3-Statement Financial Model Template

Financial modelling is one of those skills that looks intimidating from the outside but becomes incredibly intuitive once you understand the structure. Most people struggle not because modelling is hard, but because they start with templates that are either too simple (missing core logic) or too complex (full IB bells and whistles they don’t need).

So I built a clean, generic, fully‑linked three‑statement model template that anyone can use for:

• Case studies
• Interview prep
• General practice
• Learning how a proper model flows
• Analysing a company without getting lost in formatting

This template is intentionally sector‑agnostic (except niche sectors such as financial institutions where this model will not work), easy to customise, and structured exactly the way a real analyst would build it, just without the unnecessary complications that belong in a deal room, not in a learning environment.

You can download it directly from the link at the end of this article.

Purpose

Most beginners jump straight into overly engineered investment banking models and end up overwhelmed. Those models are designed for transactions, not learning.

This template solves that problem. It gives you:

• A clean structure
• Clear flow from raw financials → working schedules → three statements
• A separate assumptions tab
• A place to run your own analysis
• Enough flexibility to adapt it to any operating company

It is the exact structure I wish more people learned first.

What This Model Includes

The template is built around the fundamentals:

1. Configuration Tab

Set the company name, year‑end, currency, units, and any scenario switches or drop‑downs you want to use. This keeps the rest of the model clean.

2. Financials From Source

Paste the company’s reported numbers here. Map each line item to a “code” so it flows cleanly into the model. This is how real analysts standardise messy financial statements.

3. Income Statement, Balance Sheet & Cash Flow

Fully structured, with historicals and forecast periods. The Cash Flow uses the indirect method and links back to working capital, depreciation, amortisation, and loan schedules.

4. Forecast Assumptions

All your drivers, growth, margins, working capital days, capex, interest rates, sit here. Change one assumption and the entire model updates.

5. Working Tables

This is where the engine sits:

• Working capital schedule
• Fixed assets schedule
• Intangibles schedule
• Loan schedule
• Interest calculation
• Retained earnings roll‑forward

These schedules feed the three statements.

6. Financial Analysis Tab

Margins, growth, leverage, coverage ratios, charts, whatever you want to analyse.

What Sectors This Template Works For

This model works beautifully for normal operating companies, including:

• Consumer & retail
• Industrials & manufacturing
• Business services
• Healthcare services
• Simple tech / SaaS (with light KPI additions)
• Any corporate case study

It is not designed for:

• Banks
• Insurance companies
• REITs
• Project finance / infrastructure
• Early‑stage startups with no stable revenue model

Those require specialised modelling structures.

What This Model Doesn’t Include (On Purpose)

This is a learning‑first template. It avoids unnecessary complexity, but you can add these later if you want to level up:

• Multi‑tranche debt schedules
• Revolvers and minimum cash logic
• Detailed tax schedules (loss utilisation, deferred tax)
• Lease accounting
• Minority interest and complex equity movements
• KPI‑heavy sector‑specific drivers
• PIK interest, mezzanine debt, covenant tests

These are great to learn eventually but they distract beginners from understanding the core structure.

How to Use This Template

A simple workflow:

1. Set up the Configuration tab
2. Paste historicals into Financials From Source
3. Map each line item to a code
4. Check that the three statements pull correctly
5. Fill in your forecast assumptions
6. Build out the working schedules
7. Complete the Cash Flow Statement
8. Fix any circular references
9. Run your analysis

Once you’ve done this once, you’ll understand 80% of what makes a model work.

A Full Example Is Coming Soon

In the coming months, I’ll publish a full walkthrough using this template on a real public company—so you can see exactly how I go from reported numbers → mapped financials → a complete three‑statement model → insights.

Download the Template

You can download the model directly from this page.

Use it, customise it, break it, rebuild it, whatever helps you learn.

Article drafted using Co-Pilot. Model built by Ria.