Jake's Insights

Construction finance,
explained straight.

No vendor fluff. No generic finance advice. Real, actionable intelligence for construction CFOs, controllers, and finance teams.

All Articles

Cash Flow

How to Stop Using Your Line of Credit to Fund Operations (And What to Do Instead)

If your line of credit balance never gets to zero, you don't have a credit facility — you have permanent debt. Here's how construction CFOs break the cycle.

February 21, 20265 min readJake CFO Team
Close & Audit

The 5 WIP Schedule Mistakes That Get Construction CFOs Fired

A wrong WIP schedule doesn't just affect your financials — it destroys surety relationships, triggers lender covenants, and can end careers. Here are the five errors that cause the most damage.

February 20, 20266 min readJake CFO Team
Cash Flow

Retainage Is Killing Your Cash Flow. Here's How to Fight Back.

Construction companies routinely leave 5-10% of every contract locked in retainage for 12-18 months. Most never systematically fight to get it back. Here's the playbook.

February 19, 20264 min readJake CFO Team
Compliance

The Mechanic's Lien Deadline You're Going to Miss (And What It Costs)

Lien rights are a construction company's most powerful collection tool. Most companies let them expire. Here's what's at stake and how to never miss another deadline.

February 6, 20264 min readJake CFO Team
Close & Audit

Your Month-End Close Takes 8 Days. It Should Take 2.

Construction controllers spend more time on month-end close than any other finance function. Here's a practical breakdown of why, and how to cut it in half.

January 28, 20264 min readJake CFO Team
AI in Finance

What an AI CFO Actually Does (And What It Doesn't Do)

There's a lot of hype around AI in finance. Here's an honest breakdown of what AI CFO tools like Jake actually do, where they add real value, and what they can't replace.

January 20, 20264 min readJake CFO Team