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Financial Modeling: FMVA, DCFs, and AI in Excel with Tim Vipond

Financial Modeling: FMVA, DCFs, and AI in Excel with Tim Vipond

Author: Andrew Sather, Stephen Morris, and Evan Raidt June 1, 2026 Duration: 43:18
The Investing for Beginners Podcast - Your Path to Financial Freedom
BusinessInvesting
Andrew sits down with Tim Vipond, co-founder and CEO of Corporate Finance Institute (CFI), to talk about what it really takes to learn financial modeling and valuation—without getting lost in the weeds. Tim shares how he went from teaching a live modeling course at a university to building CFI into a major online education platform, and why strong accounting fundamentals matter more than most people expect. They also get practical about how beginners can stop feeling overwhelmed by financial statements, how to think about DCFs and valuation frameworks, and what separates people who “kind of know finance” from people who can actually build models. Finally, Tim breaks down how AI is changing the workflow—especially using tools like Claude inside Excel to build models faster and even audit spreadsheets for errors. What You Will Learn What the FMVA certification is and what skills it teaches Why financial modeling often requires more accounting than people expect A beginner-friendly way to start learning financial statements How CFI used SEO & content repurposing to grow  How AI can help analysts build and audit Excel models faster Timestamps 00:00 — Tim Vipond joins & why Andrew’s used CFI to learn finance topics 01:12 — How CFI started: teaching modeling live, then launching online in 2016 03:45 — Valuing a mining company 06:55 — FMVA explained: what’s inside the certification 09:26 — Why accounting feels hard 12:11 — Advice for beginners overwhelmed by numbers  14:28 — Operator mindset: value drivers, staying profitable, and discipline vs “raise forever” businesses 19:12 — SEO growth playbook: how CFI outranked competitors by making better content 21:11 — Breaking into investment banking 25:21 — AI for finance pros: using Claude in Excel to build models and catch errors  Resources Mentioned The Value Spotlight Newsletter: ⁠https://einvestingforbeginners.com/value-spotlight-newsletter⁠/ Have questions or want your story featured? Email the show at ⁠newsletter@einvestingforbeginners.com⁠ or comment below. Your feedback shapes the podcast! Remember, invest with a margin of safety—emphasis on the safety. Have a great week, and we’ll talk to you next time. Timestamps are generated by artificial intelligence, and are not 100% accurate depending on the platform used for listening. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Today’s show is sponsored by: Download the Plynk app today to start building your investing confidence. https://plynkinvest.app.link/plynkifb2026 Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SHOPIFY.COM/beginners⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to start selling with Shopify today.⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.shopify.com/beginners⁠⁠⁠⁠  Upgrade your wardrobe with Quince to get high-quality, luxury essentials at a fraction of the cost by visiting ⁠https://quince.com/beginners⁠  Turn your passion into profit, connect directly with eager buyers, and grow your business by hosting live, interactive auctions at ⁠https://whatnot.com/sell⁠  Supercharge your productivity and automate your daily tasks by building custom AI agents in your all-in-one workspace at ⁠https://notion.com/investing⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Interested in how your company sponsor the show? Reach us at  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠equity@einvestingforbeginners.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SUBSCRIBE TO THE SHOW⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tunein Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Navigating the stock market can feel like deciphering a foreign language, but it doesn't have to. The Investing for Beginners Podcast-Your Path to Financial Freedom, hosted by Andrew Sather, Stephen Morris, and Evan Raidt, exists to translate that complexity into clear, actionable understanding. This isn't about get-rich-quick schemes; it's a practical guide built on foundational principles. Each episode breaks down how successful, long-term strategies actually work, focusing on core approaches like value investing and dividend growth investing. You'll also hear how elements of growth investing and trend following can fit into a thoughtful plan. The hosts delve into the psychological side of the market, discussing how to recognize and potentially benefit from the emotional swings that drive prices, rather than being driven by them. Tuning into this podcast provides a structured education in buying stocks with confidence, moving from uncertainty to a place where you can make your own informed decisions. It’s a steady resource for anyone building their financial literacy from the ground up, aiming to turn the intimidating world of investing into a manageable part of their journey toward greater independence.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

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The Investing for Beginners Podcast - Your Path to Financial Freedom
Podcast Episodes
AAR54 - AI and Your Finances: Tool or Risk [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:54
AI is everywhere—and now it’s creeping into personal finance in a big way. In this episode, Evan is joined by Stephen Morris to talk about what AI could mean for your money, especially as tools like ChatGPT move toward l…
Not All Dividends Are Equal: Dividend Kings, Aristocrats, and Red Flags [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:17
Not all dividends are created equal. In this episode, Andrew and Stephen break down two popular “quality filters” dividend investors use—Dividend Aristocrats and Dividend Kings —and why a long streak can be a useful star…
AAR53-Stop Ballparking It: A Real Plan for Saving Toward a Goal [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:46
In this episode, Evan walks through a real-time example of saving toward a short-to-medium term goal: buying a motorcycle (plus safety gear) ahead of a future motorcycle trip with his best friend. Instead of vague “just…
What “Invest With a Margin of Safety” Really Means [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:14
You hear us say it every week: invest with a margin of safety—emphasis on the safety. In this episode, we finally slow down and explain what that phrase actually means, where it comes from (Benjamin Graham’s The Intellig…
AAR52 - Financial Realities of Home Improvement [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:42
Homeownership comes with a surprise a lot of first-time buyers don’t fully feel until it’s too late: everything costs more—and “small” projects can still run into the thousands. Evan and Andrew break down how home improv…
Live Research: On Holding (ONON) — Great Growth, Big Questions [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:46
In today’s episode, Andrew and Stephen try something new: researching a company live, on-air, in real time. The company is On Holding (ONON)—a premium Swiss running and lifestyle shoe brand both hosts personally like, bu…
AAR51 - The Money and Mental Health Connection [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:11
Money stress isn’t just about dollars—it’s about what money does to your brain. In this episode, Evan and Andrew dig into the real link between mental health and finances: decision fatigue, avoidance, impulsive “therapy…

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