GISI Intermediate - independent subject foundations study materials
GISI Intermediate - independent subject foundations study resources

GISI Intermediate - independent subject foundations cheat sheet

GISI Intermediate - independent subject foundations · Keep the key ideas within reach.

Quick reference

National accounts, money and fiscal reasoning

  • Distinguish a budget flow, a debt stock and the financing transactions.

  • A bank loan can create a corresponding deposit; a 1/r multiplier is a deliberately simplified model.

  • Policy rates influence, but do not equal, every retail borrowing rate.

  • Real and nominal measures need the relevant price index and base normalization.

  • Spending and tax multipliers require their model and sign conventions.

Quick reference

Economic data, indices and statistical reasoning

  • An index-point change is not automatically an equal percentage change.

  • State the initial-base, midpoint or point elasticity convention.

  • A sample standard error differs from individual-observation dispersion.

  • Correlation and fitted prediction do not by themselves establish causation.

  • Use exact growth-factor ratios when precision matters.

Quick reference

Financial statements, assets, inventory and cash-flow models

  • Cost of sales includes carriage inwards and excludes carriage outwards

  • Closing inventory affects both the trading account and the balance sheet

  • Drawings reduce capital and are never an expense

  • An increase in the doubtful debts provision is charged to profit and loss

  • Capital = opening capital + net profit − drawings

  • Issued capital and actual cash received are different concepts.

  • Share premium in the supplied par-value model is not sales revenue.

  • Distinguish equity distributions from interest on liabilities.

  • Prime cost includes direct materials consumed, direct labour and direct expenses

  • Cost of production adds production overheads and adjusts for work in progress

  • Selling and administration costs are not production costs

  • Inventory is valued at the lower of cost and net realisable value

Quick reference

Financial appraisal, financing and conditional valuation models

  • Define incremental cash flows and the valuation date.

  • Discount rate, cash-flow timing and risk assumptions must be consistent.

  • NPV, IRR, payback and accounting return measure different things.

  • Expected value does not eliminate downside or estimation uncertainty.

  • Supplied model rates are not current market or tax facts.

Quick reference

Investment instruments, portfolios and measured performance

  • Separate instrument claims, timing, fees and risk.

  • Expected return is not a guaranteed outcome.

  • Covariance matters for portfolio volatility and diversification has limits.

  • Use coherent cash-flow, benchmark and valuation assumptions.

Quick reference

Futures, options, swaps and conditional hedging models

  • State direction, size, timeline and contract assumptions.

  • Payoff differs from profit after premiums and costs.

  • Hedging can introduce basis, liquidity and counterparty risk.

  • Margin is collateral and does not generally cap losses.

Quick reference

Market, credit, liquidity and model-risk reasoning

  • Expected loss is an average under a stated model, not a maximum.

  • VaR does not bound losses or fully describe the tail.

  • Funding and market liquidity can deteriorate together.

  • Validate models and monitor assumptions, data and intended use.