Customer Reviews

Financial Modeling with Crystal Ball and Excel (Wiley Finance)

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(3)
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2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The book is all about simulations. In financial modelling, as opposed to engineering or science. Readers from the latter 2 fields who have coded simulations will find much in common. The specific equations in the text for finance are largely different from what you've met before. But the basic treatment is essentially the same.

Typically, the text will describe some financial equation. The Crystal Ball program lets you easily generate random data as input to simulations, which it then runs.

Despite Excel in the book's title, the book is mostly about using Crystal Ball. Charnes shows how you can go well beyond a simple deterministic treatment of an income statement or balance sheet. Typically, most companies just use the deterministic approach. The danger is that this approach relies on certain assumptions. Using Crystal Ball and the book, you can test the effect of relaxing these assumptions on the balance sheet. A more robust approach to financial planning.

This book is useless without the companion web site. I am stuck with this book because I cannot access the web site. The company Decisioneering Inc. was bought by Oracle and thewebsite mentioned in the book doesn't work so also the help desk email address.
I feel cheated. Don't fall prey.

It is a good technical book, especially for thosse who are used to work with crystal ball software, as a way to revise your knowledge and the versatility of the techniques. The only problem is that the book contains a great number of typos, some mistakes, text and titles which do not correspond to the numbering on the outline. The good thing is that it is relatively easy to spot them. All in all, I recommend the book, and expect that the next edition will be revised.

The book's title is misleading. There is no companion website containing data files or link to Crystal Ball software. I would not have bought the book had I know this before hand.

This book is not all that useful compared to the original user manual. I expected some basic examples of bond defaults, but it goes over what is already in the user manual. Also, the examples are not very well developed. This is for very basic users who should just read the user manual.

Acho que faltou um pouco mais de detalhes nos tópicos, porém o livro apresenta excelente modelos técnicos.