Rules of Best Practise

These are the rules of best practise in Financial Modeling. If you are just beginning to learn spreadsheet modeling you could do a lot worse that start right here. Each rule has a powerpoint presentation to provide background.

1. Never enter the same information more than once. [Rule #1]
2. Never use a fixed value formula [Rule #2]
3. Color Code [Rule #3]
4. Manage sheets [Rule #4]
5. Manage Rows and Columns
6. Format for ease of use
7. Embed repeated steps
8. Show key interim results
9. Use simple straightforward Naming Conventions
10. Communicate Labels
11. Build a model using known numbers & analyze numbers using a known model
12. Use self-audit procedures
13. Always test the model
14. No Black Box Models
15. Professional save to submit
16. Place charts properly in the model
17. Format charts to fit the model
18. Use some judgment when it comes to axis labels
19. Set calculation parameters so that the model opens properly
20. You cannot model what you do not understand