IF/ABL: Financial Understanding Module - 2025

All Invoice Finance and Asset-Based Lending (IF/ABL) course content will become available via our new learning platform, The Knowledge Hub, which launches in September. 

If you have any questions, please contact our Training Team: training@ukfinance.org.uk. 

Course overview:

The Financial Understanding course aims to give students an in-depth understanding of the various financial statements regardless of their layout and the ability to highlight trends or issues when dealing with prospects or clients in the asset-based lending industry.

Beginning with an overview of bookkeeping, students will then be provided with a detailed explanation of the main financial statements, cashflow forecasts, accounting standards, ratios, and trends.

Students will gain an understanding of:

• The underpinning principles of financial reporting
• The primary financial statements
• Accounting standards/international accounting standards
• Ratio and trend analysis, especially relevant to asset-based lenders

STUDY TIME

The course is designed to cover a 40-week study plan, assuming a study time of approximately four hours per week.

REGISTRATION DETAILS

After you have successfully registered on the course, details of the next steps will be sent to you near the course start date. This will be sent from the Training Team.

We have identified ten learning outcomes and will result in you being able to:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the components and uses, purpose and nature of accounting statements;
2. Describe and understand the uses of, and users of, published financial statements;
3. Understand and demonstrate how financial statements are prepared in accordance with regulatory and statutory requirements;
4. Be able to interpret and explain the content of primary financial statements and identify and explain the meaning of items which make up the financial statements;
5. Show skill in using financial and accounting ratios to analyse and appraise an organisation’s financial position, including a recognition of the limitations of such an approach;
6. Explain the objective-setting process of a business within the context of the non-statutory financial statements; budgeting and forecasting, including cashflow forecasts;
7. Understand the elements of a sound business plan and how this can be used as a monitoring tool alongside organisational strategic planning and forecasting processes;
8. Be able to relate the financial performance of a given organisation to its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, that is to be able to undertake SWOT analysis;
9. To position the financial performance of a given organisation within its political, economic, sociological and technological environment, that is to effectively undertake PEST analysis;
10. To demonstrate an ability to assess the relationship between the non-financial aspects of a business and the financial performance of an organisation

AGENDA:

LEVEL

This module is primarily aimed at students operating at manager level and above within their organisation.

ASSESSMENT

Students will receive a comprehensive workbook and study guide. Assignments will be set during the study period for students to submit for assessment, and at the end of the study period, students sit a formal examination.

STUDY TIME

The modules is designed to cover a 40-week study plan, assuming a study time of approximately four hours per week.

Registration by 30 June 2025. Course will begin 7 July with examination in June 2026.

Course content will become available for this course via our new learning platform, "The Knowledge Hub", which launches in September. We will notify you when your course is live with details of how to access your new online account and course joining instructions.

If you have any questions, please contact our Training Team: training@ukfinance.org.uk.