Top 9 Functions of Financial Management: Roles & responsibilities

Financial management functions are an essential requirement to start any business. Regardless of the size of the business, objectives remain constant. To handle financial resources effectively, financial management is crucial. Financial management functions ensure that a business has access to the necessary revenue when needed. The functions of a financial manager include everything from getting money to using it effectively. 

9 Major Functions of Financial Management

Listing down the top 9 financial management functions can help you take a deeper look into the functions of a financial manager. And, if you are interested, you can opt for financial management courses and certifications.

1. Financial Planning and Forecasting

   Financial management, refers to the procurement of funds and effectively managing and utilising the same in business, While the term “financial management Planning & forecasting” refers to the application of management principles to financial resources, in basic terms, it is

   • Planning
   • Organising
   • Directing
   • Controlling

2. Cash Management

   The primary function of financial manager is to determine the revenue a company will need to reach its goals. When determining how much capital a company needs, the role of a finance manager includes estimating the size of the business, predicting profitability, and understanding company policies. The manager must also know how to measure financial risk management to secure the business from losses.

3. Determining the Capital Structure

   When the capital requirement estimation is complete, one of the other major financial management functions is deciding on the capital composition. Both long-term and short-term debt equity research and analysis are involved in this function. It will mostly depend on the amount of equity capital that a company already has and the additional revenue required from other sources. The structure must be decided upon after assessing the necessary capital.

4. Funding Sources

   Identifying the source of the capital is one of the next financial management functions. In order to raise capital in exchange for equity, the company may choose to contact investors, take bank loans, or hold an initial public offering (IPO). The advantages and restrictions of each funding source are taken into consideration while choosing and ranking them.

5. Forecasting Cash Flows

   Estimating the upcoming expenses is part of the cash flow forecasting process. A cash flow prediction is an essential tool for your company because it will let you know whether you’ll have enough money to run or grow the enterprise. It will also let you know when the company is losing more money than it is making. The funding sources may be internal or external.

6. Income Distribution

   The financial manager functions include making the judgement regarding net revenues. This is possible in two areas of an organization’s financial management functions. First, when a dividend is declared, the rate of dividends and, if applicable, bonuses are also determined. 

7. Investing the Business Capital

   Making decisions on how to distribute money to successful ventures is another one of the functions of financial management. For each investment, the financial manager must be aware of the financial management risk and projected return. Also, the investment strategies must be designed to maximise profit potential and minimise capital loss. Financial management functions are required to invest funds in viable businesses to ensure investment protection and consistent returns on investment.

8. Financial Command

   The finance manager must develop tactics and ways to work on financial control of funds in addition to developing strategies to raise, allocate, and spend funds. A number of strategies can be used to accomplish this when it comes to financial management functions, including ratio analysis, financial forecasting, pricing, cost control, and others.

9. Pricing & Price Control

   Many sizable businesses have thorough cost-accounting systems in place to keep track of expenditures related to financial management functions. Moreover, systems are made to emphasise statistically significant information on tasks and activities that will be displayed on a monitor. Financial management functions may offer insight into variations in spending at various manufacturing levels and the revenue margins required to run the firm successfully.

Role of Financial Management

Decisions And Control – Making financial decisions and maintaining control over the organization’s money are essential responsibilities is a primary role of financial management. They employ methods like ratio analysis, profit and loss analysis, financial forecasting, etc. Ratio analysis examines a company’s financial records to evaluate its liquidity, revenues, and profitability. 

1. Utilising and Allocating Financial Resources

   – Financial management makes certain that all of an organization’s financial resources are utilised, invested, and managed profitably, sustainably, and viably over the long term. Due to the intense competition that exists among businesses, finance directors must make sure that the money they have available is being used as efficiently as possible.

2. Financial Reporting

   – Financial management keeps track of all pertinent financial reports for the company and uses this information as a repository for planning and predicting financial actions. For many businesses, reporting is a crucial task. It provides information about the company’s performance and financial position.

3. Management of Risk

   – A company that practises sound financial management is better equipped to anticipate risks, implement mitigation strategies, and deal with emergencies and unforeseen dangers. There are hazards in any business, and risk management is one of the functions of a financial manager.

You can learn more about the scope of financial management functions with the only industry-focused fintech certification programme in India, the Hero Vired program for financial technologies. It can be your entryway into the lucrative world of finance. It may be the curriculum, which was created in partnership with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The course will teach you how to be a financial analyst.

Despite all the facts, the primary objective of financial supervisors, decision-makers, and all other professionals involved in a company’s financial management functions is to maximise the company’s valuation. Making money and operating a business for a long time are both objectives when starting one. To make sure that the funds are handled wisely, however, falls under the purview of the financial manager. Here, we’ve identified the purposes and types of financial management functions that help a company reach its long-term objective.