Financial Indicators Tool (FIT)

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Composite Financial Index (CFI) Information and Methodology

The Composite Financial Index provides a more complex picture of the financial health of the institution at a point in time than is possible by simply comparing multiple indicators. Examining the trend of an institution’s CFI score over an extended period offers a more stable long-term view of an institution’s financial performance, given fluctuations in institutional conditions, and external circumstances, such as market performance.

The CFI Methodology. The CFI is built with the values of its four component ratios:

Primary Reserve Ratio – A measure of the level of financial flexibility
Net Income Ratio – A measure of the operating performance
Return on Net Assets Ratio – A measure of overall asset return and performance
Viability Ratio – A measure of the ability to cover debt with available resources

Once each of the four ratios is calculated, the relative strength of the score, or strength factor, and its importance in the mix of creating a composite score, or weight, are computed. The result is one weighted score for each indicator that when added together produces the Composite Financial Index. The strength factors and CFI score are standardized scores that fall along a scale of -1 to 10. A CFI score of 3 is a threshold of institutional financial health. A score of less than 3 indicates a need for serious attention to the institution’s financial condition. A score of greater than 3 indicates an opportunity for strategic investment of institutional resources to optimize the achievement of institutional mission.

For questions about the FIT, contact CIC Director of Research Hal Hartley, at (202) 466-7230.