Introduction to Corporate Finance (Mergers & Acquisitions) (Udemy.com)

This is a free, 92 minute primer on corporate finance from Corporate Finance Institute, broken into 30 short lectures across six sections: an overview, business valuation, M&A, debt financing, equity financing, and a closing section on careers and interviews. It suits finance or accounting students and people weighing a move into investment banking, FP&A or corporate development who want the vocabulary and the map before committing to anything longer.

The instruction, from CFI co-founder Scott Powell, gets credit from reviewers for clear, concrete explanations, and a couple of reviewers single out the careers section and the outline of ways into the field. With 4.5 stars from about 10,900 reviews and 85,000 students, the reaction is steady rather than ecstatic: nearly as many people give it four stars as five. The complaints are consistent. Videos are short, so some topics feel skimmed. There are no worked examples, quizzes or exercises, and one reviewer wanted more plain-language explanations of the jargon. It was published in 2017 and has not been updated since.

Because it costs nothing and takes an evening, the value case is easy. Treat it as a taster, not training. Next to the Complete Financial Analyst Course in our Business list, this is the quick, free option that covers far less ground but asks for almost no time. Recommended for anyone deciding whether corporate finance is a path worth pursuing, and as a fast refresher before an interview.