Corporate Finance: The 10 Laws of Finance
Build your foundation in value, risk, time, and cash flow. Work through interactive lessons, examples, and practice questions.
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From Santa Clara University’s classroom to your next decision.
Learn the idea. Work the numbers. Put it into practice. Explore finance, real estate, entrepreneurship, accounting, and AI through courses, useful tools, and conversations with people doing the work.
Devon Coombs, CPA, MBAAssistant Teaching Professor of Finance and Faculty Director of Real Estate Finance, Santa Clara University
Free learning resources, with no account or email required. Independently published by Devon Coombs; these are not SCU degree or credit-bearing courses.
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280 resources
A preview of each collection. Every resource is available below.Free courses 4
View all 4 free coursesReal Estate Finance
Move from property cash flow to valuation, mortgages, underwriting, and investment decisions.
Entrepreneurial Finance
Understand startup cash needs, valuation, venture capital, dilution, and the economics of a deal.
Applied AI for Finance & Accounting
Practice real finance workflows, evaluate evidence, and keep professional judgment and controls in the process.
Practical guides 15
View all 15 practical guidesExecutive presentation checklist: 10 practical tips
A 10-point executive presentation checklist from SCU finance faculty Devon Coombs. Use before-and-after examples, a free slide outline and a decision brief builder.
Real estate investment committee presentation: outline and example
Build a real estate investment committee presentation: sources and uses, NOI, debt coverage, downside and exit. Includes a worked example and free outline.
Startup pitch financials: what to include and how to explain it
Explain startup pitch financials: market size, unit economics, cash runway, funding needs and dilution. Free examples and a financial slide outline from SCU faculty.
Show 12 more practical guides
How to build a should-cost model
Build a should-cost estimate from materials, labor, overhead and supplier margin. Try a worked example and download a free Excel template.
Financial due diligence: a practical checklist
Understand quality of earnings, EBITDA adjustments, net debt and the working-capital peg. Follow a worked purchase-price bridge and a diligence checklist.
Real estate waterfalls: preferred return, catch-up and promote
See how a GP/LP waterfall allocates profit. Compare an 8% preferred return with and without a GP catch-up in a clear, interactive example.
Gross vs. modified gross vs. NNN leases
Compare gross, modified gross, triple net and absolute net commercial leases. See who pays operating costs and calculate total occupancy cost.
California property tax for a new homebuyer
Understand reassessment, supplemental property tax bills and the costs a mortgage payment leaves out. Includes a California buyer example and official sources.
SaaS bookings vs. billings vs. revenue vs. cash
Follow a $12,000 SaaS contract through bookings, invoices, revenue, cash, receivables and deferred revenue. Includes an interactive monthly timeline.
SOX vs. SOC 2: what is the difference?
Compare SOX financial-reporting controls with SOC 2 service-organization assurance, including SOC 1, Type 1 and Type 2 and practical next steps.
How to write a technical accounting memo
Use a practical technical accounting memo template: facts, issue, authoritative guidance, analysis, alternatives, conclusion, entries and review evidence.
Build a 13-week cash flow forecast with AI support
Build a weekly cash forecast from receipts and payments. Download a free Excel template, test a late collection and use AI for grounded commentary.
SAFE dilution: understand the ownership you sell
Follow a post-money SAFE through a simplified cap table and a later priced round. Understand valuation caps, option pools and dilution with a worked example.
Is $100K a good salary in the Bay Area?
Translate a $100,000 Bay Area salary into hourly pay and a realistic monthly budget. Compare household costs, benefits, saving and career tradeoffs.
CPA vs. CFA vs. MBA: which fits your career?
CPA vs. CFA vs. MBA: compare careers, requirements and tradeoffs. Use the career selector, check California’s 2027 CPA changes, and find SCU resources.
Videos & podcast 84
View all 84 videos & podcast
From Sleeping in My Car to Building a Life in Finance | The 10 Laws of Finance
The story behind The 10 Laws of Finance: Devon’s path from financial hardship to accounting, finance, and teaching.
AI Fundamentals, Class 2: Build Better Workflows and Verify AI’s Work
Build an AI workflow around a defined task, supply useful context, and verify the result before relying on it.
AI Fundamentals, Class 1: Context, Goals, Judgment, and Cost
An introduction to the role of context, goals, professional judgment, and cost in using AI at work.
Show 81 more videos & podcast
AI Tokens, Usage Pricing, and the Future of Revenue Accounting
Explore AI tokens, usage pricing, and the revenue-accounting questions they create for finance teams.
Behind the Scenes of The 10 Laws of Finance | Book, Bloopers & What’s Coming Next
A short look behind the scenes of the book and its supporting finance videos.
Real Estate Finance Explained: NOI, Cap Rates & Financial Statement Analysis
Connect property financial statements, net operating income (NOI), and capitalization rates in a real estate finance lecture.
Capital Budgeting Explained: Discount Rates, NPV, IRR, and Smarter Money Decisions
Work through discount rates, net present value, and internal rate of return when comparing investment decisions.
Diversification Theory Explained: Rebalancing, Correlation & the Efficient Frontier
Understand diversification through correlation, portfolio rebalancing, and the efficient frontier.
Claude for Finance Just Leveled Up: Excel Plugins, Flux Analysis & AI Coworkers
A GAAPSavvy conversation about Claude, Excel workflows, fluctuation analysis, and AI support for finance teams.
Ex-Google CPA Finance Masterclass: Forecasting, TVM, Bond Valuation & Business Valuation
A finance masterclass covering forecasting, time value of money, bond valuation, and business valuation.
Watch AI Build a Finance App From Scratch (ASC 606 Demo)
Watch an AI-assisted application-building workflow using an ASC 606 revenue recognition example.
I Lost Everything. Then I Learned This 1 Financial Rule.
Use Devon’s experience with financial loss to explore concentration risk and the case for diversification.
The AI Paradox: Why Automation is Creating MORE Work (and More Jobs)
Discuss how automation changes work, creates new tasks, and reshapes the skills finance professionals need.
I Lost $10,000 to a Guy Named "Sneaky Badness" (Risk Analysis)
A personal investment story introduces risk analysis and the relationship between risk and expected reward.
The "Time Travel" Skill They Don't Teach in Business School
An introduction to forecasting: using what you know today to think through future financial outcomes.
Is Buying a House a SCAM? A CPA’s Take on the "Rent vs. Buy" Trap
Explore rent-versus-buy reasoning through valuation, cash flow, and the assumptions behind a housing decision.
How to Master FP&A: The Strategic Guide to Forecasting
Learn the role of forecasting in financial planning and analysis (FP&A).
We Replaced a $200K McKinsey Report in 3 Hours Using AI (Live Demo)
Watch a live AI-assisted research workflow and consider how to review a business report’s analysis and evidence.
Why Displaying Wealth Consumes It 10 Laws of Finance: Law 2 Devon Coombs CPA MBA
Connect visible spending, wealth, and financial statement analysis in the second law of finance.
How to Lead Your Finance Team Through the AI Revolution
A conversation about leading finance teams through changes in AI tools, workflows, and responsibilities.
Accounting 101: How to Read Financial Statements (Like a CPA)
Review the accounting equation and learn to connect the balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement.
Ex-Google CPA: Why You Can’t Fix What You Hide (10 Laws of Finance)
Start with an honest financial picture: the opening lesson of The 10 Laws of Finance.
Mastering AI Tools: How Industry Experts Navigate Base Models and Authenticity
Discuss selecting and using AI models with attention to professional judgment and authenticity.
Welcome to Finance 170: Mastering Finance for Personal and Professional Success with Devon Coombs
An archived Finance 170 course introduction connecting finance to personal and professional decisions.
Investigating the AI Bubble: Are OpenAI & Big Tech Hiding Losses?
A discussion of AI economics, large technology companies, and questions to ask about reported financial performance.
Is the AI Bubble Real? Microsoft, OpenAI & The "Round-Tripping" Revenue Loop
A GAAPSavvy discussion of AI investment relationships and the accounting questions raised by circular revenue flows.
Consumption Based Revenue Recognition: ASC 606 & Usage-Based Pricing (SaaS & Cloud Accounting)
Explore ASC 606 revenue recognition for consumption and usage-based pricing in SaaS and cloud businesses.
Cloud Marketplaces, Principal vs Agent, Transaction Fee Classification, & SaaS Accounting (ASC 606)
Discuss principal-versus-agent analysis, marketplace transaction fees, and SaaS revenue accounting under ASC 606.
Unlocking the Power of Time Value of Money: A Comprehensive Guide
Build a foundation in present value, future value, compounding, and discounting.
Understanding P/E vs PEG Ratios | Investment Insights with Devon Coombs
Compare price-to-earnings (P/E) and price/earnings-to-growth (PEG) ratios and the context each measure needs.
Master Financial Statement Analysis: Essential Ratios & Practical Applications
Use financial ratios to interpret company performance and connect the numbers to business questions.
ASC 606 Overview - Revenue Recognition
An introduction to the ASC 606 five-step revenue recognition model.
Unlock Retirement The 4% Rule & Perpetuity Formula Explained
A short introduction to retirement withdrawal assumptions and the perpetuity formula. The assumptions drive the result.
I'm 36. If you're in your 20s watch this:
Personal reflections on money, career choices, and using your twenties intentionally.
Understanding Risk and Reward in Finance: Key Concepts Explained
Review the relationship between investment risk and expected return.
Mastering Portfolio Management: Practice Problems & Key Concepts, Risks, and Strategies
Practice portfolio-management questions covering diversification, risk, and investment strategy.
Decoding WACC, CAPM, and NPV: How Companies Decide on Investments
Connect weighted average cost of capital (WACC), CAPM, and NPV in a capital-budgeting decision.
Understanding the Efficient Frontier: Risk vs. Return
Learn how the efficient frontier compares portfolios by expected return and risk.
Mastering Portfolio Management: Fundamentals & Diversification Explained
Review portfolio-management fundamentals and the role of diversification.
The Ten Golden Rules of Finance - From an Expert ex-Google & Deloitte CPA, MBA
A compact overview of ten finance principles and their application to personal and business decisions.
Financial Valuation Masterclass: 20 Problems Solved (CFA Exam, Corporate Finance, Interviews)
Work through twenty financial valuation problems for course, interview, and exam practice.
Bond Valuation Explained: Annual vs. Semi-Annual Bonds w/ Google Sheets, Calculator, and Algebra
Price annual and semiannual coupon bonds using a spreadsheet, calculator, and algebra.
Valuation 101: The 3 Core Methods to Determine True Worth
An introduction to three approaches to valuation and the questions each helps answer.
How to Price a Bond (2 Easy Methods: Calculator & Math)
Practice pricing a bond with calculator inputs and the underlying mathematics.
How to Value Anything | The 3-Step Framework of Pro Investors
A short framework for approaching a valuation problem before working the numbers.
Stock Valuation: The Gordon Growth Model Step-by-Step
Calculate a stock value using the Gordon growth model and its constant-growth assumptions.
Create UNLIMITED Practice Questions with Gemini & ChatGPT (Master Any Topic!)
Use AI to draft additional practice questions, then check the questions and solutions against your course material.
Time Value of Money Explained in 4 Minutes (10 Real-Life Problems)
Practice ten time-value-of-money examples in a short worked-problem video.
How $10,000 Turns Into $1,000,000 (Simple Rule to Calculate Investment Returns in Under 30 Seconds)
A short compounding example showing how investment growth depends on time and the assumed rate of return.
How $10,000 Can Turn Into $80,000 Using the Rule of 72
Use the Rule of 72 to estimate how long an investment takes to double at an assumed return.
How $10,000 Can Grow with 7% Interest Over Time - Time Value of Money
Work through a future-value example using a stated 7% annual return assumption.
How to Generate $10,000/Month for Life with Investments
Explore an investment-income calculation and the relationship between capital, withdrawals, and return assumptions.
Time Value of Money EXPLAINED: Complete Exam Prep Tutorial (10 Problems Solved)
Prepare with ten solved present-value and future-value problems.
Financial Ratios Explained: A Complete Business Case Study
Apply financial ratios to a business case and interpret what the results mean.
Bonds Net Present Value Calculation - Annuity Tables & Excel
Calculate bond present value using annuity tables and Excel.
Revenue vs. AI Reality
AI is changing how companies think about revenue, pricing, and cost in real time. Devon and Angela work through the accounting problems behind rapid AI feature launches, consumption-based pricing, and why traditional revenue recognition rules are getting harder to apply.
My $400,000 Mistake: A Time Value of Money Lecture
A lecture on the time value of money, from the five variables to the retirement math they drive. Devon uses his own decision to sell $200,000 of Google stock to pay off a 3% mortgage, forfeiting the upside when the stock later tripled, to show what opportunity cost really costs.
Understanding Crypto, Blockchain, and AI With Alula
Alula went from public accounting to founding Edge Consulting Labs, where he works on blockchain in business operations and AI-driven tools. He and Devon, college friends, cover the evolution and misconceptions of cryptocurrency, Bitcoin's scarcity model, and Edge Flow, a blockchain-based inventory management tool.
From Immigrant Accountant to Tech CEO, and Why He Walked Away
Jotham grew up in the Philippines with a chip on his shoulder, broke through as a CPA, then built and led a technology company. A health crisis forced him to re-evaluate everything, and he talks about using a custom ChatGPT to manage his recovery and about trading relentless accomplishment for what matters.
Beyond Billables: How Principal Consulting Group Built a Firm Around People
Ryan Volk and Aaron Einhorn left traditional accounting careers to launch Principal Consulting Group, an advisory firm that puts culture and trust ahead of transactions. They explain hiring slow and firing fast, expanding from technical accounting into data analytics without losing quality, and the leadership lessons that came with growth.
North Pole Marathoner and Oracle Executive: Melissa on Grit in Tech and Endurance
Melissa has navigated billion-dollar transformations in tech, from shrink-wrapped software to global cloud infrastructure and AI, and has run a marathon on a floating sheet of ice with polar bear guards. She connects endurance sport to leading global teams and shares advice for CFOs on risk and understanding a business beyond the numbers.
Your Mindset Is Keeping You Broke and Burnt Out. Here Is How to Fix It.
Kelsie Neibel hit severe burnout more than once in a high-performing sales career that ran through Deloitte and Goldman Sachs. She explains the science-backed methods she used to rewire her thinking, the T-chart method for replacing a scarcity mindset, and how she changed her relationship with money.
Financial Freedom and Tax Strategies With CPA Shane Clark
Shane Clark left 75-hour weeks at a large accounting firm to join his father's tax practice in Los Angeles and build a family-centered business. He and Devon cover tax strategies for high earners, the benefits of owning a business, and the practical steps that stop lifestyle creep.
She Built a SaaS Company Accountants Love, Without the Title, Degree, or VC Backing
Claire went from Deloitte to BlackLine to a startup before founding Kipsy, a software company built for accountants. She talks about leading with a customer-first mindset, finding the right co-founder, the role of mentors, and the challenges she pushed through to get the company where it is.
The Mistake That Killed My Startup Deal, and How to Avoid It
Nickolaus Violin launched a flexible workspace business and nearly lost it to real estate deals gone wrong, difficult landlords, and delayed permits. He talks candidly about trust and betrayal in partnerships, why a handshake is never enough, and where optimism turns into delusion for a founder.
Why Most AI Writing Fails, and How Ray Sang Is Fixing It With Inkwise
Ray Sang, a former Revenue Director at Elastic and Deal Controller at Google, is building Inkwise, an AI writing platform for professionals in law, accounting, and finance. He explains why most AI-generated memos and contracts are flawed, what professional-grade drafting with AI should look like, and drafts a real ASC 606 memo live.
From Burnout to Bestseller: A Nurse's Radical Career Reinvention
Sara Fung was denied stress leave and gaslit by her workplace before she walked away from a toxic healthcare system. She built a business from scratch, started The Gritty Nurse podcast, and reached number one on Canada's bestseller lists while raising kids and recovering from burnout.
We Are All Lying: Blake Oliver on the Collapse of Accounting, and How to Fix It
Blake Oliver, CPA, founder of Earmark and host of the most listened-to accounting podcast, joins Devon to talk about the crisis of trust in the profession: secret timesheets, burnout built into the system, CPE that no longer teaches, and revenue recognition games. They also talk about what it would take to fix it.
They Left $300K Tech Jobs to Build AI for Accountants: TABot's Startup Story
Nina and Harton left careers at Google and Big 4 firms to build TABot, an AI co-pilot for technical accountants. They explain how fine-tuned models save hours in audit and memo preparation, how they dealt with hallucinations in accounting work, and what it takes to run a lean startup in a regulated space.
Getting Promoted Is the Worst Thing That Can Happen (If You Miss This)
Most promotions come with a lie: that you are ready. Executive coach Kent Frazier explains why top performers fail upward into roles they were never trained for, the invisible shift from contributor to leader, and the 90-day playbook every new leader should follow.
Overcoming Blindness and Starting With $20: Ravi Prakash on Leading Global Teams
Ravi Prakash arrived in the United States with no money and no family, lost his eyesight, and went on to lead digital transformation programs at Salesforce and write Safar, a book on resilience and self-mastery. He talks about leading when the odds are stacked against you and why joy has to come before money.
AI Cannot Coach You: Why Most Tech Founders Fail as Leaders
Vladimir Baranov coaches technical founders, including YC-backed teams, through the leadership problems that stall companies. He explains why brilliant engineers cap their own growth, how AI is misused as a crutch instead of a coach, and what breaks when a team reaches 10, 50, or 100 people.
10 Ways to Get a Job So Fast It Should Be Illegal
Larry Jacobson spent 15 years as a technical hiring manager at companies like Snap and Amazon before becoming an executive coach. He and Devon go through job search strategy for experienced professionals: the resume, the LinkedIn profile, networking that works, and how to handle interview questions.
Stop Feeling Lost and Discover Your Purpose
Nadia leads data analytics at Google and came through a period of mental health struggles during COVID-19 by finding her purpose. She shares the practices that got her there: listening to her own voice, reflection and journaling, and bringing her full self to work.
How to Avoid Burnout: Choose Your Life, Not Just Your Career
Eric Nehrlich hit rock bottom after years of 100-hour weeks at Google and rebuilt his career around his values. He talks about the moment he realized he had a choice, the discipline of saying no, and how experimenting with different paths led him to coaching.
Leadership Secrets From a Coast Guard Commander Turned Executive Coach
Shannon McCullar commanded in high-stakes environments before becoming an executive coach. He argues that leadership is influence, trust, and empowerment rather than rank or control, and explains why leaders who rescue their teams set them up to fail.
Why High Performers Get Stuck, and How to Break Through
Dr. Laura Aziz has led more than 3,000 coaching sessions with executives who hit a plateau. She explains why competence alone stops working at a certain level, the blind spots that hold professionals back, and how to communicate with real executive presence.
Trust Is the Ultimate Skill: From Stanford Engineer to Leadership Expert
Chirag Panjikar spent 20 years leading digital transformation and supply chain modernization, including teams of more than 250 people. His conclusion after all of it is that people and trust matter more than any technology, and he explains how to build that trust when a team does not believe in its leadership.
How to Take Control of Your Career and Leadership Growth
Limor Bergman coaches women in tech and engineering through self-doubt and into senior leadership. She walks through her own move from software engineering to executive coaching, the golden handcuffs that kept her in place for years, and why waiting for permission is the most common career mistake she sees.
AI in Finance: Driving Insights, FP&A & Financial Governance
Devon joins Angela Liu and Lynn Gargano to discuss forecasting, accounting workflows, and the controls needed around AI.
From Homeless to $20 Billion Deals: An Accountant’s Journey
An Earmark conversation with Blake Oliver about technical accounting expertise, career choices, ASC 606, and the changing role of AI.
From Homeless to High Impact: Resilience and Reinvention in Accounting
Devon talks with Jotham Ty about finding accounting, learning from adversity, and taking a broader view of a finance career.
From Rock Bottom to Closing Billion-Dollar Deals
Devon’s guest conversation on The Shane Ray Show about his path into accounting and finance.
Moments That Matter: Teaching and Helping
A 2019 On Becoming conversation with Devon about teaching and helping others.
Articles 53
View all 53 articlesThe 10 Laws of Finance: Official Launch
The story and teaching resources behind the book, with its official launch trailer. An August 2026 publication update.
My Book Is Finally Available for Preorder
An archived August 2026 announcement about the book’s origins and the financial education it sets out to offer.
How I Used AI to Build a Financial Reporting Package in Under an Hour
A practical walkthrough of preparing a financial reporting package with AI, including source material, assumptions, and professional review.
Show 50 more articles
Using Agentic Tools: Best Practices
A framework for planning AI work, supplying context, setting governance boundaries, and reviewing the result.
How Does the Founder Shape the Financial Reality of a Startup?
Explore the founder as a startup’s first asset and connect founder characteristics to entrepreneurial finance decisions.
Before You Advise a Founder, Diagnose the Game
A practitioner framework for matching advice to founder context, built on the Founder Archetype Matrix and three diagnostic questions.
Founder Archetype Self-Assessment Survey
A 36-question interactive diagnostic that maps you across five dimensions and generates a tailored archetype with specific guidance. Takes 10 minutes.
The AI Landscape, Distilled: Key Updates (April 2026) and What to Do Next
An April 2026 snapshot of AI platforms and their implications for finance workflows. Read as a dated industry perspective.
Claude Cowork and Skill Packs for Finance
A practitioner's guide to Claude Cowork and Skill Packs. How AI-powered workflows are transforming financial close, reconciliation, and reporting.
Claude Can Now Build Visuals Mid-Conversation
Anthropic shipped a feature this week that sounds incremental but isn't: Claude can now generate interactive visualizations directly inside the chat window.
I Asked 150 Finance Students What They Want From AI. They Rejected All of It.
I asked 150 finance students what they wanted from AI, and they turned all of it down. What they asked for instead, and what I built from it.
Your AI Strategy Is Backwards
Every finance leader I talk to asks the same question first: "What AI tools should we buy?" That's the wrong question and it's costing you months of progress.
Is the AI Boom Built on Funny Money?
Circular deals, trillion-dollar commitments, and depreciation assumptions. How the money behind the AI buildout is structured, and what investors should watch.
Happy Holidays, Grateful for 2025, and Looking Ahead
Reflections on 2025. Gratitude for the community, lessons learned, and what's ahead for AI, finance, and building a life with purpose.
The Hidden Accounting Risks Shaping the AI Economy
The three largest areas of technical accounting risk in the AI economy. Revenue recognition, capitalization, and impairment. And what CFOs need to know.
The Truth About Where You Are
A candid look at where you really are in your career, finances, and life. And why radical honesty about your starting point is the first step to growth.
The Strategic Compass for Automation
A practical framework for CFOs, CAOs, and operators building AI-enabled organizations.
The AI Re-Org: Stop Buying Tools
Why buying AI tools without redesigning your organization is a recipe for failure. A framework for the structural changes AI actually demands.
Did the EU Just Erase Your RPO? Not So Fast.
Unpacking the EU's new regulation and its real impact on remaining performance obligations (RPO). What CFOs and revenue accountants need to know.
What I've Been Building Since Google
An update on what I've been building since leaving Google. Consulting, teaching, AI strategy work, and resources for finance leaders navigating change.
A CEO's Breakthrough Framework
How an immigrant CEO turned his "chip on his shoulder" into a career. And why he had to let it go to build a life worth living.
Scaling Without Losing What Makes You Great
Five years ago, I turned down the chance to help co-found a consulting firm. Not because I didn't believe in the people. I did. But I wasn't ready.
Rule #10: If Everyone Is Avoiding It, Do It
What polar bear guards, AI readiness, and culture-fit calls have in common. The work everyone is avoiding is often the work worth doing.
Is Your Biggest Partnership Deal a Time Bomb?
I've seen it happen more times than I can count. A high-growth company signs a massive, multi-year distribution deal. The press release goes out.
The Secret Weapon of High Achievers
In the relentless pursuit of career goals, it's easy to fall into the trap of constantly doing more, striving harder, and pushing through burnout.
Build a Deals Desk: Finance's Missing Function
Why a Deals Desk is the missing high-leverage function in most finance orgs. And how to build one that drives revenue, enables velocity, and protects margin.
Human-in-the-Loop AI: Why Robots Still Need Us
Why AI won't replace the human judgment layer in finance, and why your org chart is about to flip. Real case studies from enterprise AI deployments.
Tax Strategies for High Earners and Owners
Most high earners don't have a tax problem. They have a lifestyle design problem they didn't know they signed up for.
She Built a SaaS Accountants Actually Love
How Claire Tsukuda built a SaaS company accountants actually love. Without the title, degree, or VC backing. A masterclass in scrappy entrepreneurship.
Leaving Google Cloud: 12 Hard-Earned Rules
After five years at Google Cloud, 12 hard-earned rules on leadership, ambition, deal-making, and building a career with purpose in Big Tech.
AI Is Writing Our Future (But Not Long Division)
Why AI is reshaping how we create, communicate, and lead in finance, but still can't handle basic math. What that means for the future of your team.
What Nurses Taught Me About Lasting Leadership
What nurses taught a CPA about sustainable leadership, burnout prevention, and building careers that last. Lessons every finance leader needs to hear.
Accounting Is an Adventure in Truth and Creativity
A conversation with Blake Oliver on why accounting is more creative than people think, and how the profession is being reshaped by AI and technology.
Use AI Before It Replaces Your Workflows
How AI is transforming accounting workflows and what finance professionals need to do now to stay ahead of automation before it reshapes their roles.
Your RSUs Won't Tuck Your Kids In
A CPA's guide to spotting the precise moment time outperforms money. And why smart companies should care about the human cost of compensation.
You Don't Need $3 Million. You Need a Runway.
Why financial freedom might be 5 years away, not 30. How to build leverage, extend your runway, and create optionality without millions in the bank.
Track Everything: Manage Your Life Like a CFO
You're not broke. You're bleeding. You just haven't slowed down long enough to see it.
Zeal, Alignment, and Energy: Rethinking Success
Authenticity compounds and misalignment drains. Zeal, alignment, and energy as a sharper test of success than optimization and achievement.
From Broke to Boardroom: Lessons from My Car
My leadership training did not come from books. It came from living in my car. What sustained pressure teaches about leading with intention.
3 Steps to a Dream Job Later in Your Career
Brutally honest career advice from hundreds of conversations with executives, coaches, and Big Tech professionals on making bold moves at any stage.
Avoid Burnout by Choosing Your Life First
Outwardly successful and inwardly drained? How to design the life first and the career second, before burnout makes the choice for you.
Breaking Free from Career Stagnation
Many high performers feel trapped in golden handcuffs, a career that pays well but no longer excites them. How to break free and own your growth.
The RISE Again Job Hunting Playbook
A four-step method for a focused job search, written after going from sleeping in my car to leading finance initiatives at Google Cloud.
Why Betting on Yourself Is the Smartest Move
Why I walked away from a six-figure partnership with equity and bonuses attached, and how to judge when betting on yourself is worth the risk.
Meta's Layoffs and the Cost of Misalignment
After Meta let go of over 4,000 employees, including high performers, how to use LinkedIn to actually help, and what misalignment costs.
Rock Bottom Was My Foundation
An excerpt from The 10 Laws of Finance, out now on Amazon. In 2010 I was $10,000 in debt and homeless, and why that turned out to be a foundation rather than an ending.
If You're Going to Drink, Drink in the Morning
Let's be honest. The Monday after the Super Bowl is practically a national holiday of regret.
The Career Mistakes I Wish I Knew at 21
Homeless at 21 after my first business collapsed. The career mistakes that cost me years, and what I would tell anyone starting over today.
Break the Cycle: Rewire Your Brain for Growth
Career moves and money habits feel rational. Often they trace back to subconscious imprints. How to spot yours and rewire the pattern behind them.
Why Resume Spamming Won't Land You a Job
Why blindly applying to hundreds of jobs is a losing strategy. And the targeted approach that actually works in tech, finance, and beyond.
Unlocking Resilience Through Faults and Values
How to align your personality, faults, and core values into a personal operating system for resilience, better decisions, and intentional growth.
The Resilience Pyramid
A layered model for building resilience on purpose, so productivity metrics stop crowding out the parts of life that actually drive fulfillment.
Lessons from My First (Failed) Business
At 18 I leased a North Hollywood recording studio and lost two years of savings. What that first failed business taught me about running one.
Calculators 79
View all 79 calculatorsIncome Waterfall
Calculates effective gross income for a rental property by walking gross potential rent down through vacancy, loss to lease, credit loss, and concessions, then adding other income. Inputs include unit count, market rent, vacancy and credit loss percentages, loss to lease, concessions, and other income, with presets for stabilized, lease-up, and stressed properties.
NOI, OER & Cap Rate
Calculates net operating income, the operating expense ratio, and the implied cap rate for an income property. Inputs are effective gross income, a line-item operating expense budget, and a purchase price or value.
Lease Economics: Expense Stop & Net Effective Rent
Calculates expense-stop or base-year expense recoveries and the net effective rent for a single office or retail lease. Inputs include rentable area, starting rent and annual escalation, lease term, free rent, tenant improvement allowance, and Year 1 operating expenses with a growth rate.
Show 76 more calculators
Discounted Cash Flow (DCF)
Estimates the value of an income property by projecting annual NOI, capitalizing a terminal value at an exit cap rate, and discounting both back to present value. Inputs are Year 1 NOI, an NOI growth rate, the hold period, exit cap rate, selling costs, and a discount rate.
Loan Sizing & The Binding Constraint
Sizes the maximum commercial mortgage under LTV, DSCR, and debt yield tests and shows which constraint binds. Inputs are property value, annual NOI, interest rate, amortization period, and the maximum LTV, minimum DSCR, and minimum debt yield thresholds.
Equity Waterfall, Return of Capital, Pref & Promote
Distributes total sale proceeds through a simplified GP/LP equity waterfall of return of capital, then preferred return, then the promote split, with the pref paid on both LP and GP capital. Inputs are the LP contribution, GP co-investment, preferred return rate, residual split, and total distributable proceeds.
NOI → Cash Flow After Debt Service
Calculates cash flow before and after debt service by netting capital costs, reserves, and loan payments out of NOI, then relates the result to equity invested and an implied value at a cap rate. Inputs include annual NOI, capital project and reserve line items, principal and interest payments, equity invested, and a cap rate.
Levered vs Unlevered Returns (IRR)
Builds a full acquisition model with a driver-based NOI forecast, financing, and sale, then solves for unlevered and levered IRR, equity multiple, cash-on-cash, and debt coverage. Inputs span purchase price, closing costs, loan terms, Year 1 NOI and growth, reserves, hold period, and the terminal cap rate.
Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
Calculates the compound annual growth rate between a beginning and an ending value, alongside total growth and the naive linear average for comparison. Inputs are the beginning value, the ending value, and the number of annual periods.
Comparable Sale Adjustment (Proper Sequence)
Adjusts a comparable sale price in the standard appraisal sequence, transactional adjustments first (financing, then market conditions) and property adjustments after (location, physical, nonrealty), with percentage adjustments compounding. Inputs are the comparable sale price, each adjustment amount or percentage, and the months since the sale.
Cap Rate Toolkit, Direct Cap · Band of Investment · R = Y − g
Values a property by direct capitalization and builds a cap rate two more ways, from a band-of-investment blend of debt and equity and from the growth decomposition R = Y − g. Inputs are stabilized NOI, a market cap rate, the LTV, mortgage constant, and equity dividend rate for the band, and a required return and long-term NOI growth rate.
Commercial Mortgage, Payment, Balloon & the Yield Ladder
Calculates the monthly payment, mortgage constant, Year 1 interest and principal split, balloon balance at maturity, and the yield ladder from note rate to lender yield to effective borrowing cost, held to term or prepaid early. Inputs are the loan amount, note rate, amortization, term, origination points, third-party closing costs, and an optional prepayment year.
Unlevered Property DCF
Values a property from unlevered cash flows, growing NOI and escalating reserves each year and adding a reversion at an exit cap rate net of selling costs, all discounted at the property rate. Inputs include Year 1 NOI and growth, Year 1 reserves and escalation, the discount rate, hold period, exit cap rate, and selling costs.
Quick-Check Screener
Screens an asking price with four quick checks, price per unit, price per square foot, gross rent multiplier, and implied cap rate, each flagged against a market benchmark. Inputs are the asking price, unit count, building area, gross annual rent, NOI, and the comparable market figures for each screen.
Valuation Sensitivity
Builds one-variable and two-variable direct-capitalization sensitivity tables showing how value moves as the cap rate and NOI change. Inputs are the base NOI, the base cap rate, and the step sizes for each variable.
Investment Decision, NPV, IRR & MIRR
Evaluates a single property acquisition on unlevered and levered NPV and IRR, equity multiple, cash-on-cash, and MIRR. Inputs cover purchase price, Year 1 NOI and growth, reserves, hold period, exit cap rate, selling costs, loan terms, and the required returns.
After-Tax Cash Flow & Tax at Sale
Calculates annual depreciation and tax savings, the tax due at sale split into depreciation recapture and capital gain, and the resulting after-tax levered IRR and NPV on the chapter’s worked deal. The interactive inputs are the depreciable basis, recovery period, ordinary, recapture, and capital gain tax rates, up-front loan costs, and the after-tax required return, while the operating deal itself stays fixed.
CAPM & Expected NPV
Calculates a CAPM required return from the risk-free rate, beta, and market risk premium, plus a probability-weighted expected NPV across bull, base, and bear scenarios. Inputs are the three CAPM parameters and a probability and NPV for each scenario.
Own vs. Lease
Compares owning corporate real estate against leasing by treating ownership as an incremental investment, rent avoided plus the depreciation shield each year and after-tax sale proceeds at exit, solved to an IRR against the firm’s real estate hurdle. Inputs include annual rent, the tax rate, purchase cost, depreciable basis, recovery period, appreciation, hold period, and required return.
Sale-Leaseback vs. Refinancing
Compares a sale-leaseback against a mortgage refinancing side by side, calculating the implied financing rate, the tax on the embedded gain, and net after-tax proceeds from each route. Inputs are the sale price, annual leaseback rent, cost basis, depreciable basis and years held, the corporate tax rate, and the refinance LTV and mortgage rate.
Development Spread
Calculates yield-on-cost, the development spread over the market cap rate, and the value created by building rather than buying. Inputs are land, hard, soft, and financing costs, the stabilized NOI, the market cap rate, and a required spread hurdle.
Construction Take-Out Sizing
Sizes the permanent take-out loan to the smallest of the LTV, DSCR, and debt yield tests on the stabilized property, then nets it against the construction loan to show cash returned or the gap to fill. Inputs are stabilized NOI and value, the three sizing constraints, a mortgage constant, and the construction loan balance.
Four-Quadrant Capital Map
Places an investment in the four-quadrant map of real estate capital, public or private crossed with equity or debt, showing representative vehicles, the benchmark index, and the control-versus-liquidity tradeoff for that quadrant. The inputs are the two selections, equity versus debt and public versus private.
DiPasquale-Wheaton Four-Quadrant Model
Solves the DiPasquale-Wheaton four-quadrant model to a long-run equilibrium rent, asset price, construction rate, and stock, and shows the rent overshoot that follows a demand shock while supply catches up. Inputs are the demand index, cap rate, depreciation rate, and replacement cost.
REIT Qualification Tester
Tests a company against the core REIT qualification rules, the 75 percent asset test, the 75 and 95 percent income tests, the 90 percent distribution requirement, the 100-shareholder minimum, and the 5/50 ownership rule. Inputs are the company’s asset and income percentages, distribution rate, shareholder count, and concentrated ownership share.
GP/LP Distribution Waterfall
Runs sale proceeds through a return-of-capital, preferred-return, and promote waterfall, separating the GP’s co-investor return from its sponsor promote and optionally layering in a sponsor fee stack. Inputs include total equity, the GP co-investment, preferred return, promote rate, hold period, distributable proceeds, and the fee assumptions.
Catch-Up & Clawback
Calculates a GP catch-up from the preferred return already paid and a clawback that trues up deal-by-deal promote against whole-fund results. Inputs are the pref paid and the GP’s target promote share on one side, and per-deal profits and losses, the promote rate, and promote already collected on the other.
Portfolio Risk & Sharpe
Calculates two-asset portfolio volatility with correlation, the diversification benefit versus the weighted average, and the Sharpe ratio, plus an equal-weight ladder showing risk decline as assets are added. Inputs are the weight in each asset, the two volatilities, the correlation, the portfolio return, and the risk-free rate.
Scenario Expected Return
Probability-weights bear, base, and bull IRRs and equity multiples into an expected return, compared against a required hurdle. Inputs are a probability, IRR, and equity multiple for each scenario plus the hurdle rate.
Cap-Rate Expansion & Leverage
Isolates how exit cap-rate expansion hits property value and, magnified by leverage, the equity beneath it, holding NOI and debt fixed. Inputs are the NOI, the going-in and exit cap rates, and the loan-to-value ratio.
Loss-Recovery Asymmetry & Survival
Calculates the gain needed to recover a given loss of capital and the equity cushion that survives a value decline at a given leverage level. The inputs are the loss percentage and the loan-to-value ratio.
Yield on Renovation Cost
Calculates the yield on a renovation program as the incremental stabilized income divided by the renovation spend that produced it. Inputs are the number of units renovated, the cost per unit, and the monthly rent premium achieved.
Reprice a Diligence Finding
Converts a quantifiable due-diligence finding into a recommended purchase-price credit, the cost to cure grossed up by a contingency for overrun risk. Inputs are the estimated cost to cure and the contingency percentage.
Scenario Weighting
Probability-weights base, upside, and stress IRRs into an expected IRR and contrasts it with the simple three-way average. Inputs are the levered IRR and probability weight for each of the three scenarios.
Sensitivity Table, Levered IRR
Shades a five-year levered-IRR grid across annual rent growth and exit cap rate by whether each cell clears a chosen return floor, using modeled outputs from the course’s worked deal. The input is the return floor, since the underlying IRR grid is fixed to the chapter example.
Unit Economics, CAC · LTV · LTV:CAC · Payback
Calculates customer acquisition cost, customer lifetime value, the LTV:CAC ratio, and the CAC payback period for a subscription business. Inputs are monthly revenue per customer, gross margin, monthly churn, sales and marketing spend, and new customers per month.
Runway & Default Alive / Default Dead
Projects whether a startup reaches profitability before its cash runs out, the default alive or default dead question, along with current and worst-case runway. Inputs are cash on hand, monthly gross burn, current monthly revenue, and the monthly revenue growth rate.
TAM / SAM / SOM, Bottom-Up Market Sizing
Sizes a market bottom-up into TAM, SAM, and SOM dollar figures from unit counts and contract value rather than top-down percentages. Inputs are total units in the market, serviceable units, reachable units near-term, expected penetration, and annual contract value.
Pricing Sensitivity, Price Change → Operating Profit
Calculates how a price change, net of any volume response, flows through to operating profit, holding variable cost per customer constant. Inputs are the price, variable cost per customer, fixed costs, customer count, and the percentage changes in price and volume.
FCFF & FCFE, Free Cash Flow to the Firm and to Equity
Calculates free cash flow to the firm and free cash flow to equity from the same operating inputs, showing where the two measures diverge. Inputs are EBIT, the tax rate, depreciation and amortization, capital expenditures, the change in net working capital, interest expense, and net borrowing.
Valuation Ratios, P/E and PEG
Calculates the price-to-earnings ratio and the growth-adjusted PEG ratio for a profitable company. Inputs are the market price per share, earnings per share, and the annual EPS growth rate.
Liquidation Waterfall, Who Gets Paid at Exit
Splits an exit between preferred and common shareholders under non-participating, participating, and capped participating preference structures, including the point where the preferred converts to common. Inputs are the preferred investment, liquidation preference multiple, as-converted ownership, exit value, and the participation cap.
Compound Growth (CAGR)
Calculates the compound annual growth rate implied by a beginning value, a target ending value, and a number of years, and contrasts the small early-year gains with the larger late-year gains the same rate produces. Inputs are the beginning value, the ending value, and the number of years.
Subscription MRR Model
Projects monthly recurring revenue forward month by month, with ending MRR equal to beginning MRR plus new MRR minus churned MRR. Inputs are the price per unit, new units added per month, the monthly churn rate, and the number of months to project.
Financing Need, Sizing the Raise
Calculates how much a startup needs to raise, the cumulative net burn to the next milestone plus a minimum cash floor minus cash on hand. Inputs are monthly net burn, months to the milestone, the minimum cash floor, and current cash on hand.
Pipeline Coverage, Working Back From the Target
Works backward from a revenue target to the qualified opportunities and total pipeline value required at a given conversion rate. Inputs are the new revenue target, average deal size, and pipeline conversion rate.
Cost of Equity (CAPM) & WACC
Calculates a CAPM cost of equity, with an optional size premium, and blends it with the after-tax cost of debt into a weighted average cost of capital. Inputs are the risk-free rate, beta, equity risk premium, size premium, capital-structure weights, pre-tax cost of debt, and tax rate.
Terminal Value, Gordon Growth
Calculates a Gordon growth terminal value, its present value, and the resulting enterprise value alongside the explicit-period cash flows. Inputs are the final-year free cash flow, the WACC, the perpetuity growth rate, and the length of the explicit forecast period.
IRR vs MIRR
Calculates IRR and modified IRR side by side, with MIRR compounding interim cash flows forward at an explicit reinvestment rate instead of at the IRR itself. Inputs are the initial investment, the interim annual cash flow, the exit cash flow, the holding period, and the reinvestment rate.
The VC Method, Work Backward From Exit
Works backward from a projected exit to post-money and pre-money valuations and the ownership a venture investor needs today, including an adjustment for expected future dilution. Inputs are the exit value, target annual return, years to exit, the investment amount, and expected dilution.
Probability-Weighted Scenario Value
Calculates a startup’s expected value as the probability-weighted sum of failure, downside, base, and upside outcomes, with failure explicitly included at its own value. Inputs are a value and a probability for each of the four scenarios.
Post-Money SAFE, Ownership at Signing
Calculates the ownership a post-money SAFE fixes at signing, the investment divided by the post-money valuation cap, and shows how additional SAFEs on the same cap dilute the founders rather than earlier SAFE holders. Inputs are the SAFE investment, the post-money valuation cap, and other SAFE money raised on the same cap.
Ownership After the Round, the Option-Pool Shuffle
Calculates founder, investor, and option-pool ownership after a priced round under both a pre-money pool, which founders alone absorb, and a post-money pool shared pro rata. Inputs are the pre-money valuation, the new investment, and the option pool percentage.
Founder Dilution Across Rounds
Compounds founder ownership downward across successive financing events, multiplying retained ownership by one minus each round’s dilution. Inputs are the dilution percentages for the option pool, seed SAFEs, Series A, and Series B.
Antidilution, Who Absorbs a Down Round
Calculates how a down round resets the preferred’s conversion under full-ratchet versus broad-based weighted-average antidilution, and what each protection does to founder ownership. Inputs are the Series A share count and original price, the down-round price, founder shares, and the new shares issued.
The 2-and-20 Model, Fees & Carried Interest
Calculates lifetime management fees and carried interest for a venture fund, fees charged on committed capital plus carry on investment profit. Inputs are committed capital, the management fee rate, fund life, carried interest rate, and the gross return multiple.
The Distribution Waterfall, LP vs GP
Runs fund proceeds through the four-tier distribution waterfall, return of capital, preferred return, GP catch-up, then the carry split. Inputs are committed capital, total returned, the preferred-return hurdle, and the carried interest rate.
Fund Multiples, DPI, RVPI, TVPI
Calculates the fund performance multiples DPI, RVPI, and TVPI, the realized, unrealized, and total value created per dollar paid in. Inputs are paid-in capital, cash distributions to date, and the residual value still held.
Power Law, Odds of Catching an Outlier
Calculates the probability a venture portfolio catches at least one outlier winner, one minus the miss rate compounded across every investment. Inputs are the number of investments and the outlier rate per deal.
MM Proposition II, Leverage & the Cost of Equity
Calculates how leverage raises the cost of equity under Modigliani-Miller Proposition II without taxes, while the blended WACC stays at the unlevered return. Inputs are the unlevered return, the cost of debt, and the debt-to-equity ratio.
Interest Tax Shield, MM with Taxes (1963)
Calculates the interest tax shield created by permanent debt and the resulting levered firm value under Modigliani-Miller with corporate taxes. Inputs are the unlevered firm value, the amount of permanent debt, and the corporate tax rate.
WACC, Weighted Average Cost of Capital
Calculates the weighted average cost of capital by blending the cost of equity with the after-tax cost of debt at their capital-structure weights. Inputs are the equity weight, cost of equity, pre-tax cost of debt, and tax rate.
Venture Debt, Runway Extension & Its Cost
Calculates the runway extension venture debt buys, its share of the last equity round, and the total interest cost of carrying it. Inputs are the debt raised, the size of the last equity round, monthly net burn, the interest rate, and months outstanding.
The Ask, Size the Raise, Price the Dilution
Sizes a fundraising ask from months to milestone times monthly burn, then prices the dilution correctly as the raise over the post-money valuation rather than over the pre-money. Inputs are the months to the next milestone, net monthly burn, and the pre-money valuation.
Affordable Loss, the Constrained Founder’s Budget
Calculates an affordable-loss budget, the months of experimentation it buys, and the personal cash floor a founder keeps if the venture fails. Inputs are personal savings, the share of savings committed, monthly venture spend, and monthly side income.
Trading Comps, Multiple → EV → Equity Value
Values a company by trading comparables, applying the median peer EV/Revenue multiple to target revenue and netting out debt to reach equity value. Inputs are three peer multiples, the target company’s revenue, and net debt.
Note Conversion, Pre-Money vs Post-Money Method
Calculates how a convertible note converts under the fixed pre-money versus fixed post-money methods, and the founder ownership gap the choice of method creates. Inputs are founder shares, the pre-money valuation, round size, note principal, interest rate and years outstanding, and the conversion discount.
Fund IRR & the J-Curve
Calculates a venture fund’s IRR from its capital call and distribution schedule and traces the cumulative cash J-curve from trough to final distribution. Inputs are committed capital, the investment period, the gross return multiple, and the harvest period.
Compound Interest
Calculates the future value of a starting balance plus monthly contributions with interest compounded monthly, and splits the ending balance into the dollars contributed and the growth earned on top of them. Inputs are the starting principal, the monthly contribution, the annual rate, and the number of years.
Savings Goal
Calculates the monthly deposit generally needed to reach a savings goal by a chosen date, after crediting what current savings are projected to grow to on their own. Inputs are the goal amount, current savings, an assumed annual rate, and the years to the goal.
Emergency Fund
Calculates an emergency fund target as a chosen number of months of essential expenses, the gap between that target and the current fund, and roughly how many months closing the gap could take at a given saving pace. Inputs are monthly essential expenses, the months of coverage, the current fund balance, and the monthly amount saved toward it.
Debt Payoff, Avalanche vs Snowball
Compares the avalanche and snowball payoff orders for up to three debts, showing the months to a zero balance and the total interest paid under each. Inputs are each debt’s balance, APR, and minimum payment, plus the extra amount paid every month.
Mortgage Payment (PITI)
Calculates the full monthly mortgage payment, principal and interest plus property tax and homeowners insurance, commonly called PITI. Inputs are the home price, down payment percentage, interest rate, loan term, an annual property tax rate, and the annual insurance premium.
Rent vs Buy
Compares the wealth each path leaves after a chosen horizon: the renter invests the down payment, closing costs, and any monthly savings at a chosen market return, while the owner builds equity net of selling costs, with property tax, insurance, maintenance, PMI, and appreciation all modeled. The result names which path is ahead, by how much, and the approximate breakeven year.
FIRE Number
Calculates a FIRE number, the portfolio that supports a level of annual spending at a chosen withdrawal rate, and estimates the years until the current portfolio and savings pace could reach it. Inputs are annual spending, the withdrawal rate, the current portfolio, savings per year, and an assumed annual return.
50/30/20 Budget
Splits monthly after-tax income into the 50/30/20 guideline amounts for needs, wants, and saving, and compares each against what is actually being spent. Inputs are the monthly after-tax income and the actual amounts currently going to needs, wants, and saving.
Car Affordability
Calculates the car price a monthly payment budget can generally support by discounting the payments at the loan rate and adding the cash down payment and any trade-in value. Inputs are the monthly budget, the loan rate, the term in months, the down payment, and the trade-in value.
Student Loan Payoff
Calculates the months to pay off a student loan and the total interest at the current monthly payment, then shows the time and interest an extra monthly amount could save. Inputs are the loan balance, the interest rate, the monthly payment, and the extra paid per month.
Hourly to Salary
Converts an hourly wage into annual, monthly, biweekly, weekly, and daily gross pay on any schedule, plus the time-and-a-half overtime rate. Inputs are the hourly wage, hours per week, and paid weeks per year, so unpaid time off is reflected in the annual figure.
Excel templates 7
View all 7 excel templatesMonthly Budget
A one-month budget worksheet that plans income, fixed expenses, variable expenses, and savings side by side with actual spending. Subtotal formulas, a 50/30/20 guideline check, and over-or-under highlighting can help show where a month drifted from the plan.
Personal Cash Flow Statement
A twelve-month personal cash flow statement that records cash inflows and outflows by category, laid out the way an introductory finance course frames it. Monthly subtotals, a net cash flow line, and a cumulative row can help show whether a household is building or draining cash over the year.
Net Worth Tracker
A net worth statement that lists liquid, invested, property, and other assets against outstanding liabilities, with the net worth line calculated for you. A quarterly tracking table with dollar and percent change columns can help show the trend rather than a single snapshot.
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Debt Payoff Planner
A planner that orders up to eight debts by interest rate for the avalanche method, from a list of balances, APRs, and minimum payments. Formulas rank each debt, direct one extra monthly payment at the top priority, and estimate months to pay off, and a notes tab compares avalanche with snowball.
Savings Goal Tracker
A tracker that holds multiple savings goals, each with a target amount, the amount saved so far, and a planned monthly contribution. Formulas estimate the months remaining for each goal, and in-cell progress bars can help show which goals are on pace.
Loan Amortization Schedule
A month-by-month amortization schedule for any fixed-rate loan, built from the loan amount, rate, term, and an optional extra monthly payment. Formulas fill in each payment’s interest, principal, and remaining balance, along with months to pay off, total interest, and the interest saved by paying extra.
Investment Growth Projector
A year-by-year projection of an investment balance from a starting amount, a monthly contribution, and an assumed annual return. Formulas fill in each year’s contributions, growth, and ending balance, and a summary splits the ending balance into money put in and growth earned on top.
References & frameworks 38
View all 38 references & frameworksThe integration blueprint
Plan an ERP or systems integration with decision gates, workstreams, a partner scorecard, and a cost calculator.
AI readiness assessment
Assess your team’s readiness for AI across five dimensions, then identify the capabilities to build next.
AI foundations for finance
Learn how language models, context, agents, and skills work. Try an interactive reconciliation exercise.
Show 35 more references & frameworks
Income to afford a home: 50 U.S. metros
Explore an original housing affordability study with transparent assumptions, source data, and downloadable results.
Professional readiness for your first finance role
Connect classroom skills to professional habits, career preparation, and the expectations of the workplace.
Finance questions, answered
Start with a question. Get a plain-language answer, a worked example, and the right tool for the next step.
SCU & Bay Area finance career guide
Compare career paths, Bay Area pay, credentials, SCU clubs, and the lifestyle your income could support.
Research & applied frameworks
Explore Devon’s research and methods for finance, AI adoption, accounting controls, and decision-making.
The AI-augmented accountant
A research-backed method for putting AI to work in accounting while preserving professional judgment.
AI & SOX internal controls framework
Connect AI workflows to evidence, review, and internal-control responsibilities.
The 10 Laws of Finance: companion resources
Explore the book’s resource index, practical tools, and discussion material.
Free finance facilitator guides
Bring a finance discussion to a classroom, community group, or book club.
Finance & accounting definitions
Look up an unfamiliar term, then follow it into an example or related lesson.
Mortgage payment by loan amount
Monthly payments from $100k to $5M at rates from 5% to 8%.
House affordability by income
The home price a salary generally supports under the 28% guideline.
Hourly wage to yearly salary
What $12 to $200 an hour comes to per year, month, and paycheck.
Salary to hourly wage
What $30,000 to $1,000,000 a year works out to per hour.
Investment growth by amount
What $1,000 to $5,000,000 grows to at 4% to 10% returns.
NPV vs IRR: Which to Use and When
NPV measures dollars of value created; IRR reports an annualized percentage return. When rankings disagree, NPV generally orders deals by value added.
IRR vs MIRR: Which Return Measure to Trust
IRR assumes interim cash flows reinvest at the IRR itself, which can overstate returns. MIRR applies an explicit reinvestment rate. When to rely on each.
Cap Rate vs Cash-on-Cash Return: Asset Yield vs Equity Yield
Cap rate is an unlevered pricing yield on property value; cash-on-cash is a levered yield on equity after debt service. How to apply each metric correctly.
DSCR vs LTV: Which Constraint Sizes Your Loan
LTV caps a loan against property value; DSCR caps it against income coverage of debt service. Lenders fund the smaller result, and DSCR often binds first.
DSCR vs Debt Yield: Which Lender Test Binds and When
DSCR divides NOI by the actual debt service; debt yield ignores loan terms entirely. Which lender sizing test binds, when it binds, and why deals fail one.
WACC vs Cost of Equity: Which Discount Rate to Use and When
Discount firm cash flows at WACC, equity cash flows at the cost of equity. How to match the rate to the cash flow stream and what a mismatch does to value.
SAFE vs Convertible Note: Which to Use for a Seed Raise
A convertible note accrues interest and matures as debt; a post-money SAFE sets a minimum ownership stake at signing. How to choose and who absorbs dilution.
Pre-Money vs Post-Money Valuation: Which Number to Use and When
Pre-money sets the price per share; post-money sets investor ownership. How to quote each number, compute dilution correctly, and read option pool terms.
LTV vs CAC: Which to Use When Funding Growth
LTV measures customer value, CAC the cost to acquire one. Why a healthy LTV:CAC ratio can still burn cash, and why the payback period decides growth spend.
Gross Potential Rent vs Effective Gross Income: Which to Underwrite From
Gross potential rent is the theoretical ceiling; effective gross income is what a property collects. Valuing off the wrong line tends to overprice a deal.
FCFF vs FCFE: Which Cash Flow and Which Discount Rate
FCFF values the enterprise at WACC; FCFE values equity at the cost of equity. How to keep interest and net borrowing from being counted twice or lost.
TVPI vs DPI: Which Multiple to Trust and When
TVPI blends cash returned with unrealized marks; DPI counts only cash back per dollar paid in. Which multiple to trust at each stage of a fund's life.
Direct Capitalization vs DCF: Which Valuation Method to Use and When
Direct capitalization values stable income in one step; a multi-year DCF handles lease-up, rollover, and uneven growth. How to choose the right method.
Levered vs Unlevered Returns: Which One Measures the Deal
Unlevered returns measure the property itself; levered returns measure the equity after financing. How to compare deals when sponsors market levered IRRs.
Own vs Lease: How to Frame the Corporate Real Estate Decision
Owning commits capital that must earn a real estate return; leasing keeps that capital in the core business. How to frame own vs lease as an investment.
Cap Rate vs Discount Rate: How They Differ and When to Use Each
Cap rate relates one year of NOI to value; a discount rate values future cash flows. See a worked example and when cap rate equals discount rate minus growth.
Enterprise Value vs Equity Value: Which to Use and When
Enterprise value prices the whole operating business; equity value is what shareholders keep after net debt. When to use each one and how to bridge them.
Participating vs Non-Participating Preferred: How Exit Proceeds Split
Participating preferred takes its preference and then shares the remainder; non-participating takes one or the other. How each term splits exit money.
Gross Burn vs Net Burn: Which One Sets Your Runway
Net burn sets your stated runway; gross burn shows the floor if revenue stalls. Which figure to use for runway math, fundraising, and downside planning.
IRR vs Equity Multiple: Which to Trust When Screening Deals
IRR measures how fast equity compounds; the equity multiple measures how much total cash comes back. Why screening real estate deals requires both numbers.
Keep up with the original collections.
The library brings together articles from this site, Substack, and the Financial Executives Journal, plus public lectures, worked examples, AI tutorials, and podcast episodes. Some essays have different titles across publications; search either title to find them.