If you’ve read a few FP&A analyst job descriptions, you’ve probably noticed how different they can seem. The CFI programs are a great bridge between financial theory and professional practice. CFI delivers an outstanding online education for any aspiring finance professional. The mix of Excel-based modeling, real-world examples, and case-driven learning makes a huge difference. After completing the required courses, take the final exam (with a minimum passing grade of 70%) to earn your program certification.

It also includes cost analysis experience as a requirement, and emphasizes direct interaction with business partners and senior leadership. The description for Job 1 highlights several core responsibilities you’ll find across many FP&A roles, like forecasting, variance analysis, and management reporting. It’s clear that CFI genuinely understands what finance professionals need in today’s fast-moving world.

Financial forecasting is the process of estimating or predicting how a business will perform in the future. This foundation powers everything from accurate forecasting to scenario analysis, giving you critical insights to support executive decision-making. In FP&A, you’ll need the practical skills to build models along with the ability to analyze complex data, identify trends, and draw meaningful conclusions. Financial modeling skills directly impact your value as an FP&A professional. Whether you’re just starting in FP&A or a seasoned analyst aiming to stay ahead, mastering these top 10 FP&A skills in 2025 will position you for lasting career success.

Excel

As one of the leading providers in online finance certification programs, CFI helps current and aspiring finance professionals reach their career goals. Approximately 10% of corporate financial analysts eventually transition into the fields of either investment banking or private equity. A majority of corporate financial analysts remain in the industry but pursue new challenges (and higher salaries) by moving from one company to another. The ability of FP&A analysts to provide clear, data-driven recommendations would have been pivotal in navigating these challenges. Strong communication skills are key — translating complex financial data into actionable insights for senior leaders is a core part of the job. FP&A analysts might have liaised with supply chain managers, engineers, and external vendors to ensure financial projections aligned with operational realities.

As an FP&A analyst, you can influence business decisions that shape the future of a company. With the proper skill set and a natural inclination for the work, you can carve out a very satisfying career for yourself as a corporate financial analyst. Scenario analysis helps companies understand the financial impact of different outcomes and prepare for the unexpected. The day typically begins with analyzing the company’s current financial standing. Compensation in the financial analysis field varies substantially between different industries and companies. Entry-level junior FP&A analysts command annual salaries in the neighborhood of $50,000.

• It’s especially valuable for early-career professionals or career changers looking to develop foundational skills, and for experienced analysts seeking to stay current with best practices.
• For example, the ERP system serves as a single source of truth for financial and operational data, whether historical or real-time.
• A typical task for the Finance Controller would be overseeing the month-end financial close process.
• This can potentially lead to disagreements on the relevance of certain datasets, how they are interpreted, and what constitutes adequate financial reporting.
• In addition, Senior FP&A analysts create internal reports for company executives and make recommendations to company employees in leadership.

Alternatively, when evaluating potential investments, FP&A creates financial models to project returns and risks, while the Financial Controller supports these analyses with insights into the company’s current financial position. In this case, FP&A leverages historical financial data provided by the Controller to set realistic targets and identify areas for potential cost savings. Based on a holistic understanding of the company’s financial position, this consistency promotes transparency and accuracy in financial reporting and decision-making. Their collaboration ensures that the company’s financial health is both well-managed and strategically guided. FP&A professionals, therefore, progress within their field, moving into senior analyst or managerial roles and potentially reaching the CFO position. Controllers will have followed up their initial degree — in accounting or finance — by qualifying as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), and many also hold a Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) or a Master’s in Accounting.

• By understanding potential trends, risks, and opportunities identified by FP&A, the Controller can proactively manage financial resources, implement necessary controls, and ensure compliance.
• Collaboration also ensures that the same financial data is used for both historical reporting and future planning.
• FP&A experts are adept at financial modeling, data analysis, and communicating complex financial information to non-financial stakeholders.
• As an FP&A analyst, you can influence business decisions that shape the future of a company.
• CFI’s Financial Planning & Analysis (FPAP™) certification provides applied, job-relevant training and an industry-recognized credential that helps you demonstrate your capabilities with confidence.

Build a Spirit of Partnership and Common Goals

Workday Adaptive Planning is best for large companies seeking a solution that is not just focused on finance and FP&A. It can also help with workforce and headcount planning, sales planning, and marketing planning. Anaplan is a large, enterprise-wide solution that allows users to model complex business scenarios and connect the outcomes to the overall company strategy. FP&A tools are built by a range of companies, including relatively small software companies to some of the largest technology-focused companies in the world. Because of this, many software companies decided to create purpose-built FP&A tools for situations in which Excel was not particularly well-suited. FP&A software tools are designed to reduce the reliance on Excel and its limitations.

Key Features of FP&A Tools

Beyond assessing risks, the ability to explain these financial impacts clearly to non-financial stakeholders is crucial. Tools like Power BI, Tableau, and Excel support data visualization, but you also need an understanding of fundamental design. BI is the process of analyzing business metrics across products, pricing, marketing, markets, and operations. This may translate into improved performance at work, especially when handling complex financial tasks.

This is where data visualization and storytelling skills become essential to your FP&A toolkit. In addition, advanced Excel skills can significantly enhance your day-to-day productivity. They make it possible for you to construct complex financial forecasts, perform scenario analyses, and provide data-driven insights. Understanding the capabilities and limitations of AI in FP&A is now separating analysts who scale their work from those buried in manual tasks.

What’s the Difference Between FP&A and Finance Controller?

They ensure accuracy and compliance with accounting standards and maintain internal controls to prevent fraud and errors. If it’s a monthly rolling forecast, you input the historical data that comes in each month at the front of the model and extend a forecast out beyond that. A forecast is based on incoming data and sets the most probable fp markets expectation of what will transpire, and is typically updated once a quarter. Budgeting is setting a plan for the future while forecasting is creating an estimate of what will actually happen. Check out our guide on the Analyst Trifecta for a detailed breakdown of these three skills so you can ace this question if it comes up in the interview.

Ensuring Data Accuracy

CFI’s FP&A Specialization equips you with the skills and knowledge you need to thrive in an FP&A Analyst role. The day-to-day role of an FP&A analyst is both challenging and rewarding. Corporate FP&A plays a major role in supporting decisions made by a company’s CEO, CFO, and executive leadership team.

This discipline is essential for maintaining accurate financial records, compliance with accepted accounting principles and providing stakeholders with detailed and accurate financial reports. To ensure proper implementation of any financial planning software, an organization should consider some of the following best practices. FP&A software is a somewhat generic term for many different systems that help monitor a company’s financial health as well as better inform its strategic decision-making. This tool is better for medium or large enterprises since it has features and tools that might not be as useful for smaller businesses.

The focus typically just shifts more toward business forecasting, financial modeling, and planning. Degrees commonly held by analysts include accounting, business administration, statistics, and finance. However, if you’re a creative problem solver with a natural or cultivated talent for financial analysis, modeling, and forecasting, then becoming a corporate financial analyst may be the perfect career choice for you. FP&A experts are adept at financial modeling, data analysis, and communicating complex financial information to non-financial stakeholders. Gain unlimited access to more than 250 productivity Templates, CFI’s full course catalog and accredited Certification Programs, hundreds of resources, expert reviews and support, the chance to work with real-world finance and research tools, and more.

What is Accounting?

FP&A tools are designed to improve upon using Excel spreadsheets across an entire business. These tools are designed to allow for better collaboration and speed, as well as improve data connectivity and reduce manual work. Traditionally, finance teams primarily used Microsoft Excel to compile data, analyze key performance indicators (KPIs), and create budgets and forecasts.

Workday Adaptive Planning is a “one-stop shop” for all of a company’s planning needs. The following are some of the most common and well-regarded tools for FP&A professionals (in no particular order). Some of the most commonly used tools are better for small and medium-sized businesses, and some are better for large companies.

The above table shows the company’s spending on several consulting projects during the year. The above common size analysis illustrates the breakdown of expenses on the income statement.

As you master these tools to gather and process data, your next challenge becomes presenting to both finance and non-finance stakeholders. BI and FP&A complement each other by integrating financial data with broader business metrics. Financial modeling underpins budgeting and forecasting.

A good example of a collaborative FP&A-Controller relationship is the budgeting process. By understanding potential trends, risks, and opportunities identified by FP&A, the Controller can proactively manage financial resources, implement necessary controls, and ensure compliance. While distinct in their focus and responsibilities, the FP&A team and the Financial Controller form a partnership that drives informed financial decision-making.