Corporate America is pulling back. Tariffs, inflation, and economic uncertainty have pushed many financial leaders into a defensive crouch. A recent survey by the National Association for Business Economics (NABE) found that 27% of companies expect to delay hiring or investment over the next six months.
For CFOs looking to preserve cash, it is hiring freezes, spending pauses, and shuttered projects that are often the go-to levers. But playing it too safe has consequences too: stalled innovation, lost momentum, and employees who begin to question the company’s direction.
The real question for CFOs is not how much to cut, it is how to unlock liquidity without starving growth. The answer is often hiding in plain sight.
The Risk of Delayed Spending
Freezing spending may feel prudent, but it can be dangerous. The business landscape has never been more aggressive. Competitors are doubling down on innovation, customers expect constant improvement, and stakeholders demand agility.
A six-month pause might look like fiscal discipline, but does it actually save money, or will it cost you more in the long run? Losing market share while rivals surge ahead, watching top performers leave for still-hiring companies, and missing out on strategic opportunities creates headwinds that delay subsequent recovery during more favorable times.
CFOs do not just face tough tradeoffs, they face the risk of being left behind.
A New Category of Liquidity: Remnant Assets
What many companies miss is that they already have untapped cash sitting inside the business. Remnant Assets—interests tied to inactive subsidiaries, predecessor entities, or old M&A—are an overlooked category of liquidity with a $100+ billion global market. In fact, 7 out of 10 mid-to-large companies are sitting on at least $1 million of monetization opportunity.
For CFOs, they can be a gold mine in waiting.
Oak Point Partners pioneered the monetization of Remnant Assets and remains the leading institutional buyer of Remnant Assets worldwide. Over the last two decades, Oak Point has completed more than 2,000 transactions with Fortune 500s, as well as PE-backed and other leading private companies including CDW, Sysco Food Service, and LifePoint Health. Last year alone, we acquired Remnant Assets from companies with combined revenues exceeding $120 billion.
Our proprietary technology and expertise allow us to identify, value, and purchase these assets directly. The result: a low-lift, high-return liquidity strategy that requires minimal time and zero disruption to daily operations.
A Smarter Alternative
When margins tighten, CFOs tend to cycle through the same limited playbook:
- Cut costs: Quick but corrosive
- Pause investments: Safer, but a growth-killer
- Take on debt: Provides liquidity, but with added risk
Remnant Assets create a fourth path: low effort, high return, no added risk. Proceeds from these transactions can be redirected to critical priorities such as hiring, growth projects, R&D pipelines, or used to protect jobs that might otherwise be on the chopping block.
Case in point: A multibillion-dollar healthcare company monetized assets tied to old acquisitions and unlocked millions in liquidity, all with little-to-no involvement from their team.
“Remnant Asset recovery can present complex challenges for healthcare related companies. When Magellan Healthcare sold its Remnant Assets to Oak Point, it provided us the reassurance we needed that its recovery efforts would not impact the relationships and processes that are integral to the success of our business,” explained Jeffrey Vines, Former VP of Business Transformation at Magellan Healthcare.
Why CFOs Should Act Now
With nearly one-third of companies standing still, the advantage belongs to those who refuse to freeze. By monetizing Remnant Assets, CFOs can protect the bottom line, fuel growth, and turn financial caution into competitive strength - even when budgets are locked.
About Eric Linn
Eric Linn is the CEO of Oak Point Partners, a position he has held since founding the company in 2001. Since then, Oak Point has successfully completed Remnant Asset transactions with 2000+ companies.
Outside of Oak Point, Eric is an active investor and minority owner in Crystal Palace FC and Real Salt Lake, and also serves as Chairman of The Wharton School’s Undergraduate Board. Earlier in his career, Eric co-founded an enterprise software company and held roles at TA Associates and Salomon Brothers. He graduated magna cum laude from The Wharton School in 1992.
