A simple walk-through of the common perils and pitfalls of financial modelling, this book examines the most common and necessary Excel functions, emphasizes the importance of a standardized and functional layout, explains accounting concepts simply, and reinforces four key concepts of best practice: consistency, robustness, flexibility, and transparency--CraFT. With more than fifty examples and an extended case study, this hands-on book helps users work with Excel more efficiently and effectively. This simple methodology has been adopted by many seasoned professionals who no longer must resort to balancing figures, circulars, and macros.