Gross Margin Forecasting: Revenue Can Be Right and the Economics Still Be Wrong
A practical FP&A guide to gross margin forecasting through mix, pricing, delivery cost, capacity and the operating assumptions behind the percentage.
Forecast Assumptions: The Model Should Remember What Changed
A practical FP&A approach to forecast assumptions, assumption logs, ownership and forecast-to-forecast bridges so Finance can explain why the outlook moved.
Working Capital Forecasting: Why the P&L Can Be Right and Cash Still Be Wrong
A practical FP&A guide to forecasting accounts receivable, accounts payable and inventory so the P&L and cash outlook tell the same story.
Operating Expense Forecasting: Stop Treating Every Cost the Same
A practical FP&A approach to operating expense forecasting: match the method to how each cost actually behaves instead of applying one assumption to every line.
Month-End Close and FP&A: When Are the Actuals Actually Ready?
The books can be closed before the actuals are ready for FP&A. A practical look at the Accounting-to-FP&A handoff, reconciliation and decision-ready actuals.
Ad Hoc Reporting in FP&A: When the Same Quick Question Keeps Coming Back
Repeated ad hoc reporting requests are often a signal that regular FP&A reporting is not answering management’s real questions. Here’s how to use that signal.
Headcount Forecasting: Why Approved Hires Keep Breaking the Plan
A practical FP&A guide to headcount forecasting, hiring timing, vacancy assumptions, replacement hiring and connecting workforce plans to the financial forecast.
Management Reporting Pack: What CFOs Actually Need Every Month
A practical guide to building a monthly management reporting pack that explains what changed, updates the outlook, and helps CFOs make decisions.
The Budget Was Approved Long Before the Meeting
One of the more curious things I’ve noticed over the years is that budgets are often approved long before anyone walks into the conference room. That sounds ridiculous, of course. The meeting is on everyone’s calendar. The deck is polished. The assumptions have been circulated. People ask questions. Slides get skipped. Someone inevitably says, “Let’s […]
8 Financial Mistakes Women in Their 40s Make—and How to Fix Them (2026 Guide)
Your 40s are where financial decisions stop being theoretical. You’re earning, juggling responsibilities, and thinking ahead—all at once. But this is also the decade where small missteps compound faster, and “I’ll fix it later” gets expensive. I’ve made some of these mistakes myself. Others I’ve seen play out repeatedly. None of them look dramatic in […]
Sarah Schlott
FP&A consulting, forecasting, accounting support and finance strategy for CFOs and growing finance teams.