https://finlock.us/blog Practical guides on accounting, bookkeeping, workflow, and construction-compliance — from the team at Finlock. en-us Mon, 20 Apr 2026 03:52:48 GMT https://finlock.us/blog/xero-vs-finlock-comparison https://finlock.us/blog/xero-vs-finlock-comparison Honest comparison of Xero and Finlock across pricing, modules, payroll, inventory, multi-entity, and reporting. Where Xero wins, where Finlock wins, and which kind of business should pick which. Sun, 19 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Comparisons https://finlock.us/blog/three-financial-statements-explained https://finlock.us/blog/three-financial-statements-explained Plain-English walkthrough of the three primary financial statements — how each answers a different question about the business, how they articulate with each other, and the linkages that most beginners miss. Sun, 19 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Fundamentals https://finlock.us/blog/prevailing-wage-by-state-guide https://finlock.us/blog/prevailing-wage-by-state-guide A practical guide to how Davis-Bacon federal prevailing wages, state prevailing-wage laws (California DIR, New York NYS Labor, Ohio, others), and local ordinances interact on federally-funded and state-funded public works projects. Sun, 19 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Construction https://finlock.us/blog/freshbooks-vs-finlock-comparison https://finlock.us/blog/freshbooks-vs-finlock-comparison Practical comparison of FreshBooks and Finlock for freelancers, consultants, and service-firm owners. Pricing, invoicing, time tracking, and when to graduate from FreshBooks to something more. Sun, 19 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Comparisons https://finlock.us/blog/depreciation-methods-comparison https://finlock.us/blog/depreciation-methods-comparison A practical comparison of the four most common depreciation methods — when to use each, how the math works, and why your tax return (MACRS) often differs from your book financials (straight-line). Sun, 19 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Fundamentals https://finlock.us/blog/davis-bacon-wh347-certified-payroll-guide https://finlock.us/blog/davis-bacon-wh347-certified-payroll-guide A practical walkthrough of the Davis-Bacon Act, prevailing-wage determinations, and weekly WH-347 certified payroll reporting — with step-by-step examples, the statements of compliance, and the penalties for getting it wrong. Sun, 19 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Construction https://finlock.us/blog/construction-wip-schedule-explained https://finlock.us/blog/construction-wip-schedule-explained A practical guide to the Work in Process (WIP) schedule for construction companies — how percentage-of-completion revenue recognition works, how to spot over-billings vs under-billings, and why your surety bonding agent reads this report first. Sun, 19 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Construction https://finlock.us/blog/construction-change-orders-accounting https://finlock.us/blog/construction-change-orders-accounting How to handle construction change orders in your accounting system — from verbal request, to pending CCO, to formal signed CO, through the impact on the contract value, schedule of values, WIP, and billing. Sun, 19 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Construction https://finlock.us/blog/aia-g702-g703-explained https://finlock.us/blog/aia-g702-g703-explained A practical walkthrough of the AIA G702 Application and Certificate for Payment and the G703 Continuation Sheet — what each column means, how retainage flows, how change orders update the schedule of values, and the errors that delay payment. Sun, 19 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Construction https://finlock.us/blog/accounts-receivable-aging-and-collections https://finlock.us/blog/accounts-receivable-aging-and-collections How to read an AR aging report, set collection targets, build a dunning cadence, and decide when to write off receivables — a practical playbook for SMBs and service firms. Sun, 19 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT SMB Workflows https://finlock.us/blog/1099-nec-vs-w2-misclassification https://finlock.us/blog/1099-nec-vs-w2-misclassification A plain-English guide to classifying workers as 1099 contractors or W-2 employees. The IRS common-law test, California's ABC test, the cost of misclassification, and how to structure relationships so they pass muster. Sun, 19 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT SMB Workflows https://finlock.us/blog/chart-of-accounts-guide-for-smbs https://finlock.us/blog/chart-of-accounts-guide-for-smbs The chart of accounts is the backbone of every financial report you will ever run. This guide walks through account types, a useful numbering scheme, sub-accounts vs classes, common mistakes, and a starter CoA template for service, retail, and construction businesses. Sat, 18 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Fundamentals https://finlock.us/blog/cash-vs-accrual-accounting https://finlock.us/blog/cash-vs-accrual-accounting A plain-English comparison of cash-basis and accrual-basis accounting — when each is legal, what the IRS permits, how the two methods diverge on common transactions, and how to switch from one to the other. Fri, 17 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Fundamentals https://finlock.us/blog/quickbooks-alternative-why-we-built-finlock https://finlock.us/blog/quickbooks-alternative-why-we-built-finlock QuickBooks Online works — but the a-la-carte pricing, module upsells, and data-hostage policies have worn a generation of SMBs thin. Here is what Finlock includes by default, how the pricing math actually works out, and where QuickBooks is still the better choice. Thu, 16 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Comparisons https://finlock.us/blog/monthly-close-checklist https://finlock.us/blog/monthly-close-checklist A step-by-step monthly close process — account reconciliations, accruals, inter-company eliminations, and the review steps that catch errors before they reach the owner's report. Includes a printable checklist. Wed, 15 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT SMB Workflows https://finlock.us/blog/accounts-payable-automation-ocr-approvals https://finlock.us/blog/accounts-payable-automation-ocr-approvals A practical look at AP automation — what OCR can and cannot extract, how 3-way matching prevents duplicate and fraudulent payments, the approval routing patterns that scale, and the controls every AP team should be running. Tue, 14 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT SMB Workflows https://finlock.us/blog/nonprofit-accounting-fasb-958-fund-accounting https://finlock.us/blog/nonprofit-accounting-fasb-958-fund-accounting An introduction to nonprofit accounting — net-asset classifications under FASB ASC 958, restricted vs unrestricted funds, grant tracking across fiscal years, and the Form 990 schedules your board and auditors will expect. Mon, 13 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Nonprofit https://finlock.us/blog/finlock-public-beta-transparency https://finlock.us/blog/finlock-public-beta-transparency What 'public beta' means at Finlock, what is complete and what is still evolving, how we handle data during beta, our stance on feature paywalls, and how you can help us make this thing great. Sun, 12 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Product https://finlock.us/blog/bank-reconciliation-guide https://finlock.us/blog/bank-reconciliation-guide How to reconcile your bank accounts correctly every month — ledger vs statement balance, deposits in transit, outstanding checks, bank-only items, and what to do when the variance won't go to zero. Sat, 11 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Fundamentals