Basic Math Review for Business and Finance
A beginner-friendly guide to the math skills needed for business, finance, investing, and financial decision-making.
Beginner-Friendly
Practical Math Skills
Built for Business & Finance
Review percentages, fractions, decimals, equations, and functions
Learn how to read charts, graphs, averages, variability, and expected value
Build confidence using Excel for common business and finance calculations
What’s Inside the Guide?
The material is presented in a practical, approachable format designed to build confidence step-by-step. This guide covers the foundational math concepts most commonly used in business and finance. Topics include:
Whole Numbers & Negative Numbers
Build confidence with basic arithmetic, operations, divisibility, and working with positive and negative values.
Fractions, Decimals & Percentages
Learn how to convert between formats, perform calculations, and apply percentages in practical situations.
Exponents & Roots
Understand compound growth, exponential relationships, and the mathematics behind long-term investing.
Equations & Functions
Develop problem-solving skills and learn how mathematical relationships are represented and analyzed.
Charts & Graphs
Learn how to interpret scatter plots, line charts, bar charts, and pie charts to better understand business and financial data.
Averages & Variability
Explore arithmetic mean, median, mode, geometric mean, weighted averages, variance, and standard deviation.
Probability & Expected Value
Develop a foundation for risk assessment and decision-making.
Excel Basics
Learn practical spreadsheet skills used throughout business and finance.
Who Should Read This Guide?
This guide was created for:
Beginning investors
Business students
Entrepreneurs
Professionals returning to finance concepts
Anyone who wants to strengthen their quantitative skills
No advanced mathematics background is required.
Built for Practical Understanding
Many math resources focus on abstract formulas without explaining why they matter.
This guide takes a different approach. Every chapter connects mathematics to real-world business and finance situations. Examples throughout the guide demonstrate how these concepts are used in investing, business analysis, and financial planning.
The math behind investing concepts
How percentages affect returns
Why compounding matters
How averages can be misleading
How probability influences decision-making
Guide Contents
- Operations with Whole Numbers
- Operations with Negative Numbers
- Fractions
- Decimals and Percentages
- Exponents and Roots
- Equations and Functions
- Graphs and Charts
- Averages and Variability
- Introduction to Probability and Expected Value
- Microsoft Excel Basics
- Solutions to Practice Problems
Continue Your Learning
What Is Fundamental Investing?
Learn how investors analyze businesses, financial statements, competitive advantages, and intrinsic value to make rational long-term investment decisions.
Understanding Financial Statements Course
Learn how to read balance sheets, income statements, and cash flow statements so you can evaluate business performance with confidence.
Fundamental Investing Foundations Course
Build a structured framework for analyzing businesses, understanding stock valuation, and making rational long-term investment decisions.
About the Author
Matt DePaola is the founder of the Fundamental Investing Institute and host of the Fundamentals Unfiltered podcast. He teaches practical, fundamentals-first investing with a focus on intrinsic value, cash-flow-based analysis, and long-term thinking. Matt’s mission is to make high-quality financial education accessible and clear for beginners, early investors, and business owners.
Build Confidence with Business and Finance Math
Strengthen the math foundation you need for investing, business analysis, and financial decision-making.