Click for Takeaways: Finance Cheat Sheets
- Critical Skills Development Need: 85% of business leaders agree that skills development needs will surge due to AI and digital trends over the next three years. CFOs expect one in two finance employees to be digital talent by 2027, up from under 20% currently. Finance cheat sheets help professionals rapidly acquire critical knowledge while adapting to the evolving finance function.
- Talent Gap and Training Priorities: 70% of finance leaders report talent attraction and recruitment as the biggest threat to achieving 2024 goals, with 64% citing skill gaps. 89% of finance executives are upskilling their workforce over the next two years. Finance cheat sheets enable quick reference to essential concepts while developing comprehensive modern finance skill sets.
- Digital Transformation in Finance: More than 40% of finance roles will be new or reshaped due to technology through 2025. By 2025, 80% of new finance headcount will be in new subfunctions rather than traditional accounting and FP&A. Cheat sheets help finance teams navigate this transition by providing rapid access to foundational knowledge and emerging practices.
- Continuous Learning Requirements: 93% of business leaders agreed their role is to ensure workforce continuous learning, yet many feel learning is too slow. 81% of companies hire for skills beyond technical proficiency. Finance professionals benefit from condensed cheat sheets that deliver key concepts quickly, supporting the agile learning that top-performing enterprises use.
- Metrics and Analytics Focus: CFOs rate metrics, analytics, and reporting as their top 2025 focus area. Finance professionals must master traditional financial concepts and modern analytical techniques. Quick-reference guides covering financial KPIs, data analysis, and reporting standards enable strategic insights delivery while maintaining technical accuracy.
Cheat sheets provide a concise set of notes for that crucial bit of information you find suddenly escaping your memory. Or, providing insight into a finance concept in a new and creative way. For those in finance, cheat sheets are especially useful for glancing at crucial accounting and finance information at a glance.
This essential list of top finance Cheat Sheets brings together decades of experience from those working in finance and sharing one page guide to everything from ARR, to Balance Sheets to Cogs and Financial Forecasting. Since being shared on LinkedIn by their authors these cheat sheets have attracted millions of reshares. We are proud to bring these resources together for the first time in one place.
While most of these Cheat Sheets are free links to high resolution downloads sometimes incur a fee (shown by the $ symbol). Datarails does not receive any commission for links to these sites.
According to Gartner’s 2024 survey of 330 business leaders, 85% agreed that the need for skills development will dramatically increase due to AI and digital trends over the next three years. Finance professionals face particular pressure, with Gartner’s October 2024 survey showing that CFOs expect one in two finance employees to be digital talent by 2027, up from less than 20% currently. Quick-reference finance cheat sheets help professionals rapidly acquire and retain critical knowledge in areas like financial ratios, Excel formulas, and accounting principles while adapting to the evolving finance function.
70% of finance leaders report that talent attraction and recruitment pose the most significant threat to achieving their 2024 goals, with 64% believing skill gaps and training needs are obstacles. According to an EY survey released in November 2025, 89% of finance and tax executives are looking to upskill their existing workforce over the next two years. This requires a fusion of not just core accounting or financial skills, but technological and data capabilities as well. Finance cheat sheets serve as accessible learning tools that enable professionals to quickly reference essential concepts while developing the comprehensive skill sets modern finance roles demand.
According to Gartner’s June 2024 survey, 93% of business leaders agreed that their role is to ensure their workforce has the time and resources to continuously learn, yet many feel learning is too slow to respond to the volume, variety, and velocity of skills needs. EY’s research found that 81% of companies are hiring individuals with proficiencies other than tax technical skills, with 85% citing problem-solving and critical thinking as most essential to develop.
1. 50 Finance KPIs
Nicolas Boucher
- Serves as a catalog of KPIs from which you can pick.
- Study and select two or three which are relevant to your business.
2. KPIs Cheat Sheet
Oana Labes
- Over 300 KPIs broken down by C-Suite role.
- Both Financial & Non-Financial KPIs.
CFOs and finance leaders rate metrics, analytics, and reporting as their top focus area for 2025, reflecting an emphasis on delivering insight to improve business performance according to Gartner’s October 2024 survey of 251 CFOs. This shift means finance professionals must master both traditional financial concepts and modern analytical techniques. Quick-reference guides covering financial KPIs, data analysis methods, and reporting standards enable finance teams to deliver the strategic insights CFOs prioritize while maintaining technical accuracy in their work.
3. Accounting vs. Finance Cheat Sheet
Oana Labes
- Both Financial & Non-Financial KPIs.
- Because what gets measured gets managed.
Download here ($)
4. ARR Cheat Sheet
Aleksandar Stojanović, MSc.
- 9+ ARR tracking tools to use
- 10 steps to increasing your ARR
5. Balance Sheet Cheat Sheet
Aleksandar Stojanović, MSc
- Balance Sheet formats for different sectors
- 10 steps to preparing a comprehensive Balance Sheet
6. COGS Cheat Sheet
Aleksandar Stojanović, MSc
- Discover your Above-the-Line Costs
- Optimize COGs for better margins
7. Discounted Cash Flow Cheat Sheet
Bojan Radojicic
Essential DCF facts in one place.
8. EBIT Cheat Sheet
Aleksandar Stojanović, MSc.
9. A Successful Career In Finance Cheat Sheet
Ignacio Ramirez Moreno, CFA
(no external download)
10. Finance & Accounting Designations Cheat Sheet
Oana Labes
20 of the most respected and well known Finance and Accounting designations worldwide to help you stay ahead of the curve.
(no external download)
11. Financial Analysis Cheat Sheet
Because every business needs regular financial health check-ups.
Oana Labes
12. Financial Forecasting Cheat Sheet
6+ crucial financial forecasting models to apply
Aleksandar Stojanović, MSc.
13. CFOs Guide to Improving Financial Reporting
60 ideas to improve the 10 most important KPIs.
Anders Lindburg
14. Gross Profit Cheat Sheet
6+ Gross Profit calculation tools you need today
Aleksandar Stojanović, MSc.
15. Intangible Assets Cheat Sheet
All essential intangible asset accounting principles and insights in one place.
Bojan Radojicic
16. M&A Deals Cheat Sheet
All essential M&A facts and insights in 1 place.
Bojan Radojicic
17. Management Cheat Sheet
Because Management needs Finance, and Finance needs Management.
Oana Labes
18. Property, Plant & Equipment Cheat Sheet
The basics of IAS16 tangible assets accounting principles and insights.
Bojan Radojicic
19. Purchase Price Allocation Cheat Sheet
Bojan Radojicic
20. SaaS Finance Cheat Sheet
A full SaaS Finance Book in one page.
Aleksandar Stojanović, MSc.
21. Transfer Pricing Cheat Sheet
Borys Ulanenko
As a transfer pricing professional, I always used lists and notes to remember key concepts.
22. Valuation Cheat Sheet
Bojan Radojicic
All essentials in valuations and facts and insights in one place.
23. Working Capital Cheat Sheet
24. Excel Shortcuts Cheat Sheet
Excel shortcuts are the secret sauce to unleashing your true potential and streamlining your workflow like a pro!
25. Finance Cheat Sheet
90 KPIs
Finance Organisation Chart and FP&A Methods & Skills
Nicolas Boucher
26. FP&A Cheat Sheet
Asif Masani
What is FP&A? Top skills, management reports and budgeting approaches.
27. Finance Checklist
Nicolas Boucher
168 Finance goals for a successful organization
More than 40% of finance roles will be new or significantly reshaped due to finance technology through 2025, according to Gartner predictions. The research firm expects that by 2025, 80% of new headcount growth in finance will be in new subfunctions rather than traditional accounting and FP&A, requiring new roles and structures. As the finance function transforms, professionals need rapid access to both foundational knowledge and emerging best practices.
Finance Cheat Sheet FAQs
This collection includes 27 different finance cheat sheets covering essential topics including KPIs (50 Finance KPIs and 300+ C-Suite KPIs), financial statements (Balance Sheet), metrics (ARR, COGS, EBIT, Gross Profit), analysis methods (Financial Analysis, Financial Forecasting, DCF), specialized topics (SaaS Finance, Transfer Pricing, M&A Deals), and career resources (Finance Designations, Successful Career in Finance). Most are available as free downloads, with some premium options marked with a dollar sign.
The cheat sheets were created by experienced finance professionals, including Nicolas Boucher, Oana Labes, Aleksandar Stojanović MSc, Bojan Radojicic, Ignacio Ramirez Moreno CFA, Anders Lindburg, Borys Ulanenko, and Asif Masani. These professionals have shared their expertise through LinkedIn, where the cheat sheets have attracted millions of reshares before being compiled in this comprehensive collection.
Most cheat sheets in this collection are available as free downloads. However, some premium cheat sheets require a small fee, indicated by a dollar sign ($) next to the download link. These include resources like the Finance vs Accounting Cheat Sheet, Financial Analysis Cheat Sheet, and Management Cheat Sheet. Datarails does not receive any commission from these downloads.
Finance cheat sheets provide concise, one-page summaries of crucial accounting and finance information that can be quickly referenced. They distill decades of experience into visual guides covering everything from fundamental concepts to specialized topics. They are particularly valuable for quick reference when memory fails or when needing insight into finance concepts presented in creative ways. The visual format makes complex information accessible at a glance.
Yes, the collection includes cheat sheets suitable for various skill levels. Beginners can start with foundational resources like the Accounting vs Finance Cheat Sheet, Balance Sheet basics, and the Successful Career in Finance guide. More experienced professionals can benefit from specialized sheets covering advanced topics like Transfer Pricing, M&A Deals, Purchase Price Allocation, and SaaS Finance metrics. The variety ensures valuable resources for everyone from students to CFOs.
