Video Game: Understanding Financial Expenses in Your Income Statement
Why am I seeing financial expenses if I didn’t make any banking decisions?
In the simulation, you do not choose your bank, negotiate loans, or decide interest rates. However, just like real companies, your business still has basic financial costs built into its operations.
These appear under Financial Expenses in your Income Statement.
The 3 Types of Financial Expenses
These are small, routine fees that real companies pay to their financial institution (e.g., for maintaining accounts). In the simulation:
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They stay fairly stable from year to year
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They do not depend on your decisions
They simply reflect normal business operations.
A credit line is a short-term loan a company uses when it does not have enough cash.
In the simulation:
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Every company starts with no short-term debt
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You only borrow if your company loses money or runs low on cash
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If you borrow, interest appears under Financial Expenses
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The interest rate can change each year depending on economic conditions
All companies begin the simulation with some long-term debt — just like a real startup needing capital to operate.
In the simulation:
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This loan already exists when the game starts
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You repay it over multiple years
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Interest is charged each year
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The interest rate may change depending on economic conditions
Where to find the exact interest rates
You can see the interest rates used for both short-term and long-term loans here:
Reports → Statistics → bottom of the page
This shows the economic conditions affecting all competitors, not just your company.
Key Takeaway
Even though you do not make banking decisions, your company still operates like a real business with:
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Routine bank fees
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Short-term loan interest (only if you run out of cash)
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Long-term loan interest (built into the starting scenario)
These costs are normal and ensure the simulation reflects real financial conditions.
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