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The 2026 AI CFO Benchmark →
19,435 EDGAR 10-Ks analyzed. Real vendor pricing. What operators actually use. Free download →
The AI-native CFO
Prompts, playbooks, and the operator take on running finance in 2026.
The Latest
New writing on AI in the finance function, FP&A, and CFO topics.
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When AI Financial Forecasts Are Wrong: A Skeptic’s Framework for Sanity-Checking
AI-generated forecasts fail in specific, predictable ways. I have watched three major vendor tools (Anaplan, Pigment, Mosaic) produce revenue forecasts that were within 3% of actuals for six consecutive months,…
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Home Depot CFO Richard McPhail on the ‘Frozen’ Housing Market: The Aug 18, 2026 Earnings Read
Home Depot posted second quarter results before the bell on Tuesday, August 18. Revenue rose 5.7% to $47.86 billion, comparable sales climbed 1.7%, and adjusted earnings per share came in…
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The 2026 AI CFO Benchmark
41% of 10-K filings mention AI in 2026 YTD, up from 32% in 2025. What finance operators actually use, what the vendor decks got wrong, and five 2027 predictions. Independent,…
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Aon’s CFO Left on August 17 With ‘Immediate’ Effect. Read the 8-K, Not the Press Release.
Aon’s CFO exited effective immediately on August 17, with an Interim CFO from FP&A and reaffirmed 2026 guidance. Three phrases in the release tell you what the board is signaling.
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OpenAI Enterprise Crosses Consumer, Anthropic Preps an IPO: What This Week Means for Your AI Budget
OpenAI CFO Friar told investors on Aug 14 that enterprise revenue has crossed consumer. Anthropic CFO Rao is running early IPO meetings. The commercial floor for enterprise AI just moved…
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The Pragmatic CFO Reading Order: 30 Posts in 6 Tracks
Thirty posts, six tracks. The reading order for the site. Start with Track 1 if you want the Friday close ritual, work outward from there.
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The Board Deck AI Prompt That Cuts Prep From 8 Hours to 45 Minutes
Board decks are the most-time and least-fun deliverable in the CFO calendar. At the $180M SaaS company where I ran finance last year, I spent between 7 and 9 hours…
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Why Most CFOs Are Using AI Wrong (And What The Top 10% Do Differently)
KPMG’s 2026 Global AI in Finance survey found active use of AI in the finance function has more than doubled since 2024, rising to 75%. But adoption and outcomes are…
About The Pragmatic CFO
Fifteen-plus years running P&Ls across restaurants, portfolio companies, and everything in between. Focus areas: FP&A, AI in finance, unit economics, and the stuff most CFO content doesn’t touch. No consulting-speak, no jargon, no ads.
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Restaurant Bottom Line
Restaurant P&Ls, unit economics, and 13-week cash models. Same voice, restaurant-specific.
The Pragmatic CFO 