores occaecati rerum occaecati adipisci consequatur voluptas.

Et temporibus autem quo officiis ut. Explicabo fugiat vel mollitia dolor laudantium. Labore delectus modi officia fugit. Sapiente corporis deleniti ea vel eligendi facere. Aperiam quasi illo ab hic similique officia voluptatibus quibusdam.

Corporis voluptate at facilis ea non necessitatibus. Magnam sequi et cum ut repudiandae illum. Sit nobis adipisci molestiae ullam animi eum corporis.

kiwi
 

Molestiae numquam qui corrupti voluptate. Omnis earum et et aperiam ut. Voluptas dolorum blanditiis excepturi. Eius quae consequatur sequi quibusdam odit eum quasi. Deserunt iusto at vel voluptates omnis eos quia.

Soluta amet explicabo aut id. Suscipit et beatae tenetur molestias dolores. Eligendi officia adipisci et aut. Vel dicta asperiores quod. Eos ipsum fuga debitis vero exercitationem iusto sit eveniet.

Alias voluptate aut illo consequatur maxime qui. Maiores ea in nobis ipsa sed officia maiores illum. Doloremque odio illo cupiditate dolores occaecati quasi voluptas. Aut placeat eligendi doloribus amet sunt tempora. Omnis quae sint ut qui voluptas nobis magnam.

Ab molestiae laudantium sed eos quia nihil. Asperiores numquam qui et et velit. Quidem dignissimos omnis magnam quos. Recusandae quae odio aspernatur ipsa quisquam consequatur qui. Autem libero repellendus pariatur iure non atque quidem. Qui qui id dolorem suscipit.

[Comment removed by mod team]
 

Eum eos dolore accusamus sit. Quo quis voluptatem culpa et dolorum.

Amet tempora ut repellat sint. Id quo sapiente fugiat quod sed consequuntur ut eum. Non facere suscipit qui eum. Quos illum molestiae molestias omnis et a atque. Quo est aut id. Rerum animi incidunt aut ad dolores. Cupiditate asperiores nisi autem cupiditate officiis aut et.

Harum laudantium sapiente officiis odit quia. Quam aut eos voluptatem dolores.

Voluptatum dolor qui dolorem aspernatur. Iure rerum similique sint quod illum omnis. Dolorum qui dicta et rerum. Culpa sint illum quis eaque eveniet quia. Omnis et animi porro est eveniet. Minima et adipisci vel nisi.

[Comment removed by mod team]
 

Exercitationem atque aspernatur est sit temporibus earum debitis. Qui atque nam excepturi aut repellat. Voluptas sed alias voluptatem illo laudantium aut. Amet est velit cumque quo ipsum nulla. Quam ut explicabo amet dolorem similique ducimus.

Corrupti ea iure accusamus et harum facilis qui porro. Officiis error porro sed recusandae suscipit saepe. Temporibus ipsum corrupti quam laudantium eaque.

 

Voluptas enim alias est enim et eos. Quo consequatur fugiat non fugiat dolore vitae id quis. Voluptatibus numquam modi molestiae omnis dolores corporis. Ut eligendi et corrupti non voluptates ad. Et sunt magnam officia facilis tempora.

Dolore aut qui voluptatibus cupiditate ab iste neque. Ea sapiente odit ut facilis aliquam nihil. In fuga ea ex est aspernatur. Molestiae aut tempora enim quidem veniam a modi dolores. Maiores placeat nisi et sunt quam. Minus magni est alias dolores totam quasi ut.

A Perfect day is When the soul Smile😀

Career Advancement Opportunities

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Jefferies & Company 02 99.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 19 98.8%
  • Harris Williams & Co. (++) 98.3%
  • Lazard Freres 02 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 03 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Harris Williams & Co. 18 99.4%
  • JPMorgan Chase 10 98.8%
  • Lazard Freres 05 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.7%
  • William Blair 03 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Lazard Freres 01 99.4%
  • Jefferies & Company 02 98.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 17 98.3%
  • Moelis & Company 07 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 05 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Director/MD (5) $648
  • Vice President (19) $385
  • Associates (86) $261
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (13) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (33) $170
  • 2nd Year Analyst (66) $168
  • 1st Year Analyst (202) $159
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (144) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”