KRG InstituteFinancial Analysis Education

Complete analyst path

The Complete Financial Analyst Guide

An integrated learning path through financial modeling, data analysis, automation, visualization, and corporate reporting, plus one optional specialization.

Pre-Order for $399 Buy for a Team
Core courses4
Optional specialization1
AssessmentFinal exam
Individual value$696

Program architecture

One workflow from raw data to management decision.

The package is sequenced so each course supplies the inputs for the next. It is not a loose bundle of unrelated classes.

  1. 01Build a controlled financial model from source data
  2. 02Explain performance with driver and variance analysis
  3. 03Automate repeatable finance work with review controls
  4. 04Turn analysis into a concise management report
01

8 modules · 32 lessons

Financial Modeling in Excel

Build controlled, decision-ready models from source data through scenario analysis.

02

10 modules · 40 lessons

Data Analysis, Automation & Visualization

Move from structured data and practical automation to clear Power BI reporting.

03

10 modules · 40 lessons

AI for Financial Automation

Apply AI to finance workflows with controls, review steps, and documented outputs.

04

7 modules · 28 lessons

The Corporate Reporting Guide

Turn analysis into management reporting that explains performance and prompts action.

+

Optional specialization

Choose one role-focused extension

Apply the core system in project finance, FP&A, or an advanced technical workflow.

Who It's For

Early-career analysts, finance professionals, and operators who want a connected workflow from data through a management-ready recommendation.

Prerequisites & Tools

Basic spreadsheet familiarity and financial-statement literacy. A Windows computer with Microsoft 365 Excel and Power BI Desktop is recommended for the full workflow. Software subscriptions are not included; Mac-only users should ask about feature compatibility before purchasing.

Format & Access

Planned as self-paced video lessons with practice files, module checks, and a final assessment. This is a $399 pre-order, not immediate access to a completed course. No release date or lifetime-access guarantee is currently promised; the final access period will be specified in release terms.

Applied Work

Build a controlled workbook, a repeatable data transformation, a performance dashboard, a reviewed automation workflow, and an executive reporting pack. Source checks and documentation are part of each deliverable.

Curriculum

Expand each course to review its planned modules, lessons, and practical outputs.

Financial Modeling in Excel8 Modules · 32 Lessons

01 Controlled Workbook Architecture

  1. Separate inputs, calculations, checks, and outputs
  2. Set workbook conventions and version controls
  3. Build assumptions, units, and source registers
  4. Use formatting to communicate meaning

Applied Work: A reusable financial-model workbook shell.

02 Formula Fluency for Modeling

  1. Build flexible lookups with XLOOKUP and INDEX
  2. Aggregate with SUMIFS and dynamic criteria
  3. Use dynamic arrays for changing datasets
  4. Make complex logic readable with LET and LAMBDA

Applied Work: A formula pattern library for recurring modeling tasks.

03 Source Data and Power Query

  1. Import workbooks, folders, and CSV files
  2. Clean, type, and reshape transaction data
  3. Apply mapping tables and exception checks
  4. Create a controlled refresh sequence

Applied Work: A refreshable source-data pipeline feeding the model.

04 Build Connected Financial Statements

  1. Map historical financial data
  2. Build supporting operating schedules
  3. Connect the three statements
  4. Add balance and cash reconciliation checks

Applied Work: A connected three-statement model with visible controls.

05 Driver-Based Forecasting

  1. Translate operating drivers into assumptions
  2. Forecast revenue, cost, working capital, and cash
  3. Build base, downside, and upside cases
  4. Create sensitivities and decision thresholds

Applied Work: A twelve-month driver-based forecast with three scenarios.

06 Operating Models and Planning Schedules

  1. Build headcount and compensation schedules
  2. Model units, pricing, and utilization
  3. Separate fixed, variable, and step costs
  4. Create scenario-ready assumption switches

Applied Work: An integrated operating plan linked to the financial statements.

07 Model Outputs and Decision Views

  1. Design summary pages and output schedules
  2. Build actual-versus-plan comparisons
  3. Create sensitivities and scenario summaries
  4. Use charts only where they clarify the decision

Applied Work: A management-ready Excel output pack.

08 Audit, Optimize, and Hand Off

  1. Trace logic and locate fragile hardcodes
  2. Run reconciliations and reasonableness tests
  3. Improve speed without hiding logic
  4. Document ownership, refreshes, and changes

Applied Work: An audit checklist, change log, and model handoff guide.

Data Analysis, Automation & Visualization10 Modules · 40 Lessons

01 Start With the Decision

  1. Translate stakeholder questions into measures
  2. Choose the reporting grain and refresh cadence
  3. Separate monitoring views from diagnostic views
  4. Sketch the page hierarchy before building

Applied Work: A one-page dashboard brief tied to a management decision.

02 Structure Analysis in Excel

  1. Use Excel Tables, named ranges, and structured references
  2. Build reusable analytical formulas and checks
  3. Create PivotTables for fast exploration
  4. Separate exploratory work from the reporting output

Applied Work: A controlled Excel analysis workbook with an auditable output.

03 Introduction to Macros and VBA

  1. Record, inspect, and safely edit a macro
  2. Understand procedures, variables, ranges, and loops
  3. Add validation, error handling, and a visible run log
  4. Package a repeatable reporting task without hiding the logic

Applied Work: A documented macro that automates one controlled reporting task.

04 Prepare Data in Power Query

  1. Connect workbooks, folders, and flat-file exports
  2. Standardize dates, signs, account labels, and dimensions
  3. Build mapping tables and exception queues
  4. Document a repeatable refresh process

Applied Work: A refreshable Power Query pipeline with mapping controls.

05 Build the Semantic Model

  1. Separate facts from dimensions
  2. Create one-to-many relationships deliberately
  3. Build a fiscal calendar and reporting periods
  4. Diagnose ambiguous filters and broken totals

Applied Work: A documented financial reporting model with a controlled date table.

06 Write Durable DAX Measures

  1. Know when to use measures instead of calculated columns
  2. Control filter context with CALCULATE
  3. Build period-to-date and prior-period measures
  4. Validate totals, percentages, and blank behavior

Applied Work: A core DAX measure library for management reporting.

07 Design Clear Financial Visuals

  1. Choose charts for trend, variance, mix, and concentration
  2. Use tables and matrices without overwhelming the reader
  3. Apply consistent number formats and variance conventions
  4. Design for executives, analysts, and small screens

Applied Work: A reusable financial-report page system.

08 Explain Variance and Drivers

  1. Create budget-versus-actual and forecast-versus-actual views
  2. Separate rate, volume, mix, and timing effects
  3. Add drill-through without losing context
  4. Write a concise performance narrative

Applied Work: A driver-focused variance dashboard with written interpretation.

09 Publish, Secure, and Refresh

  1. Publish to workspaces and apps
  2. Configure row-level security thoughtfully
  3. Plan gateways, credentials, and refresh schedules
  4. Monitor failures and document ownership

Applied Work: A publication and refresh control checklist.

10 Capstone Management Dashboard

  1. Build the executive overview
  2. Add financial and operating-driver pages
  3. Complete a visual and calculation quality review
  4. Prepare the user guide and handoff

Applied Work: A management-ready Power BI report and handoff guide.

AI for Financial Automation10 Modules · 40 Lessons

01 Financial Automation Strategy

  1. Map a Finance Workflow From Trigger to Final Decision
  2. Separate Rules, Repetition, Judgment, and Approval
  3. Score Use Cases for Value, Risk, and Feasibility
  4. Baseline Time, Errors, Rework, and Review Effort

Applied Work: A prioritized financial-automation opportunity register with baseline measures.

02 Responsible AI and Financial Data Governance

  1. Classify Financial Data Before It Enters an AI Tool
  2. Set Approved-Tool, Access, Retention, and Sharing Boundaries
  3. Identify Bias, Privacy, Confidentiality, and Model Risks
  4. Assign Human Review and Decision Accountability

Applied Work: An AI governance checklist and approval matrix for a finance team.

03 Prompt and Context Design for Finance

  1. Write Prompts With Role, Task, Context, Constraints, and Format
  2. Package Source Data and Definitions Without Losing Traceability
  3. Use Examples and Rubrics to Control Financial Outputs
  4. Build and Version a Reusable Finance Prompt Library

Applied Work: A version-controlled prompt library for recurring financial work.

04 Reliable Data Intake and Classification

  1. Extract Tables and Fields From Common Finance Documents
  2. Normalize Accounts, Entities, Periods, and Operating Dimensions
  3. Build Mapping Rules With Confidence and Exception Thresholds
  4. Create an Exception Queue for Ambiguous or Missing Data

Applied Work: A repeatable intake workflow with mapping rules and an exception queue.

05 AI-Assisted Excel and Model Automation

  1. Generate and Review Excel Formulas Against Test Cases
  2. Draft Power Query Transformations From a Defined Data Contract
  3. Use VBA and Office Scripts for Controlled Repetitive Tasks
  4. Validate Automated Model Changes With Reconciliation Checks

Applied Work: An AI-assisted workbook process with documented tests and review gates.

06 Close, Reconciliation, and Review Automation

  1. Automate Account Matching and Reconciliation Preparation
  2. Detect Unusual Transactions, Balances, and Period Movements
  3. Generate Tie-Out Evidence Without Auto-Clearing Exceptions
  4. Build Reviewer Signoff and Escalation Into the Workflow

Applied Work: A close-review workflow with reconciliations, exceptions, and signoff evidence.

07 Variance Analysis and Narrative Automation

  1. Structure Rate, Volume, Mix, Timing, and One-Time Drivers
  2. Draft Commentary Only From Reconciled Variance Tables
  3. Require Source References for Every Quantitative Statement
  4. Edit Narratives for Cause, Implication, Owner, and Action

Applied Work: A controlled variance-commentary workflow with source traceability.

08 Forecasting and Decision-Support Copilots

  1. Translate Business Inputs Into Explicit Forecast Assumptions
  2. Generate Scenarios Without Letting AI Invent Financial Results
  3. Challenge Driver Relationships, Constraints, and Missing Cases
  4. Draft a Decision Memo From Approved Model Outputs

Applied Work: A scenario workflow and decision memo tied to a controlled financial model.

09 APIs, Workflow Orchestration, and Agent Patterns

  1. Understand APIs, Webhooks, Triggers, and Actions
  2. Design Human-in-the-Loop and Multi-Step Agent Workflows
  3. Limit Tool Permissions and Protect Secrets
  4. Handle Retries, Duplicate Events, Timeouts, and Failed Steps

Applied Work: A documented automation blueprint with permissions, handoffs, and failure paths.

10 Testing, Monitoring, and the Automation Capstone

  1. Build Golden Datasets and Expected-Output Tests
  2. Run Regression, Edge-Case, and Hallucination Checks
  3. Monitor Accuracy, Exceptions, Cost, and Cycle Time
  4. Complete and Defend an End-to-End Finance Automation

Applied Work: A tested automation capstone with controls, monitoring, and an operating handoff.

The Corporate Reporting Guide7 Modules · 28 Lessons

01 The Three Statements as One System

  1. Follow net income into equity and cash flow
  2. Connect ending cash across the statements
  3. Distinguish operating, investing, and financing activity
  4. Recognize when the statements do not reconcile

Applied Work: A three-statement connection map and reconciliation checklist.

02 Quality of Revenue and Margin

  1. Separate price, volume, and mix effects
  2. Read gross margin and contribution margin correctly
  3. Identify customer and product concentration
  4. Connect operating activity to reported revenue

Applied Work: A revenue and margin diagnostic page.

03 EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA

  1. Bridge operating income to EBITDA
  2. Distinguish recurring costs from defensible adjustments
  3. Document add-backs and owner normalization items
  4. Recognize earnings-quality warning signs

Applied Work: A documented EBITDA bridge with an adjustment support schedule.

04 Working Capital and Cash Conversion

  1. Read receivables, inventory, and payables together
  2. Calculate days sales outstanding and cash conversion
  3. Separate growth investment from collection problems
  4. Build a plain-English cash bridge

Applied Work: A working-capital trend and cash-conversion analysis.

05 Debt, Leverage, and Covenants

  1. Distinguish senior, subordinated, and revolving debt
  2. Calculate leverage and coverage ratios
  3. Read covenant definitions and headroom
  4. Explain refinancing and maturity risk

Applied Work: A debt schedule and covenant headroom summary.

06 Valuation Vocabulary Without False Precision

  1. Distinguish enterprise value from equity value
  2. Understand multiples and comparable references
  3. Connect net debt and working capital to proceeds
  4. Know when a credentialed appraisal is required

Applied Work: A transaction-vocabulary reference and bridge example.

07 From Reporting to Executive Insight

  1. Choose the comparison that fits the decision
  2. Separate signal from noise
  3. Write a defensible performance narrative
  4. Structure an executive reporting page

Applied Work: A one-page executive reporting brief.

Completion

A Certificate of Completion follows the required lessons, module checks, and a passing final assessment when those components are released. An optional specialization is named only after its separate assessment is passed. This is not an accredited degree or professional license.

Instructor

Anfernee McLemore, Founder & Principal of Keystone Reporting Group. His background spans pricing, program finance, manufacturing finance, FP&A, healthcare transaction analysis, financial modeling, and reporting automation.

Leadership & Credentials

Questions Before You Enroll

When can I start?

The package is in production. The pre-order reserves access upon release, with updates sent to the checkout email. No release date is currently promised.

What if I need a refund?

You may request a full refund before this package is released. See the Pre-Order Terms for cancellation and purchase details.

How do I get help or sign in?

Use the email enrolled at checkout to request a sign-in code. Email support@krginstitute.com for enrollment or technical help. No ChatGPT account is required for learner email sign-in.

Do I need paid AI software?

Tool capabilities vary by provider and plan. Third-party software is not included; final lesson requirements will identify any paid features. Do not upload confidential employer or client data to AI tools without authorization.

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