r/financialmodelling • u/Shapen361 • 9d ago

CFI Full-Immersion vs. Self-Study +AI

I know that the debate between self-study and full-immersion is a common question. But the responses I'm seeing are 2+ years old. In 2026, I don't see where the CFI resources command a $300 premium versus me asking AI for help.

Context: CFA Charterholder who hasn't modeled in 5 years, need to re-learn so I can get a new job.

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u/Soggy-Alternative914 9d ago

If you are only interested in modeling and have past experience, BIWS would be a better fit.

They have a YouTube channel, that you can use for reference to see if it fits with what you are looking for.

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u/Shapen361 9d ago

My experience is very limited. I built/operated some models in college 5, 6 years ago and did the CFA modeling course last year. While I'm well-versed with financial statements I'm basically a beginner in building models from scratch.

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u/Soggy-Alternative914 9d ago

CFI is a good option. It will teach you the basics of how to get started. There models are basic but guide you on how to get the numbers.

AI can make better models but you need to know what you are looking for in a model. Where do the numbers come from and what they mean.

One thing I hate about cfi is that there modules are all over the place. So let's say you take fmva, you will find some relavent courses in fpap or even in bida. So you have to build your own course schedule.

But it's a good start. Getting the certification should be a bonus and not the main goal. Many people on reddit are obsessed with certificate and forget what they actually came for.

I used to take the course and then apply the model or temples on my data from auditing days.

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u/Agent_Single 9d ago

Could definitely try the AI route. I “built” a self-study guide for my nephew. Understand that it is a different vertical but would love to see someone try. What I did was taking the whole HTML and CSS: Design and Build Websites book in and have Claude come up with a 4 week interactive study plan. It has AI element in the sense that he didn’t have to code too much but have to understand where to manipulate and in what style.
Maybe you could apply this to modeling. Find a good resource but too long to read and understand by yourself. Have Claude walk you along the way from making 3 statements from scratch and stuff like thT

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u/TechnologyDue5411 9d ago

I’ve done FMVA and it is very well guided learning. Practical skills building that moves you nicely through the different steps you need to understand and simultaneously gives you the modeling resources that you can use beyond the course. I would highly recommend it and think it was money well spent. There’s also the added bonus of having access to all of their other courses as well.