Self-learning Resources
Curated Resources for AI-Enabled Finance Professionals
There has never been a better time to learn finance.
There has also never been a more overwhelming number of tools, courses, books, and AI applications.
The purpose of this page is to curate high-quality resources that complement the learning materials in AI Finance Lab.
The focus is always on practical learning rather than collecting the largest list of links.
Learning Roadmap
If you are new to finance, we recommend following this order:
- Accounting Fundamentals
- Financial Statements
- Corporate Finance
- Financial Modelling
- Valuation
- Artificial Intelligence Fundamentals
- AI Applications in Finance
Essential Finance Books
These books have shaped generations of finance professionals.
Accounting
Financial Accounting
- Financial Accounting – Libby, Libby & Hodge
Corporate Finance
Principles of Corporate Finance
- Richard Brealey
- Stewart Myers
- Franklin Allen
One of the most respected corporate finance textbooks.
Valuation
Investment Valuation
Author:
- Aswath Damodaran
Recommended for:
- DCF
- Relative valuation
- Corporate valuation
Financial Modelling
Financial Modeling
Author:
- Simon Benninga
A classic resource for understanding model construction.
AI Learning Resources
AI evolves rapidly.
Instead of trying to master every tool, focus on learning principles.
Topics worth exploring include:
- Prompt engineering
- AI-assisted research
- Document analysis
- Workflow automation
- AI agents
Excel Resources
Excel remains one of the most important tools in finance.
Recommended areas to master:
- Keyboard shortcuts
- Lookup functions
- Dynamic arrays
- Pivot tables
- Power Query
- Charts
- Financial modelling best practices
Python for Finance
Python is becoming increasingly valuable for finance professionals.
Useful areas include:
- Data analysis
- Financial modelling
- Automation
- Reporting
- Visualization
Popular libraries include:
- pandas
- NumPy
- matplotlib
- yfinance
Annual Reports
Reading annual reports is one of the fastest ways to improve business understanding.
Recommended companies:
- Berkshire Hathaway
- Apple
- Microsoft
- Alphabet
- Amazon
- Breville Group
Suggested exercise:
Read one annual report every month and answer:
- How does the company make money?
- What are the major risks?
- Where is cash generated?
- What drives growth?
- What concerns management?
AI Tools
AI tools change rapidly.
Rather than chasing every new application, understand what problems each category solves.
Categories include:
General AI Assistants
Used for:
- Research
- Brainstorming
- Writing
- Learning
Coding Assistants
Useful for:
- Python
- Automation
- Excel scripting
- Data processing
Productivity Tools
Examples include:
- Meeting summaries
- Document search
- Workflow automation
Practice Projects
The best way to learn finance is by building.
Ideas include:
- Analyse an annual report
- Build a three-statement model
- Create a DCF valuation
- Compare two companies
- Build an AI-assisted research workflow
- Create an investment memo
Communities
Learning accelerates when shared with others.
Consider engaging with:
- Finance professionals
- AI practitioners
- Open-source communities
- Professional associations
AI Finance Lab
All resources on this page are intended to complement—not replace—the structured learning content available throughout AI Finance Lab.
As the platform grows, this page will continue to evolve with new recommendations, tools, and learning materials.
The goal is not to know every tool.
The goal is to become a better finance professional.