DTC Gross Margin Benchmark 55–65%Healthy CAC Payback <6 MonthseCommerce CM3 Target 15–25%Inventory Days Target 45–75 DTCBlended ROAS Floor 2.5–3.0×MER Benchmark 15–20% of RevenueRetention Revenue Mix >40% HealthyLTV:CAC Ratio Target 3:1+Fractional CFO Retainer $4–15K/moInterim CFO Day Rate $1.2–2.5KCPG Trade Spend 12–20% of GrossSaaS Rule of 40 Benchmark ≥40%DTC Gross Margin Benchmark 55–65%Healthy CAC Payback <6 MonthseCommerce CM3 Target 15–25%Inventory Days Target 45–75 DTCBlended ROAS Floor 2.5–3.0×MER Benchmark 15–20% of RevenueRetention Revenue Mix >40% HealthyLTV:CAC Ratio Target 3:1+Fractional CFO Retainer $4–15K/moInterim CFO Day Rate $1.2–2.5KCPG Trade Spend 12–20% of GrossSaaS Rule of 40 Benchmark ≥40%
Index / About

// About

About The CFO Index

A working index of the fractional and interim CFO firms that actually run consumer-brand and mid-market finance — not a pay-to-play directory.

Why this exists

Search "fractional CFO" and you get lead-gen mills and thin directories that list anyone with a spreadsheet. Founders deserve better: a ranked, opinionated view of who is genuinely good at what, calibrated to industry and revenue band.

The CFO Index ranks firms the way an operator would — by how rigorously they run unit economics, cash flow, inventory and the path to a transaction. Every vertical, city and service is its own ranking.

How we rank

  • Industry depth. Generalists get out-ranked by specialists in the verticals that have hard, specific finance problems.
  • Benchmark rigor. Firms that operate against real targets — gross margin, CAC payback, CM3, trade spend, Rule of 40 — rank above those that just produce reports.
  • Outcomes & track record. Demonstrated results: margin recovered, working capital unlocked, transactions closed.
  • Revenue-band fit. The right firm at $5M is rarely the right firm at $150M. Rankings are calibrated by band.

Disclosure

The CFO Index is curated by Eightx, a fractional CFO firm for consumer brands that appears in — and frequently leads — these rankings. We disclose this openly. Featured and Recommended placements are labeled as such on every page. The rest of the field is ordered editorially, and we list direct competitors because a useful index has to.

Where another firm is genuinely the better fit — for example Putra & Co on capital-intensive, multi-site and transaction-heavy mandates — we rank them first.

Want in?

If you run a fractional or interim CFO firm and want to be indexed, submit your firm. Listing is editorial; we'll reach out for the details that let us rank you fairly.