Fractional CFO FAQ. Straight answers, before the call.

An experienced CFO who runs your finance function part-time, on a retainer, instead of as a full-time hire. You get operator-level strategy, forecasting, and board or investor readiness without a full-time executive salary. Best when the finance function has outgrown a controller but does not yet need, or cannot yet justify, a full-time CFO.

It depends on the tier, but the core is the same: owning the numbers leadership uses to decide. In a typical month that means a performance read on cash and margin, a rolling 13-week cash forecast, KPIs and a dashboard someone actually owns, budget and reforecast work, lender or investor reporting, and a seat in the room when pricing, hiring, or capital decisions get made. At higher tiers it extends to board reporting, capital strategy, and leading the finance team directly.

A controller records what happened and closes the books. A CFO tells you what it means and what to do next... pricing, margin, cash, capital, and whether you are ready to raise or sell. Different altitude, different job. Most of my clients keep their controller and add me above it.

A consultant delivers a recommendation and leaves. I sit in the seat, own the numbers, and run the finance function until it holds on its own. I am accountable for the result, not just the slide deck.

Fixed fees, published up front. The Pulse Check diagnostic is $5,000. Monthly retainers start at $6,000 for a bi-weekly strategic finance partnership, $12,000 for a weekly operating partnership, $20,000 for a full fractional CFO function, and $28,000 for an acting CFO in the seat near full-time. Fixed-scope projects are priced individually, from $7,500 to $75,000 for the Exit Readiness Sprint. I quote before you commit. I do not charge transaction-based or success fees, and I am not a broker-dealer. The full menu is on Retainers & Pricing.

Typically one-third to one-half the cost of a full-time hire, with no equity dilution, no search timeline, and no severance exposure. The trade-off is availability: a fractional CFO is not in the building every day. When a company needs that, the acting CFO tier covers the seat until a permanent hire makes sense.

When the finance function was built for a smaller company and the decisions have outgrown it. The reliable signals: more than one product line or contract type, growth without confidence in which parts of it are profitable, no single owner for the forecast, a board, sponsor, or lender expecting a real reporting package, or a raise, sale, refinancing, or covenant test inside the next eighteen months. If a controller closes the books well but nobody is telling leadership what the numbers mean, that is usually the moment.

Depth of presence. A fractional CFO works on a set cadence, from bi-weekly to several touches a week, owning strategic finance while the internal team runs the day-to-day. An acting CFO is in the seat near full-time, runs finance directly, supervises the team, and covers a leadership gap, a turnaround, or a live deal, usually on a three to six month initial term.

It varies with the need. Some clients run a single 30-day diagnostic, some retain me through a defined stretch such as a raise or a sale, and some stay on for ongoing strategic finance. Retainers carry a 90-day minimum and then run month to month, with no 12-month commitment.

Typically two to three weeks from a signed SOW. The Pulse Check needs two signatures to start, and its 30 days run from Kickoff. Acting CFO engagements can move faster when the situation calls for it. A mutual NDA is available before any data changes hands.

Both. I am based in Gilbert, Arizona and work on-site with companies across greater Phoenix, including Scottsdale, Tempe, Chandler, and Mesa. Clients outside Arizona are served remotely, with on-site presence when the work calls for it.

Founder-led and PE-backed companies where a transaction, a raise, or an exit is on the table, or where the finance function has simply outgrown a controller. I focus on healthcare, PBM, technology, insurance, and professional services.

No. I am a fractional CFO advisor, not a broker-dealer. I get your finance function and your numbers ready for a raise or a sale, but I do not solicit capital, sell securities, or make paid introductions.

Almost everyone starts with the Pulse Check, a 30-day, $5,000 fixed-fee diagnostic that gives you a prioritized read on economics, cash, and infrastructure. From there we decide on a retainer or a defined project, with information rather than a pitch. The fee credits in full toward a retainer if you engage within 60 days.